Remarks by the President on Clean Energy Jobs

.  And because the best form of economic relief is a quality job, I’m also calling on Congress to pass jobs measures that cut taxes, increase lending, incentivize expansion for businesses both large and small.

Now, both the House and the Senate have passed a bill that would give businesses a payroll tax refund for every person hired this year.  And for companies that are considering expanding, this credit could help them decide to bring an extra employee or two this year.  So for companies like OPOWER that are doing pretty well and already expanding, the tax credit may help them decide to hire even more workers more quickly.  So instead of a hundred, maybe we get 110, 115.  We’ll see.  (Applause.)

This bill would also encourage small companies to expand by permitting them to write off expenses for new equipment.  And while it’s by no means enough, this legislation is an important step on the road to recovery, and I look forward to signing it into law.

Now, even as we fight to help the private sector create more jobs, and even as we fight to bring about a full economic recovery, we know that there have been success stories all across America.  OPOWER is one of those success stories.  This is a company that works with utilities to help folks understand their energy costs and how they can save money on their energy bills.  And for the press, if you weren’t able to hear, this board testifies to the number of kilowatt hours that have been saved, the amount of money that’s gone back into consumers’ pockets, and the amount of carbon that has been taken out of the atmosphere as a consequence of the great work that these people at OPOWER are doing.

Now, part of the reason I suspect you’re growing is that you’re doing your jobs well.  But I also know that a big part of the reason is that you’re seizing the opportunities of the future.  The jobs of tomorrow will be jobs in the clean energy sector, and this company is a great emblem for that.  That’s why my administration is taking steps to support a thriving clean energy industry across this country — an industry that’s making solar panels, and building wind turbines, producing cutting-edge batteries for fuel-efficient cars and trucks, and helping consumers get more control over their energy bills.

And that’s also why earlier this week I urged Congress to enact a new initiative we’re calling Homestar that would offer homeowners rebates for making their homes more energy-efficient — rebates worth up to $1,500 for individual home upgrades and up to $3,000 for retrofitting their entire home.  So if they’re getting this good information from OPOWER and they see that, boy, that drafty window is costing me a couple of hundred bucks a year, they’re now going to have an incentive to go to Home Depots or go to Lowes to hire a certified contractor and make the changes that will ultimately pay for themselves, improve our environment, and improve our economy.

I want to thank, by the way, your home state senator, Mark Warner, for his great work on Homestar in the Senate.

Think about the way that the rebates we’re talking about could help spur private sector job growth.  It could not only help businesses like OPOWER to help consumers make their homes more energy efficient, it’s also going to create business for the local contractors and the companies hired to upgrade homes.  These companies then, in turn, have to purchase supplies and that creates business for retailers.  These retailers would need to restock their shelves, and that creates business for manufacturers.  And almost all the goods that are required to make homes more energy efficient are actually produced right here in the United States of America.  It’s very hard to ship an energy-efficient window across an ocean.

So, yes, people who are out of work right now need some immediate relief.  Yes, we need to extend unemployment insurance and COBRA to help Americans weather these tough times.  And, yes, we’ve got to do everything we can to help the private sector create jobs right now.

But even as we do, we also need to replicate the success of clean energy companies like OPOWER.  We need to invest in the jobs of the future and in the industries of the future, because the country that leads in clean energy and energy efficiency today, I’m absolutely convinced, is going to lead the global economy tomorrow.  I want that country to be the United States of America.  I want companies like OPOWER to be expanding and thriving all across America.  It’s good for consumers.  It’s good for our economy.  It’s good for our environment.

It’s wonderfully exciting to be here.  And I think when you look at this group that’s gathered here, you can see the future in this company.  So thanks for the great work you guys are doing.  Let’s see if we can replicate your success all across the country.

Thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.)

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11:52 A.M. EST