[Below is an excerpt]

Russell Hess
Rochester Post-Bulletin
Published July 7, 2009

The U.S. House of Representatives on June 27 passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). First District Rep. Tim Walz voted for the legislation.

We want to thank Walz for his vote creating a new clean energy economy based upon the principles of addressing global warming while encouraging job creating investments in clean energy and efficiency. With the national unemployment rate at 9.4 percent, ACES is a critically needed jump-start to our countries climb from our current economic recession.

In southern Minnesota, laborers are pouring concrete for new wind turbines, electricians are installing solar panels, sheetmetal workers are installing high efficiency furnaces that save energy, the environment, and money, and local community action programs are busy retro-fitting homes for lower-income residents.

Even truckers are benefiting from the green economy, because the wind turbine blades and nacelles take specialized trucks to transport from the factory to the wind turbine farm.

This vote moves the United States one step closer to a clean energy future. This clean energy jobs plan puts the United States on the path to slashing carbon emissions that cause global warming 80 percent by 2050, a signal accomplishment necessary to preserve the planet for future generations. It provides a sound framework for achieving its critical goals and includes several important provisions in addition to the strong long-term emissions reduction goal.

Read the article.