School harnesses the power of wind

The Salt Lake Tribune reported recently on a new wind turbine at Three Peaks Elementary in Cedar City, which is in Rep. Matheson’s district, that will offer students an opportunity to learn about clean energy, while also saving the school about 20% annually on energy costs.

According to the news report, Greg Sanders, who coordinates career and technical education for the Iron County School District, noted the potential for job creating benefits of such technology.

Integrating solar, wind and geothermal energy makes sense, considering the commitments of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and President Barack Obama to green energy, Sanders said. Education and training on the technology mean "there's the possibility of lots of jobs."

As we’ve seen before, shifting U.S. energy production toward cleaner, cheaper sources - like the wind and the sun – will have huge economic benefits, including the creation of millions of new clean energy jobs.

The time is now for Congress to pass a comprehensive clean energy plan.