Speaker Pelosi tours Waltham school

(Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)

Speaker Pelosi gave a big smile to a girl at the Waltham school.

By Globe Staff

It was an unusual group to be visiting the local elementary school.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Massachusetts Representatives Edward Markey and other elected officials today at Waltham's William Stanley School, which is equipped with solar panels and has other energy-saving and environmentally-friendly features, to underscore the need to make buildings "greener."

Markey, the chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, said the building, which saves $30,000 a year on its energy bills because of its energy efficiency features, is "not just saving taxpayers money, it is helping to save the planet."

The Malden Democrat also said in his prepared remarks that "greening" schools, homes, and the entire economy would "create jobs everywhere from the hearts of our cities to the heartland of our country ... This school building is a shining example of how greening our buildings can generate jobs and reduce carbon emissions."

Representative Niki Tsongas, the Lowell Democrat, also attended the event. She said that she saw a "tremendous opportunity" in the state for the creation of "greencollar" jobs.

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