Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is proposing a $50 billion "strategic energy fund" to help tackle what she labels an emerging energy and climate crisis. During a stop today at a wind turbine plant in Cedar Rapids, Clinton also called for tougher fuel efficiency standards.
"This is the biggest challenge we have faced in a generation. It is a challenge to our economy, to our security, to our health and to our planet and it is time for America to meet it," Clinton said. "It is time to get back into the solutions business."
Clinton argued switching to a "greener" economy will yield millions of new "green collar" jobs.
"The climate crisis is one of the great economic opportunities in the history of our country," she said. "Seizing it will unleash a wave of innovation, create millions of new jobs, enhance our security and lead the world in a revolution about how we produce and use energy."
According to a spokesman for the rival campaign of Barack Obama, Clinton voted "multiple times" against legislation that would increase production of renewable fuels and would production of fuel efficiency standards. Josh Earnest, Obama’s Iowa communications director, said Clinton had a chance to lead on these issues before, but didn’t.