Brindisi responds to clean energy concerns

In September VeRSE (Vestal Residents for Safe Energy) crafted a set of five questions related to energy and the environment, submitting them to both NY 22 Congressional candidates. Anthony Brindisi provided answers, but Claudia Tenney didn’t. Below is Q1 and Anthony’s reply. The full five questions, and Mr. Brindisi’s replies, can be found on the News page of our website at: vestalresidentsforsafeenergy.org

1. Historically, the pursuit of safe energy in our area has been seen to conflict with job-creation. Do you think these are mutually exclusive choices? Can they be reconciled? Employment is a vital concern in our area. What are your thoughts about job opportunities and pay in the sustainable energy and fossil fuel industries?

“Renewable energy is a fast-growing sector. Solar panel installations have surged in the last decade, and there’s no reason our region shouldn’t be participating in this boom. Framing green energy production as a direct conflict with job creation is mistaken. In fact, a new report showed that nearly 3.2 million Americans were working in wind, solar, energy efficiency, and other clean energy jobs in 2017, outnumbering fossil fuel jobs 3 to 1. In the Assembly, I championed an initiative to increase Career and Technical Education training in high schools, preparing students for new indemand jobs in the trades. These skills could certainly be put to use in the renewable energy sector, and in Congress I would look for other ways that we can incentivize clean energy job creation.”

Vestal Residents for Safe Energy is non-partisan, and does not endorse candidates at any level — we just ask environmental and energy questions, and then post the answers, when and if we get them.

Dave Elder, Vestal