Yesterday, President Barack Obama announced the release of a report that provides early incite into role that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has played in creating new jobs across the nation.
“In these last few months, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has saved or created nearly 150,000 jobs -- jobs building solar panels and wind turbines, making homes and buildings more energy efficient,” according to Obama. “They're the jobs of teachers and police officers and nurses who have not been laid off as a consequence of this Recovery Act. They're the jobs fixing roads and bridges, jobs at start-ups and small businesses, and jobs that will put thousands of young Americans to work this summer.”
The report, entitled Recovery Report: 100 Days, 100 Projects, provides a small sampling of the job creating projects and programs that have been funded by the federal stimulus package to date. Among them are a number of projects designed to create new green jobs by investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and environmental conservation.
Here are a few highlights from the report:
“Using $27 million of Recovery Act funding, a public housing development in Washington, D.C., the Regency House, has undergone a green retrofit. As part of this upgrade, the building installed solar panels, a ‘green’ roof, a rainwater collection system, energy-efficient lighting as well as water conserving toilets, showerheads, and faucets. The greening of this building will allow the Regency House to save money in energy costs, while lessening their impact on the environment.”
“The Housing Authority of Laredo, Texas, has begun using $1.5 million in Recovery Act funds to implement “green” improvements at a number of older developments. The work will entail installing energy-efficient windows; weatherizing the exterior roofs, vents and siding; installing Solar Attic Fans; installing Solar Security Lighting; and, installing Energy Star Appliances throughout the developments. Combined, these improvements will drive down energy costs for the developments, while also lessening their impact on the environment.”
“The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will receive $64 million in federal stimulus money, with most of the funds going toward roadwork. The park’s trails, cemeteries, public restrooms and other buildings also will be improved. The park has already hired its own temporary workers for the projects.”
“A federal stimulus grant worth $17.5 million will fund the development of a solar fuels research center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the university said Wednesday. The five-year grant, which comes from the U.S. Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will fund research on how to use artificial photo¬synthesis to produce low-cost and efficient solar fuels. The research at UNC would study how to use the sun’s energy to make fuels from water and carbon dioxide that could be used for heating, transportation or energy storage.”
“Elgin Community College, in Illinois, will use Recovery Act funds to create a summer jobs program for 16-to-24-year-olds. The program offers participants a chance to serve their community by working on green projects, earn a salary, and receive educational resources.”
“$20.6 million in Recovery Act funding is accelerating cleanup at the Iron Mountain Superfund site near Redding, California. These additional funds will make it possible to dredge, treat, and dispose of heavy-metal contaminated sediments in the Spring Creek arm of the Keswick Reservoir, a project originally slated to take three years that can now be completed in 18 months.”
David Anderson is author of the blog The Green Jobs Report
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Comments: 11
Elgin Community College is near me and do a lot of good things. I'm glad they have the resources to do a little more.
David,
There seems to be a discrepancy between what the whitehouse is saying and what their web site www.recovery.gov is reporting.
According to the recovery.gov website the release of stimulus funds have just begun to be released this month (May) even their "time frame" validates this.
There may be green jobs created from earlier alternative energy programs but these reports of jobs created due to the stimulus bill are not accurate.
As I posted on your other article, this is press, and since it is not based in fact it is "propaganda' meant to gain support for the massive Democrat sponsored stimulus bill.
For your convenience, I have posted a chart showing how much of the stimulus money has been distributed and when. It shows that distribution began in early April. This chart is from the Recovery.gov website.
The stimulus package was signed into law on February 19, 2009 - a little more than a month before funds began to be distributed. There is no question that not all of the stimulus money has been distributed yet, however some of the funding has been distributed relatively quickly. Indeed, it appears as though many billions of dollars have been distributed already, which would explain the administrations figures.
I'm not sure how familiar you are with how government funding works, but in many cases the government provides only partial funding for a project or program. The remaining funds must come from somewhere else. Therefore it is entirely possible for some projects that have been approved for stimulus funding to move forward before the money has been distributed by tapping into those other source of funding.
Thanks for the chart David,
And of the 31 Billion already paid out:
16 Billion went to Department of health and human services for, Grants to States for Medicaid.
Almost 8 billion to the Social Security Administration for, Economic Recovery Payments.
3+ billion to the Department of Labor with the majority going for unemployment.
1+ billion to the USDA for the food stamps program
Almost 1.5 billion to the Department of education for State Fiscal Stabilization Fund and student financial aid.
So of the 31 billion already distributed the 7.8 billion sent to SSI for economic recovery payments are the only distributed funds that 'MAY' be stimulating to the economy.
No green jobs as the President claimed.
Figures can be found at www.recovery.gov
You seem to have missed the following:
Department of Environmental Protection: $4,052,986 has been paid out
http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/agency-summary&agency_code=68
Department of Energy: $35 million has been paid out
http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/agency-summary&agency_code=89
Department of the Interior: $372,735 has been paid out
http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/agency-summary&agency_code=14
Department of Housing and Urban Development: $456,452,092 has been paid out
http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/agency-summary&agency_code=86
Department of Transportation: 53,172,962 has been paid out
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977694388
I think it is important to note that Obama never claimed that all 150,000 of the new jobs created were green jobs. He simply stated that some of them were.
Obama is our only president. Let's trust him for awhile and see what happens.
Thank you, Leo. My thoughts exactly. We put up with Bush for two terms. People are so quick to judge. What this president has to deal with is unprecedented except for when Roosevelt was president.
Thanks for sharing this, David!
Thanks for the additional info David;
"Department of Environmental Protection:" (EPA) $4'053'000.00
State and Tribal Assistance Grants $2'942'000.00
Environmental Programs and Management $1'111'000.00
State and Tribal Assistance Grants may help as a stimulus a little.
Dept.of Energy, $35'000'000.00
Defense Environmental Cleanup, $14'931,000.00
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, $14'562'000.00, There's some green jobs finally!
HUD, $462'312'000.00
Project-based Rental Assistance, $428'936'000.00
DOT, $69'294'000.00 Finally some money that is going to actually help!
So out of this list we have less than a hundred million that will actually effect the economy in any meaningful way.
Which brings us up to 7.9 billion of the 31 billion that might stimulate the economy and 14 million dollars going towards green jobs.
Not sure how accurate your calculations are Dan. For example, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has spent $205,370,367 on the Assisted Housing Stability And Energy And Green Retrofit Investments program.
Check out my new article, it has a few more details:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977695423
Hey all you Greenamaniacs check out this alternative solar technology company http://www.solarattic.com