‘Green jobs’ measure advances
CARSON CITY -- The "green jobs" bill by Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford won Assembly Ways and Means Committee approval Wednesday after an amendment was added to guarantee workers trained for future renewable energy jobs learn how to perform energy audits.
With one dissenting vote, the committee passed Senate Bill 152, which calls for using about $100 million in federal stimulus funds to train more than 3,000 unemployed workers to weatherize 6,000 low-income homes in Nevada.
Besides receiving weatherization skills, Horsford said, workers also would learn skills needed to acquire jobs at future wind, solar and geothermal energy facilities.
In weatherizing homes, workers would add weather stripping, plug cracks, replace old windows and install more energy efficient appliances to reduce utility costs.
But Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, won approval for her amendment to require the training to include the skills needed to perform energy audits.
She said it makes more sense for low-income residents to receive those audits, which list improvements they can make to cut energy costs, than just buying them a more energy efficient air-conditioner.
Kirkpatrick said low-income home owners can receive as much as $5,000 in improvements and appliances from the weatherization program.
With the energy audit, she said they can make a choice on what improvements should be made.
Energy audits, however, already are performed for customers by NV Energy.
Horsford, D-Las Vegas, repeatedly said during the hearing that people receiving training will learn much more than just how to weatherize homes.
"Over time they can be part of the new economy," he said.
Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert, R-Reno, voted against the bill. She said she was concerned about a clause that requires weatherization contractors to hire at least half of their workers out of the training programs in the bill.
Gansert questioned whether they will need that many trained workers.
"We have had testimony from individuals who have the skills and don't need the training," she said.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
