Vice President Joe Biden is overseeing the recovery efforts.  He invited Standard Renewable Energy's John Berger and others to Washington D.C. to discuss the stimulus funds and what the long-term effects might be after the investments have been spent.

"What impact was actually taking place, you know, what the stimulus investment's going to do after all the money's been invested and gone and the job's been done.  He was very candid that the majority of the money of the stimulus has not been spent, but it's coming in the next few months.  And he said he did that to make sure—given it was his head on the chopping block, and he said--that it was done in an intelligent fashion, you know, 'what is going to propel the economy forward out of this recession for the next ten years and be the primary wealth creator"

Berger says the vice president seemed interested in the economic picture after the stimulus funds have been spent.

"Going forward, after the stimulus money's been spent—by 2011, certainly by 2012—what are we going to do as a country?  We have an energy problem in this country.  We have to change, and let's do it in such a way that creates a lot of wealth, creates a lot of jobs for this country—both of which, the last time I looked, we really, really need at this point.  What the vice president is concentrating on—and I applaud him—is that it's just not about spending three-quarters of a trillion dollars and then going, you know, 'what are we going to do next?'  It's about investing three-quarters of a trillion dollars, so that we can have a long-term expansion once we get out of this mess."  

Standard Renewable Energy helps homeowners and businesses assess their energy requirements and reduce usage.  Ed Mayberry, KUHF Houston Public Radio News.