MISSION STATEMENT FOR REBUILD THE UNITED STATES

Rebuild The United States (RBTUS) supports renewable energy strategies that create jobs, economic development and combat the threat of Global Warming.

RBTUS produces conferences in California to educate the public about grass roots renewable energy development. One example is the creation of new county-based energy agencies in California, such as Marin Clean Energy and Sonoma Clean Power. These two agencies provide local customers with greater renewable energy than shareholder-based public utilities. They save consumers money and recycle revenue into programs that finance new solar and other renewable installations. The result is a market for businesses, farmers and consumers to sell surplus renewable energy.

RBTUS supports deployment of solar energy on agricultural land. Several California wineries are increasing the supply of renewable energy by investing in solar installations on farm land. These installations help reduce energy bills and generate new revenue for farmers.

RBTUS publicized the development of a new floating wind turbine technology being developed at the University of Maine. This technology is based on concrete and composite materials that could be massively deployed off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and on the Great Lakes.

RBTUS is looking at the need for better technical education and training at the high school and junior college levels to better prepare students for renewable energy jobs. The need includes 1) more vocational classes 2) more emphasis on mathematics and English so as to improve computational and literacy skills and 3) more common sense training; the need for punctuality, following directions and the ability to accurately communicate with colleagues, employers and regulatory agencies.

At the national level, RBTUS continues to press for the creation of a Jobs Bank. The Jobs Bank is a proposal for a federal loan guarantee program supporting new jobs through energy saving investments. The program would support commercial lending for more fuel efficient projects as well as more fuel efficient transportation. The Jobs Bank would issue federally backed loans to commercial banks and is designed to be self-financing.