The Citizens' Clean Energy Economy Investment Act of 2009

Findings:

• A strong economy for the United States is dependent on energy efficiency, investment in clean, renewable energy technologies, investment in new energy infrastructure, and training of the workforce to transit from old energy technologies to new technologies. For every $1 million spent in clean energy 18 jobs will be created as opposed to 7.5 jobs created per million dollars spent on old energy technologies.

• With investment in new energy technology and infrastructure, the United States economy will once again be an exporting, rather than an outsourcing and importing economy. The United States' innovation and competitive edge in science and technology will position the United States to benefit from and advance the new global energy economy.

• With investment in clean, renewable energy technologies the national security of the United States will be enhanced by ceasing dependence on foreign oil, some of which comes from countries hostile to the security and economic interests of the United States.

• The technological and policy solutions to global climate change will result in substantial economic, social, public health and environmental benefits to the citizens of the United States and people worldwide.

• Substantial clean energy and off the shelf technologies exist to accelerate the pace of change away from fossil fuels and lead toward the long term energy needs of the United States.

• Technological and policy solutions to climate change hinge on the United States taking the lead internationally by aggressive investment in and deployment of renewable energy technology and end-use energy efficiency technologies and measures.

• The use of coal, coal to liquids and nuclear power present significant health and financial costs to Americans and the technological obstacles cannot be overcome to prevent further climate change.

The Citizen's Clean Energy Economy Investment Act will:

• Encourage residential energy efficiency by enacting a tax credit of $7500 for the installation and/or use of energy saving and renewable energy production devices such as solar heating, wind turbines to generate electricity.

• Appropriate $500 billion in investment in renewable energy over a ten year period, including transiting to a new digital electricity grid.

• Enact a renewable electricity standard of 30% by 2020, 50% by 2030, and 100% by 2050.

• Extend the production tax credit for wind projects for 10 years or enact national renewable energy production payments (also know as a Feed-in Tariff) to encourage continued expansion of renewable energy.

• Appropriate $45 billion in direct government spending for public building retrofits, expansion of mass transit, freight rail and smart grid systems.

• Require new federal housing to meet LEED gold standards immediately, and existing federal buildings to meet LEED gold standards within 5 years.

• Create a Clean Energy Job Corps that will provide job training and apprenticeship programs to enable workers to develop the skills needed for clean energy jobs

• Implement an economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 and auction carbon allowances to finance a transition to a clean energy economy.

• Enact domestic incentives that reward forest owners, farmers and ranchers when they plant trees, restore grasslands or undertake farming practices that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

• Establish tax credits for cars using plug-in electric, hybrid, or clean diesel technologies graded on miles per gallon efficiencies.

• Enact a moratorium on building nuclear power plants and coal fired plants in order to transition to a clean, energy efficient economy while at the same time phase in renewable and energy efficiency technologies that eliminate fossil fuel usage and nuclear power by 2050.