2012 Democratic National Convention: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by James Rogers

CHARLOTTE, Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a copy of a speech, as prepared for delivery, by James Rogers at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, September 6, 2012:

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Good evening. My name is Jim Rogers. It's been my honor to serve with Mayor Anthony Foxx as co-chair of the Charlotte host committee. I want to thank all of the people and local businesses who have worked tirelessly to make this a wonderful convention so far, and we haven't even got to the main event!

Now, I'm not here tonight as a Democrat or a Republican, a policy pundit or an energy CEO. I'm here simply as a grandfather. I have eight grandkids. Many of you have children and grandchildren, too. And, we want to do all we can for their happiness, their health and their future.

We want to pass the "grandchildren test." That is, decades from now, when our grandchildren look back at the decisions we made as a country, will they think that we did the right thing? We want their answer to be: "Yes."

One way we can make this world a better place for our grandkids is to lay the groundwork for a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Among other things, that means taking a long-term approach toward energy policy—because these decisions should not be made in four-year election cycles. That's why an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy is a good place to start.

But we must be more innovative. We need to work even harder toward a future of affordable, reliable and cleaner energy. That means we need to invest heavily in new zero-emission power sources, like new nuclear, wind and solar projects, as well as new technologies, like electric vehicles.

And we cannot lose sight of energy efficiency. Because the cleanest, most efficient power plant is the one we never have to build.

Here in Charlotte, we're committed to energy efficiency and a more sustainable future. One of our first steps is to reduce our energy use by 20 percent in Charlotte's central business district. And we're thinking beyond energy. We're also increasing water conservation, reducing waste and improving our air.

This is all part of a model that can be reproduced in cities across the country—and even around the world. Because energy is more than a partisan issue. It's an American issue. And a global issue.

I know that we—the American people—have the ability: to lead the world; to meet today's energy challenges; to cross the bridge to a cleaner, more secure world; and most importantly, to leave our grandchildren with a place where they can thrive.

Thanks for your time—and for having me here tonight.

SOURCE 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee