Today, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is announcing his presidential bid in his home state of Wisconsin and launching a tour of key early presidential states. Today’s announcement offers a unique opportunity for Walker to stand up and embrace clean energy solutions that create jobs, grow our economy and protect our country from the devastating impacts of climate change.
Americans want their next president to prioritize polices that will accelerate our country’s transition to a clean energy economy. As governor of Wisconsin, Walker has failed so far to embrace clean energy solutions that move our country forward. Walker has moved to block common sense policies that reduce carbon pollution like the Clean Power Plan and even defended a measure prohibiting some state employees from engaging in work related to climate change.
Americans are looking for something more.
In key presidential states like Iowa and New Hampshire, businesses are building the clean energy economy of the 21st century. In New Hampshire, the clean tech industry has produced close to 20,000 jobs—with yearly salaries 50% higher than the state’s median income. And in Iowa—a state Walker believes is critical to his path to the Republican nomination—wind and biofuel industries already support nearly 80,000 jobs.
These voters have seen first-hand that clean energy is beginning to compete head to head with fossil fuels, and now is the time for our next president to embrace common sense solutions that allow the market to efficiently deploy clean energy and reduce carbon pollution. NextGen Climate is calling on Walker to break once and for all with climate change denial and lay out a clear plan to accelerate America’s transition to a clean energy economy and create millions of jobs across the nation.
In the coming weeks, NextGen Climate will ask all presidential candidates to embrace a specific—but achievable—goal to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy by laying out a plan to get us there. The fact is the global clean energy race is on and our next president must have a plan to make sure the clean energy jobs of the 21st century are created here in America—good paying jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. The United States is on the cusp of an energy transformation and presidential hopefuls from both parties need to lay out a clear path to build a a clean energy economy, create jobs and ensure America wins the global clean energy race.