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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2010
LINCOLN, NE – State Senator Heath Mello introduced legislation today that would create both short and long-term green jobs through recycling and energy efficiency retrofitting.
“Building the clean energy economy starts today,” said Senator Mello. “Whether through energy audits, weatherizing homes and businesses, or creating an enhanced recycling initiative, LB 1098 and 1099 will create new jobs in a new industry when Nebraska needs it most.”
LB 1098 would enable municipalities and counties to create sustainable energy districts and authorize bonding authority to provide property-assessed loans to residential and commercial property owners for energy efficiency project and retrofits.
“The upfront costs for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements are often a barrier preventing property owners from making improvements,” explained Senator Mello. “By authorizing municipalities to implement an alternative financing method through the creation of sustainable energy financing districts, it will spur a market for energy efficiency and renewable energy products and services, creating new jobs for Nebraskans in the clean energy sector.”
LB 1099 would permit the City of Omaha to create a voluntary, fee-based enhanced recycling program. Currently under state law, cities of the metropolitan class are unable to collect fees for solid waste management services. LB 1099 would permit the City of Omaha to charge a fee for a new, voluntary recycling program such as RecycleBank. Programs like RecycleBank have been hugely successful in neighboring communities, resulting in redisdential recycling collection rates that increased by as much as 300% , providing the sponsoring City governments significant cost savings.
LB 1099 has the potential to creat up to 71 new “green-collar” jobs through the new recycling program.
“Creating good-paying jobs has been my number one priority,” Mello said. “Saving money on energy bills and increasing the value of your home all while creating new jobs is something Nebraska needs in order to move out of this economic challenge.”
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