Steel Wheels, Flywheels and Made-in-the-U.S.A. Green Jobs

November 5th, 2010 by Tina Casey

[Updated below.] A new clean tech company called Kinetic Traction Systems, Inc. has just launched, and its success could have some interesting implications for the 2012 Presidential election year. That’s because KTSi manufactures flywheels that harvest energy from the braking power of trains, and their factory is located right here in the U.S.A. If President Obama’s vision of more federal investment in railroads comes to fruit, that could mean more business for companies like KTSi, and consequently more new jobs for U.S. workers. However, given the forces arrayed against new rail projects, that is one mighty big “if.”

All Opposed to Railroads, Raise Your Hands

It doesn’t seem to make much sense to oppose well-planned new railroad infrastructure when American workers are desperate for jobs, but here are just two examples of the fallout from recent elections: governor-elect John Kasich of Ohio has officially declared that work on the state’s new passenger rail system is “dead,” and progress on New Jersey’s desperately needed rail tunnel to Manhattan came to a screeching halt after the state’s governor pulled the plug. This movement against railroad improvements is especially puzzling, considering that railroads are an American icon. America invented railroads, and in many ways, railroads invented modern America. Now we’re dropping the ball at a crucial moment – and don’t get me started on how fast China is picking it up!

All Opposed to Labor Unions, Raise Your Hands

However, it all makes sense in terms of the upcoming 2012 Presidential election year. By nature, government infrastructure projects are union projects. That makes them focal points for get-out-the-vote efforts by any political party that has forged an alliance with labor unions. Conversely, blocking these projects is a means of dampening the union vote, which helps to enhance prospects for any party that uses union-bashing as a means of motivating its voters. If you’re interested in figuring out which is which, feel free to take a stroll through the ol’ tubes and see which members of what party have officially stated their opposition to new rail projects.

Green Jobs and Flywheels

KTSi and other clean tech innovators in the flywheel field are poised for substantial growth, and the movement against rail improvements could certainly put a damper on new investments in those companies. But, not to worry. KTSi already has worked with the London Underground and the Lyon Metro in Europe, so if a strong market for flywheels fails to materialize in the U.S., KTSi can just go ahead and open up some new factories overseas, where support for new rail systems is thriving. As for new manufacturing jobs here in the U.S., one can always keep on praying.

Update November 6, 2010: Think Progress reports that the governor-elect of Wisconson has also announced his intention to kill a planned high-speed rail project.

Image: New York City subway by Special KRB on flickr.com.

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Tags: flywheel, kinetic energy, Kinetic Traction Systems Inc, railroads

About the Author

Tina Casey Tina Casey specializes in military and corporate sustainability, advanced technology, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and wastewater issues. Tina’s articles are reposted frequently on Reuters, Scientific American, and many other sites. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.

Roger L

Tina: As an extension of Zachs California High Speed rail story a good discussion of a new company. However, maybe you could be a little bit more honest about why both the Incoming Gov. of Ohio and the NJ governor have or will cancel Passenger rail projects. This is what Governor Christie said in cancelling the project, “After weeks of trying to find a way to keep the ARC Tunnel project alive, Gov. Christie said, no one in the federal government or New York came forward with the at least $2.5 billion it would take to cover projected cost overruns that New Jersey taxpayers would then have to pay.” Let’s see if this makes sense, Governor Christie is responsible to the Tax payers of New Jersey, sounds like he is doing his job. Maybe you should focus some of your anger on this one at the FEDS (Obama???) or New York State?? In regards to China being able to build Passenger Rail projects quickly and expansively I challenge you like I did Zach to do some research and detail the reasons China can build so quickly, cheaply and with little public outcry vs what it takes in the USA to get such projects off the ground. It would be an education to your readers to do such a detailed study and probably pretty troubling to some. Issues such as right of ways, public community rights (and/or objections) along with environmental rules and regulations one would presume are significantly different in China. This is probably due to differences in Central Government Control (China) vs public participation control in the USA. Then again, maybe you are one of those that believes big government knows more and damn those little people if they don’t want to pay more taxes or give up their land.
- Tina Casey
  
  Roger: Thank you for your detailed comment. Your first sentence nicely sums up the point of my post, which was to draw attention to a new company that has the potential to create beneficial new jobs here in the U.S. However, the rest of your sentences are clouded by an angry, confrontational tone and insulting language, so I’m not quite sure what your point is.