Executives Urge Lawmakers to Pass Climate Bill

White House climate czar Carol Browner answers questions at a clean energy and climate change...

White House climate czar Carol Browner answers questions at a clean energy and climate change discussion with business leaders, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across from the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

(AP)

Executives from about 150 companies, many involved in renewable energy technologies, heard a pep talk at the White House and then combed the halls of Congress on Wednesday to argue for passage of a climate bill that is facing an uphill fight in the Senate.

The executives in scores of meetings with senators and their staffs sought to counter opponents' arguments that the climate bill, which will force a shift away from fossil fuels, also will lead to much higher energy prices and cost American jobs.

The business executives from more than 30 states argued that climate legislation and a shift of energy priorities away from fossil fuels could lead to a new industrial revolution and create 1.7 million jobs related to clean energy technologies — from developing new batteries to building windmills and the next generation of solar panels.

The climate legislation is needed to create markets and jobs, said John Doerr, a partner in Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, a leading venture capital firm on Wall Street. Otherwise, he cautioned, these technologies will be developed and commercially produced elsewhere and "we will be working for the Chinese."

The executives said they wanted to bring a message to senators: that the successes of their companies shows the viability of the clean energy development and that limits on greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, will lead to the creation of new companies and industries.

But, they argued, without action in Congress, these same technologies will be produced elsewhere, likely in China.

"That's the issue, jobs. What's at question is who's going to build the batteries and who's going to get the jobs," said David Vieau, president of A123Systems Inc., a Massachusetts-based company that makes high-power lithium ion batteries for hybrid cars and other uses.

"If we don't act (on climate legislation) it's absolutely certain we're going to get a minimal piece of that pie."