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Rendell Joins Steelworkers, Sierra Club in Calling for National Energy Initiative

For Immediate Release                                          November 3, 2006

Philadelphia, Pa. – Gov. Ed Rendell joined United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo W. Gerard and Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope today in calling for a bold new national initiative to develop renewable sources of energy.

Such a national program could benefit an estimated 2,188 manufacturing firms in Pennsylvania and create 42,668 new jobs producing renewable components, according to a new Renewable Energy Policy Report recently released by the Apollo Alliance.

Rendell has made Pennsylvania a leader in the development of renewable sources of energy, creating new jobs, fighting global warming and helping to end our dangerous dependence on oil.

Under Rendell, Pennsylvania is the largest state purchaser of green energy in the country. He championed state legislation requiring electric generators and distributors to provide alternative energy to retail customers, and he attracted one of the world’s largest wind power producers, Gamesa Corp. of Spain, to Pennsylvania, where it has set up a manufacturing facility and a U.S. headquarters.