[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5374]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        SOLAR READY VETS PROGRAM

  (Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Solar Ready Vets 
program, the recently announced Federal initiative to train veterans 
for jobs in the solar industry.
  Solar power accounted for 32 percent of electricity-generating 
capacity that came online in the United States last year, creating 
31,000 American jobs. The energy company, SolarCity, will soon open one 
of the largest solar panel manufacturing plants in the world in my home 
community of Buffalo, New York, creating 3,500 jobs in our region. The 
solar industry employs 174,000 Americans, a number that is quickly 
increasing. We should seize the opportunity to ensure that our veterans 
can participate in this growth.
  The Solar Ready Vets program trains veterans for jobs in the solar 
industry at 10 military bases across the country. We are calling for 
the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station to be one of those sites. This 
program creates jobs, fights climate change, and provides economic 
opportunity to returning veterans.
  I call on Congress to support our veterans, support clean energy, and 
support American jobs by supporting the Solar Ready Vets program.

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