Vestas Wind Systems said Tuesday it will hire more than 1,000 people at three Colorado plants that manufacture wind turbine components after receiving a surge of orders for the electricity generators in the U.S. and Canada.
Vestas plans to hire the new workers over the next 18 months, bringing the company's Colorado work force to about 2,200...
Those jobs could be locating to downstate Illinois if our political leaders were focused on attracting new energy jobs instead of peddling clean coal pipe dreams.
I'm reminded of an old article quoting State Representative Brandon Phelps.
He also said he will continue to represent coal mining and agricultural interests in Springfield despite the push for "green jobs," and opposition by the Sierra Club to mining.
"I'm fighting the Sierra Club every day to keep mines open."
Coal mines aren't creating new jobs. The one bright spot in the national economy is the growth of green jobs. Politicians subservient to the coal industry like Phelps and John Shimkus are doing a good job of keeping Southern Illinois' economy outdated and desperate.
Maybe next year they'll propose a jobs plan based on brand new horse and buggy technology. Or a plant to manufacture old-timey cotton gins and quill pens. That's the kind of innovative thinking I would expect from any politician who thinks coal is the future.