LoginA number of lawmakers are calling for the extension of the 1603 Treasury Grant Program to help sustain more jobs in clean energy industries.
More than 80 House members are calling for the extension of the 1603 Treasury Grant Program to support renewable energy projects, saying it's not only a job creator, but also a stimulant toward the economy, according to the State Column.
New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt told the news agency the program is good for the economy and will help reduce the country's dependency on foreign oil.
“At a time when our economy is already fragile, abandoning investment in the sustainable energy sector would cause the U.S. to lose even more high-tech jobs to our foreign competitors, and it would undermine the progress of much-needed new energy technologies.”
The call for action came as a new study by Navigant found that if Congress allows the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy to expire, more than 37,000 American jobs would be lost.
According to the study, the support of the PTC has helped wind energy become one of the country's fastest growing manufacturing sectors.
Both programs are set to expire next year.