Green Jobs
Oklahoma is an energy state, with rich oil and natural gas resources that have been the foundation of our economy. To keep pace with the future, we need to take the lead in the renewable energy sector as well.
Norman in particular is uniquely situated to take advantage of this growing market and attract high quality jobs. Through OU, we already have the brainpower and research expertise. In addition, we have a foundation of companies right here in Norman that are already leaders in the industry, such as Johnson Controls and Bergey Wind Power.
This industry requires highly educated human capital, as well as blue collar workers to install and service the technology. We can invent it, build it, and maintain it.
There are a few steps we should take to make this happen. One is a renewable energy standard, which already passed in the most recent legislature. We set a goal of supplying 15% of our power with renewables by 2015. That is crucial for fledgling industries, because it provides a guaranteed market they can use to recruit investors.
But there’s more work we need to do:
- encourage small scale renewable energy installations through tax credits for solar panels and wind turbines,
- reduce barriers to medium scale wind production by neighborhoods and businesses, and
- build a modernized power grid that allows citizens to precisely monitor their usage and sell surplus power back to the grid at market rates.
Even as we pursue high tech solutions, we shouldn’t leave out the low-hanging fruit of energy efficiency. Simple programs such as weatherizing homes and painting roofs white can go a long way towards solving the problems of rising energy costs, reliance on foreign oil, and climate change. It also creates many new jobs for home retro-fitters.
Let’s make other states want to follow our example as an energy pioneer!
If you have any comments on the issues discussed here or on anything else that our state government should be doing, please contact me using the form below.
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