WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 21, 2015) – Today, the Department of Energy presented its Quadrennial Energy Review (QER), outlining strategies to strengthen our nation’s energy infrastructure, to include modernizing our electric grid and natural gas distribution pipelines to make them more resilient and reduce climate change pollution. The BlueGreen Alliance’s Executive Director Kim Glas released the following statement:

“The Department of Energy’s QER provides real solutions to address America’s growing infrastructure investment gap. Over the next 10 years, the administration is committing up to $3.8 billion to modernize our electrical grid and up to $3.5 billion to protect our energy systems from extreme weather and accelerate the repair and replacement of leak-prone natural gas distribution pipes.

“In the American Society of Civil Engineers 2013 Infrastructure Report Card, our nation’s energy infrastructure earned a barely passing D+ grade. Getting the electrical grid to a “B” grade over 10 years could create an estimated 180,000 jobs, and accelerating upgrades to our natural gas distribution networks to a 10 year timeline could create an additional 250,000 jobs throughout the economy. Fixing our leak-prone gas distribution pipes is a crucial part of the national goal, proposed by the administration in January, to reduce methane emissions by up to 45 percent over the next decade.

“Congress should stand with the president to ensure these commitments become reality. U.S. consumers and businesses will see economic benefits, there will be more quality jobs created and sustained, and we’ll reduce emissions along the way.”