At-a-Glance:
Tom Steyer, billionaire and former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, is the co-chair of California’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery. In a Q&A interview with the Los Angeles Times, Steyer spoke about how ambitious clean energy programs might help California and the rest of the country recover from the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus crisis. To learn more, read the full interview, “Clean energy can be a ‘huge job creator’ as economy recovers, Tom Steyer says.”
Key Takeaways:
- California already has ambitious climate carbon-neutral goals, but Steyer said the task force will strategize how to create a “more sustainable California” sooner.
- Steyer didn’t provide policy specifics, but he explained that one role of the task force is “to produce a more just, green and forward-looking California … [because] it’s clear the United States as a whole is going to pursue rebuilding, and we have to do it with an eye to the future.
- In addition to the transportation, energy generation and building code sectors, Steyer said the state can make clean energy strides in manufacturing, agriculture and other overlooked areas of the economy.
Path to 100% Perspective:
Steyer could not provide specific sustainable solutions created by the task force because they have not, but he did highlight California’s effective track record with clean energy jobs and his desire to provide both short-term and long-term investments in the sector. He emphasized that “providing a more just America, providing a more sustainable, green America, is actually going to be a huge job creator” in the coming months and years to come.
Photo: Meg Kinnard / Associated Press