Green Fever

Green fever is sweeping across the nation. No, it’s not yet another type of contaminated food illness; it’s the enthusiasm behind the pursuit for renewable energy. President Obama’s stimulus package seems to have given the alternative energy snowball the push it needed to turn into an all out avalanche. With the funding released by the stimulus bill several states are creating new laws offering incentives for using renewables and attracting alternative energy manufacturers, which in turn creates jobs in the “green” market. States like Kansas, Nebraska, Washington and Oregon are prime locations for wind power farms. The southern states are seeing the installation of solar powered systems on residential and commercial properties faster than a tornado can change course! All these alternative energy developments could be very beneficial for rural areas that have been hit the hardest by the recession.  If President Obama’s vision of doubling renewable energy production and creating thousands of “green jobs” over the next three years is truly the goal to strive for, and I would tend to believe it is, then we as a country are definitely getting a jump out of the starting gate in the race towards a more secure and sustainable energy future for America.