Essential Estrogen

In about 10 or 15 minutes, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will begin a speech on energy policy at the Clipper Wind Turbine plant in Cedar Rapids. Well over 150 people are here, not counting the 50 or more members of the press.

It's a good day to discuss wind power in Iowa as a cold, northern wind is gusting.

Looking around the room, there are some notables here. I just saw Linn County Supervisor Jim Houser walking through the crowd. Rep. Swati Dandekar, who has endorsed Clinton, is here too. Cedar Rapids City Councilman Justin Shields and Alan Bernard, both affiliated with Hawkeye Labor are in the front row.

The stage backdrop is done in John Deere green and Hawkeye yellow-gold. It reads:

"Powering America's Future
New Energy - New Jobs

In addition to the main backdrop, there are several signs to the left of the audience, all in the same color scheme and with the same phrase. One of them has been mounted in a wind turbine head.

The venue has become much more quiet as some machinery has been shut down. Several of the plan workers are sitting and standing on equipment, waiting on the show to begin. It's 10:38 a.m. -- so we're roughly 5 minutes late with the start, but there are still spectators coming in the door.

10:50 a.m. - Iowa Sen. Rob Hogg has walked in with Clinton. The audience is giving both a standing ovation.

Hogg is providing the introduction, stating that he and his family have been impressed with how Clinton has taken charge for American families. While this may not be an endorsement, it rather sounds like one and the audience is responding.

Hogg has finished and there was no official endorsement in his introduction, but he had nothing but nice things to say about Clinton. She's now at the lecturn and making the necessary introductions of notables in the audience. Rep. Todd Taylor is here as is Christie Vilsack.

Clinton says it's good that we are here at Clipper for this speech because the things that are happening here are the future of America.

At the top of the world, she says you hear the stories of global warming and can see the evidence with your own eyes. There are no skeptics to global warming in the Arctic Circle, she says.

"The last two decades of the 20th century were the warmest in 100 years," she said.

"Our dependence on foreign oil threatens our security. Nationwide, diesel recently hit an all-time high. Two-third of Americans now say that rising gas prices are a hardship for their families. Meanwhile, we are more dependent on foreign oil today than we were on 9-11."

"A carbon economy compromises our health. Nearly a third of our childhood asthma cases are caused by pollution and environmental contaminants.

She's now hitting the Bush administration and their lack of response to global warming. She says he's pushed science out of Washington. She's hitting the gag order on the Fish and Wildlife Services employees for discussing the plight of the polar bears.

Clinton believes that America is a nation of problem-solvers. She is listing off historical evidence for her theory -- the great depression, landing on the moon, etc. -- "for this generation of Americans, climate change is our space race... it is our response to the great depression."

She's very proud she says, that Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for sounding the alarm.

A group of general issued a recent report that exposed in detail, she says, the implications global warming has on national security. "The price of inaction is far higher than the price of action," she said. "I believe America is ready to take action."

"There is something for everyone to do and success will require each of us to do our part," she said. "So, if you're ready for change, I'm ready to lead."

This is her biggest applause line so far with members of the audience reacting positively to her campaign motto.

She's reading down the white-sheet now -- information I'll post in detail later -- that outlines her energy plan.

"The Department of Energy estimates we can reduce energy use in residential buildings by 20 percent by 2020," she said. "I think we can do better than that.

"For the past three decades California has held its electricity use per person flat," she said. "During that same period, energy use in the rest of the nation skyrocketed by 50 percent."

Since California has prospered, Clinton says this is proof that a new economy based on renewable fuels and lowered greenhouse gases can flourish.

She says her goal will be the 20 percent -- despite the fact she said we can do better. She wants incentives for saving power instead of producing more.

"Fourteen states already have some sort of efficiency goals for power companies," she said.

"It's time to start building a 21st century grid," she said. "What if we harnessed all the advances in information technology."

She wants to know why we can't or haven't combined technology to conserve energy. Why can't we time our dishwashers and other appliances to come on during off-peak hours? Making appliances more efficient would save consumers $54 billion between now and 2020, she says.

"We will phase out the incadescent lightbulb," she said, "and joked that Thomas Edison would approve of the change.

This move will cut national electric bill over $8 million dollars over 8 years, she says. Buildings account for 40 percent of America's carbon emissions.

"This is happening in Iowa right now," she said. She highlighted the Great River Medical Center in West Burlington and received applause from the audience for that as well.

She said she wants the federal government to not only set the rules, but set the example. All federal buildings built after noon on inaugration day will have to be carbon-neutral.

11:20 a.m. -- The Model T got better gas mileage than today's typical SUV, she says.

"I believe America should do what we do best," she said. "We should lead the innovation race. As president I will raise the fuel efficiency standards to 40 MPG by 2020 and 55 by 2030. But I'm not going to ask the car manufactures to do it alone. I will be a good partner."

She says she will work with auto makers to cover the added costs they will incur. She also wants to see plug-in hybrids -- "cars offer promise of 100 mpg."

"The good news is that Detroit is already embracing this new technology," she said. "But the plug-in revolution cannot happen fast enough."

She says we've got to increase access to public transportation. "I want to increase funding for public transit by more than $1.5 million dollars each year."

Huge applause when she says she intends to end the tax breaks that oil companies now receive. "We're going to give these companies that have made the highest profits in the history of the world," she said. "We cannot make the middle class pay twice."

11:30 a.m. -- "We need to look no further than Clipper Wind Power," she said. "In a few short years, Clipper has set an example of how creating clean energy can create good jobs."

Just one of the turbines that will be fueled by these great generators can power 800 homes without producing any pollution at all, she said. As president I will be a good partner for Clipper and for other companies that not only create good jobs -- but in my opinion being a good patriot.

Being a good patriot means ending our dependence on foreign oil, she said, and received a standing ovation from the audience.

We will excelerate production of advance coal technologies, she said. I will provide funding immediately for 10 large-scale projects. In the meantime, we need to stop building coal plants the way we have been.

"I want to bring together the best minds to think together, outside the box," she said. "American can lead the world's green revolution. We are the best in the world -- let's start acting like we are the best again."

You've heard of blue collar jobs, you've heard of white collars jobs -- "this will create 5 million green collar jobs."

"We can't do this alone," she said. "We can't act like the world doesn't need our leadership like we have for the past six and a half years. We have to prove that moving away from a carbon economy is good for growth."

Again she hits on the Bush administration and its refusal to lead on energy policy. She says she will put together an E8, built on the G8 that will bring leaders together to discuss energy and the environment.

"Every single American will have a role to play," she said. "On Wednesday I will outline in greater detail how individuals can play a role. If every home replaced just one 60-watt lightbulb with one compact flourescent it would save enough energy to power 3 million homes in a year. There's something everyone of us can do."

"I'm going to challenge communities, schools, cities and individuals to do the same," she said.

11:40 a.m. -- "I will reform the Department of Energy," she said. "I will focus their mission to move us toward energy independence. This is a transformational challenge to our nation and government... I will start meeting it on day one."

She is hitting on FDR's fire-side chat where he called Americans to the table about WWII.

"Americans were up to that task," she said. "The task before us demands the same urgency and requires the same resolve. Just as the Greatest Generation rose to the occassion, I believe the Greenest Generation will do the same."

No audience questions so... That's it for now. I'll gather some audience reactions and have a more formal write up for later.