Energy secretary visits Philadelphia green jobs training site

Says U.S. need to get moving on energy efficiency

The city of Philadelphia got a visit from the U.S. Secretary of Energy. Steven Chu visited a facility in North Philadelphia that specializes in saving businesses and homeowners money.

A factory that once made Civil War uniforms is now a training facility where people learn how to install insulation and other energy saving devices. Secretary Chu donned a hardhat and went into simulated buildings used to train workers. He says sealing up homes and businesses just makes sense.

“It boils down to saving energy means saving money, saving money means more money into your pockets which you can go out and spend on other things, which means the money goes directly back into your local communities, so there’s a huge leveraging effect.”

The Philadelphia region has gotten a $25 million grant for energy retrofits. Secretary Chu hopes the money will help the U.S. stay competitive in the green economy.