The need to stimulate the economy and grow a Green Collar Workforce is undeniable.  In fact, one of the topics discussed in this week's State of Green Business Forum was the current condition of the green job market.  The press has spent many thousands of words writing about the stimulus package up for vote now and the previous administration's bail out package.  What hasn't been detailed is exactly how some of this spending creates actual green jobs.  There are many pieces to this puzzle some of which are a qualified workforce, the opportunity, funding and the technology required to solve these problems.  I'm sure there are many examples that can be detailed in this manner, but I hope this specific case helps the public understand how the money flows from this spending down to our local economy.

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Effective January 5th, 2009, Idaho Power has improved their Easy Upgrades program by increasing the incentives available to building owners performing energy-efficient lighting retrofits.

Since early 2007, Idaho Power's Easy Upgrades program has helped commercial and industrial property owners improve their existing buildings. Easy Upgrades offers incentives of up to $100,000 for enhancing the efficiency of ighting, cooling systems and other commercial equipment. Since its introduction, over 600 energy-saving projects have been completed and earned incentive payments through the Easy Upgrades program. Those projects are saving more than 30 million kilowatt hours per year, enough energy to power about 2,000 typical homes.

The table below summarizes the incentives available for lighting retrofit projects through Idaho Power's Easy Upgrades program:

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