Shaheen & Energy Secretary Granholm Highlight Importance of Investing in Energy Sector during Virtual Roundtable Discussion
(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) participated in a virtual roundtable discussion with U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm entitled ‘Investing in America’s Energy Sector: An Opportunity to Recover and Build Back Better.’ The panel highlighted the importance of the energy sector to our economic growth, job creation and energy independence in New Hampshire and across our nation.
During the roundtable, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced the release of the 2021 U.S. Energy Employment Report (USEER) – the first time since 2017 that the DOE has led the report’s research and release – which details employment data within the energy sector in 2020. The report underscores the significant impact of the pandemic, but also the resilience of the sector and its potential to grow and create good-paying jobs while meeting America’s energy needs. The release of the USEER comes in response to Shaheen’s long-standing efforts to recommit the administration to collecting data and publishing the annual report, which helps guide policy on energy and workforce development. A provision based on Senator Shaheen’s Promoting American Energy Jobs Act from the 116th Congress to require the DOE to produce this report was included in the Energy Infrastructure Act that cleared the Senate Energy Committee last week.
The report can be accessed here.
“I was thrilled to join Secretary Granholm this morning to roll out this year’s U.S. Energy and Employment Report, highlighting the importance of our energy sector in our economy and the role it can play to help New Hampshire and our nation – especially as we recover from the pandemic,” said Senator Shaheen. “Understanding evolving trends in the energy sector will support good-paying jobs and prepare our workforce for the future, which is why I’ve authored legislation to require this report at the Department of Energy. I’ll continue to support the energy sector’s role as a critical pillar of our economic growth, technological innovation and energy independence, including through the bipartisan infrastructure package and future energy policy.”
“Although we are still grappling with the economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is turning a corner and a strong energy workforce is critical to our full recovery. The U.S. Energy Employment Report provides us with the best available data into the energy sector and we are proud to have DOE’s experts once again produce this crucial analysis. As the report shows, energy employment is on the rebound, and with the robust investments in President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda we are set to supercharge the energy job market,” said Secretary Granholm.
Senator Shaheen is a leader in the Senate for safeguarding our environment, combating the effects of climate change and investing in energy efficiency policies. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Shaheen traveled to Paris to participate in high-level discussions at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference that led to the international Paris Climate Accord. Shaheen is a founding member of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, which brings together an equal number of Republicans and Democrats to craft and advance bipartisan solutions to address climate change. Senator Shaheen is one of the authors of the bipartisan infrastructure framework which would make historic investments in America’s clean energy economy, upgrade its power infrastructure and combat the climate crisis. The framework also includes significant portions of her legislation with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness (ESIC) Act. Last week, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources voted to advance the Energy Infrastructure Act with key provisions from the ESIC Act that will help improve energy efficiency and climate resilience of buildings and industrial facilities, as well as invest in clean energy jobs.
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