Obama laying ground work for green jobs stimulus package

Barack Obama's transition team is reportedly working on a wide-reaching green jobs programme that is expected to form a major part of the president-elect's economic stimulus package when he takes office.

Citing an anonymous senior aide to Obama, the New York Times reported that the green element of the wider economic stimulus plan would be worth at least $15bn a year, and could be worth far more depending on which infrastructure projects are defined as green.

The source said that the green jobs program would probably include a home insulation initiative covering hundreds of thousands of homes, a roll out of smart meters, and a huge increase in funding to state and local governments to support low carbon transport and infrastructure projects.

During the election campaign, Obama had pledged to invest $15bn a year in clean technologies and outlined plans to finance the investment using revenue raised from the auctioning of carbon credits under a proposed nationwide cap-and-trade scheme.

However, the aide told the New York Times that with the legislation required to launch a cap-and-trade scheme likely to take time to be finalised the new president would seek to kick start his green infrastructure and energy programme before the4 climate change bill is completed.

The reports provide further evidence that the new administration is preparing for a major overhaul of US environmental policy within weeks of taking office.

Earlier this week the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi confirmed that infrastructure and green job projects would be "the first order of business that we will have" when Congress reconvenes in January.

The New York Times reported that several hearings on the topics are planned even before Mr. Obama takes office on 20 January.