The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Jim Sojourner General James Jones, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy, presents his "Blueprint for Securing America's Future" at the Lincoln Center on Tuesday.

After the recent economic fallout, America will face a loss of one-half of its energy workforce in the next 10 years, said the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy, in his economic forecast Tuesday.

"Working together we can transform our energy challenge into an energy opportunity," said CEO James Jones, also a retired U.S. Marine Corps general.

In his "Blueprint for Securing America's Energy Future," Jones said that America's response to energy challenges in the next few years will determine its role later.

Jones said that America's future in terms of alternative energy is bright, and to fill jobs resultant of its growth, compensation to combat workforce depletion is vital. He said that the U.S. needs to develop programs, incentives and visa policies to bring in and retain workers.

The address featured presentations from both government and private sector speakers and put a specific emphasis on the contributions of the state of Colorado and CSU to the alternative energy future.

To keep up with the projected 30 percent growth in energy consumption in the U.S., Jones's blueprint emphasized a need to diversify sources of energy including refining traditional sources such as coal and nuclear, and developing new, renewable energy sources.

The focus is on creating viable and clean energy, Jones said.

He said technologies like carbon catchers and provisions such as tax credits or breaks for efficient and alternative energy use are a vital part of a successful energy plan. He added that new ideas must coincide with exploration into the nation's oil reserves and the construction of more nuclear power facilities.

"Now is not the time to relegate energy to the back burner," Jones said.

Jones said a key element of a successful and diverse energy plan is cooperation between the research and business sectors.

He said CSU has a collaborative atmosphere that facilitates the interaction of research science and business.

Continued...

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