"It’s time for our country to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Doing so will increase our economic efficiency and competitiveness, enhance our national security, improve our air quality, promote public health and reduce our impact on global climate change."

Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NewYork City)

"Reorienting our antiquated energy infrastructure around the platforms of sustainability, efficiency, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions represents a great economic engine for innovation, productivity growth, and international competitiveness in coming decades.  These jobs create local economies and are strong enough to lift people out of poverty, all while rolling back pollution and creating healthier cities and more equitable livelihoods for all Americans.”

Center for American Progress

Smart infrastructure investments will help in the fight against global warming, curb our dependence on foreign oil, clean our air, and support healthy and sustainable communities.

Building America’s Future supports President Obama’s “green energy” approach to economic recovery, which will focus on projects that reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency.

• FACT: Commercial and industrial buildings account for as much as 50 percent of U.S. energy use, and residential buildings account for another 20 percent (Source: Center for American Progress).
• FACT: Retrofitting public buildings to be more energy-efficient would reduce carbon emissions and save taxpayers energy costs, while creating as many as 800,000 jobs (Political Economy Institute).
• FACT: Had a “smart” power grid system been in place during the Northeast blackout of 2003, it could have saved almost $6 billion in economic loss to the region (Department of Energy).

Our nation should also make a substantial investment in public transit, which will put people to work while helping to lower transportation costs for American families and businesses, reduce carbon emissions, and spur economic development across the U.S.

• FACT: The U.S. economy currently generates more than 750,000 “green collar” jobs – a number that is projected to grow five-fold to more than 4.2 million over the next three decades (Source: U.S. Conference of Mayors).
• FACT: Public transit reduces petroleum consumption by a total of 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline each year. This represents 108 million fewer cars filling up – almost 300,000 everyday (Source: ICF International).
• FACT: In 2006, public transit around the country saved 3.4 billion gallons of oil and prevented 26 million tons of greenhouse gases (Maryland Public Interest Research Group).