Rehberg opposes legislation that would bring clean energy jobs to Montana

Earlier this year, when given a clear choice between supporting new clean energy jobs for Montana or continuing to line the pockets of the big oil companies, Rep. Denny Rehberg sided with Big Oil.

Rehberg voted against a comprehensive clean energy jobs bill that would tap American ingenuity to jump-start technological advances and create more clean American power. He voted against the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support.

Costs exaggerated

Instead of embracing America's clean energy future, Rehberg (Nov. 22 guest opinion) continues singing from Big Oil's song book, citing stats from the oil-industry-funded Heritage Foundation. The fact is that Big Oil and corporate polluters are grossly exaggerating the cost of clean energy legislation in an effort to block needed reform and protect their profits. Those same Washington special interests are filling Rep. Rehberg's campaign war chest - he's received more than $500,000 in contributions from Big Oil and energy interests.

Despite the congressman's claims of supporting alternative energy,  Rehberg has repeatedly said "no" when it comes to clean energy. Last year, when it very clearly came down to choosing between job-creating tax incentives for clean energy or protecting Big Oil's profits, Rehberg voted to continue billions in taxpayer-funded giveaways to the oil industry.

Big Oil has been putting those corporate profits to good use with an anti-clean energy smear campaign. In 2008, the American Petroleum Institute spent over $75 million for public relations and advertising. In just the first six months of this year the oil and gas industries have doled out more than $82 million on lobbying.

We all know that Montana families are struggling and that the state has lost thousands of jobs, but the regressive energy policies supported by Rehberg and Big Oil won't get us out of this mess. We're spending $1 billion a day on foreign oil - money that could be invested to create clean energy jobs here at home. But without real reform to our energy policy, corporate polluters will continue to make record profits while family budgets suffer.

6,000 new energy jobs

The truth is that a comprehensive approach to energy - including limits on carbon pollution - will create the necessary stability in the market for clean energy industries to invest in their businesses and create new jobs. Analysis shows the bill would help bring more than 6,000 new jobs and $460 million in investment revenue into Montana, according to the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

These new clean energy jobs look a lot like traditional American jobs: building wind power turbines requires sheet metal workers, machinists and truckers, and installing solar panels and improving the energy efficiency of our buildings creates work for roofers and carpenters. And while transitioning to a clean energy economy will require some short-term costs - about $175 a year per household - it's better to invest that money in clean energy sources that are made in America than to let the new energy jobs of the future go overseas.

Now the campaign for energy reform moves on to the U.S. Senate. While Sen. Max  Baucus did not vote for the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act in committee, we are encouraged by his recent statements of support for climate legislation and his commitment to work to get legislation through the Senate. We look forward to working with both Sens. Baucus and Tester to pass a strong, comprehensive clean energy and climate bill that creates new jobs, makes the United States more energy independent and protects Montana's outdoors for future generations.