Building Jobs With Renewable Energy

"I think that this is the thing we must do," said Ritter. "Renewable energy is the trifecta. It helps us with energy security. It helps us really think about environmental issues and climate issues. And at the end of the day, you build an economy around it. We call it the 'New Energy Economy.'"

The 'New Economy'

In the face of the nation's worst drop on Wall Street and the collapse of major financial institutions, this "new economy" continues to pour jobs into small towns across states like Colorado, giving hope to millions.

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"I think that's compelling to many people," said Arvizu. "I think people start talking about 'green jobs.' That is actually a real effect and I think that's what's driving a grass roots effort around renewable energy."

But the renewables industry can't go it alone.

Roberts says that the United States needs to build major transmissions to get all this power to market, and a reasonable climate policy must be created.

"In Europe and most places, there's a minimum standard for renewables," said Roberts. "It's called the Renewable Energy Standard. We see that as something that really sets the market floor. That would tell the industry: 'Here's what the U.S. is committed to. Build so we can make that.'" Roberts said the industry has friends on both sides of the aisle, and he believes real understanding is beginning to emerge in Washington.

Arvizu said it was just a matter of time.

"I told our staff it's taken us 30 years to become an overnight success," he said. "The people who've been part of these programs for the past three decades have felt as though they've kept the pilot light on while the rest of the world kind of caught up with what the real value is and the real opportunities these technologies actually produce."