WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 7, 2011) After the release of the December unemployment statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that showed that the nation’s unemployment rate dropped to 9.4 percent and employment increased by 103,000, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Executive Director David Foster:

“While we’ve seen steady growth in the economy, it’s clear we need to take greater steps to put Americans back to work. The smartest and quickest way to do that is to ramp up the proven programs in clean energy deployment that will move our nation forward to a clean energy economy. These are programs that we know will create good jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and leave a better environment for future generations.

“It’s imperative that our leaders in Washington – whether Democratic or Republican – pursue common-sense policies that will create these good jobs and get our economy back on track. These policies include a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), long-term incentives for clean technology deployment and manufacturing like 48C and Section 136, energy efficiency programs that lower utility bills and create jobs, and efforts that will ensure we have safe and healthy workplaces and communities.”