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BY MARIA KINGERY AND MICHAEL SHORE

When asked once why he was so good, legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky replied, "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been."

In the future, our world will be powered by clean-energy sources. We will be reminded of this when world leaders meet this week in Copenhagen to discuss a global pact for reducing global warming pollution. The question is, will the United States urgently strive to become a leader in the largest industrial transformation of this century, or will we continue to fall behind Asia and Europe and accept the economic consequences of delay?

In North Carolina and the rest of the United States, we must forge ahead or be permanently left behind. We must skate to where the puck is going to be.

A recent analysis concludes that strong federal climate and energy policy would create up to 65,000 jobs in North Carolina over the next 10 years and grow the state economy by $4.1 billion. The transition to new, job-creating energy industries powers much of this growth. In fact, the report found that the stronger the legislation, the greater the economic reward here in North Carolina.

FLS Energy is a solar energy-generation company headquartered in Asheville, with an office in Greensboro. The company has grown from three employees in 2006 to 42 employees today. And we are poised to double our payroll of good-paying jobs over the next year. Energy legislation that provides incentives for clean-energy resources and caps carbon emissions will drive the innovation that is the key to making businesses like ours successful.

Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy is infinite. As a result, energy prices will be less subject to short-term, dramatic fluctuations. Research also indicates that the costs of constructing and running renewable energy plants will decrease as these technologies become more widespread. And once such a facility is built, it runs on a renewable, sometimes free, source of energy.

Southern Energy Management is a Triangle-based company that provides energy solutions to residential, commercial and institutional customers who want to reduce their energy bills and protect themselves from the risk of rising energy costs. Since 2001, we have created and sustained more than 50 full-time, good-paying jobs, developing careers for those entering or re-entering the work force. Strong energy and climate legislation will drive demand to support our continued growth and enable us to create hundreds of new jobs over the next two years.

Strong legislation will also promote energy efficiency, which helps consumers reduce energy use while maintaining their lifestyle and saving money. The money not wasted on energy puts billions of dollars back into the largest driver of our economy -- consumer spending. Put differently, money saved by not consuming energy can instead be spent on goods and services in North Carolina.

Beyond the economic risks of remaining dependent on fossil fuels, there are also national security implications. Recently, a blue-ribbon panel of three- and four-star retired U.S. admirals and generals issued a report that found America's current energy posture constitutes a serious and urgent threat to national security -- militarily, diplomatically and economically. They insist that the converging risks of all fossil fuels -- not just foreign oil -- require moving to clean-energy sources.

Strong energy and climate legislation will create jobs, break the cycle of oil dependence and repower America with clean, homegrown energy. We appreciate Sen. Kay Hagan's strong support for a clean-energy economy. We now need her to work with Senate leaders to strengthen this critical legislation and put it on the president's desk as soon as possible. Let's skate to where the puck will be.

Maria Kingery is co-founder of Southern Energy Management. Co-author Michael Shore is president of FLS Energy.