Gov’t Helps Spur The Green Economy

In recent years, there’s been a lot of talk of a green economy, that mythical time in the future when investment in environmentally friendly industries will lead to the next economic boom.  But the reality is that the predicted green economic boom has been slow to get off the ground.  The U.S. Department of Labor is now trying to move the process along with grants and investments in the growing electric car industry.

As part of the Obama Administration’s comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices and reduce oil imports one-third by 2025, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that to date, more than 1,800 electric vehicle chargers have been installed under the Recovery Act. Coulomb Technologies, ECOtality, General Motors and others have been moving forward to install the charging stations as part of the Administration’s investments in U.S. electric vehicle manufacturing and alternative vehicle infrastructure.

“President Obama has set an ambitious goal of putting 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. Investing in the U.S. electric vehicle industry will help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil, create jobs for U.S. workers, and provide American families and businesses with alternatives to protect them from future spikes in gas prices,” said Secretary Chu. “Building energy-saving electric cars and trucks, and the infrastructure to power them, will help Americans save money at the pump and improve the nation’s energy security.”