Statement of NHA Executive Director Linda Church Ciocci on President Barack Obama's Jobs Initiatives Speech

“Tonight, President Obama reiterated his commitment to job creation and reinvigorating the American economy.  Despite the recent economic downturn, the hydropower industry has remained vibrant, creating jobs and increasing renewable electric capacity. Poised to provide even more value to our economic recovery, as the President and Congress look to infrastructure improvements to reduce unemployment, it’s vital they consider policies supportive of hydropower’s continued expansion. 

“Developing hydropower resources can create jobs and bolster the U.S. manufacturing supply chain. An available, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy source, the industry now employs as many as 300,000 workers. With the right policies in place, hydropower could expand that workforce to more than one million cumulative jobs by 2025.”