Horsford eyes alternative energy stimulus funds

CARSON CITY -- Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford announced a plan Friday to use federal stimulus funds to retrain people and create a work force for the coming renewable energy economy in which Nevada can lead the nation in geothermal, solar and wind energy production.

"We have a moral responsibility to leave a cleaner planet," said Horsford, D-Las Vegas. "We have plenty of sun and wind and geothermal resources. We can create a technically skilled work force that renewable energy companies are looking for."

Horsford told the Senate Energy, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee that the federal stimulus plan includes about $100 million that can be used for job training, weatherization programs, state energy proposals and energy efficiency grants.

With the money, he said, 3,200 Nevadans could be trained for $3,500 each to weatherize, which is to make low-income homes more energy efficient, and to learn the skills needed in a renewable energy economy.

Schools, state buildings and other public buildings also could be made more energy efficient by graduates of the training programs.

Training programs would be offered by community colleges, as well as labor and management organizations, Horsford said. Graduates would be certified by the training programs as being skilled for renewable energy work and home weatherization.

"We can establish ourselves as the national leader in the green economy in this country," he said.

Though he could not be reached Friday for comment on Horsford's "green jobs initiative," Gov. Jim Gibbons has been stating for months that he wants Nevada to become the leading renewable energy state.

"The senator's goal and the governor's goal sound very similar, to make Nevada the energy capital of America and create jobs," said Daniel Burns, Gibbons' communications director.

Horsford's initiative was received enthusiastically Friday by management and labor representatives, Republicans and Democrats, and power company lobbyists.

But one speaker testified that she recently graduated from an electrician training program only to find there were no jobs for electricians. She questioned whether "green-collar jobs" would be available if she entered one of the training programs.

Horsford said there's no question Nevada will be part of the new economy, which will need skilled workers.

"Nevada has to build this green economy. It is a priority of the new administration. The governor has talked about it. All of us agree our future is based on the new green economy."

He predicted private business will, in time, develop manufacturing facilities, improve technology for energy production and construct plants that will need skilled workers.

"It will be private industry that creates these jobs," Horsford said.

He said the job-training programs for new energy will not benefit his private employer, Nevada Partners, which runs food service and other types of job-training programs in Southern Nevada.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.