Renewable Energy Updates from the Apollo Alliance

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Renewable Energy Updates from the Apollo Alliance

One of the five central goals of The New Apollo Program, our comprehensive economic investment strategy, is to train workers for the new clean energy economy. "Scaling up to meet the demands of the clean energy economy," we said, "will require investments in worker training at every level of the green-collar career ladder."
That's not just talk. The focus on making the case for good green-collar jobs (like those at Litecontrol in pix at left) is intense around here and has been for several years. We helped develop the ideas that led to passage of the 2007 Green Jobs Act to train green-collar workers, especially those in disadvantaged communities. In February, with enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress appropriated $500 million for programs in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors defined by the Green Jobs Act.
We've supported federal funding to create green pathways out of poverty training programs based in high schools and vocational schools, and in The New Apollo Program proposed to significantly increase federal support for national service programs, especially a Clean Energy Service Program.
Clean Energy Corps
Our national leaders now agree. This week, just days after it was introduced and by a vote of 321 to 105, the House passed the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act. The GIVE Act, which is expected to pass the Senate before the end of the month and quickly gain President Barack Obama's signature, is intended to launch a new era of national service.
According to a summary by the House Education and Labor Committee, the bill's passage would:
* More than triple the number of AmeriCorps volunteers, from the current 75,000 to 250,000, and increase the education reward they receive to $5,350 for next year, the same as the maximum Pell Grant scholarship award.
* Establish a Clean Energy Corps to encourage energy efficiency and conservation measures, one of four new service corps to address key needs in low-income communities.
* Expand the focus of the National Civilian Community Corps for, among other things, environmental stewardship and energy conservation.
* Make high school students part of the solution by engaging students and out-of-school youth in service-learning to address specific challenges where they live.
Phil Angelides, the chairman of the Apollo Alliance, issued this statement following the House vote: "The Clean Energy Corps boosts the down payment that Congress and the administration have made on creating America's clean energy, good jobs future. The corps will broaden citizen participation in meeting the historic challenge of making America more energy efficient and self-sufficient."
More Green-Collar Training
The need for training programs could not be more urgent. Sizable portions of the $113 billion in clean energy and good jobs spending appropriated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are starting to roll out of Washington. This week, according to the White House, $780 million was sent to states and cities as the first installment of the $8 billion that the Recovery Act directs to weatherization and state energy programs. The White House estimates that when fully deployed, the expanded weatherization program will generate 90,000 green-collar jobs.
Earlier this month, $8.4 billion was sent to states and cities for modernizing American transit systems. The American Public Transportation Association asserts that that every $1 billion invested in federally aided public transportation capital projects supports 30,000 jobs.
We're interested in generating jobs, of course. More importantly, the Apollo Alliance is intent on working with our partners around the country, and with national leaders, to assure that the Recovery Act produces good green-collar jobs that pay well, provide benefits, lead to careers, and rebuild the American middle class.
This week, Apollo Chairman Angelides, a California businessman, co-authored an article that makes the case for applying core principles to the 400,000 jobs that $45 billion in Recovery Act spending is expected to generate in his state. "Creating jobs quickly does not mean that California should sacrifice the opportunity to do it right," he and other leaders of the California Green Stimulus Coalition wrote. "We deserve a process to allocate the stimulus funds that is clear, transparent and accessible. And we deserve ending priorities that provide the greatest number of good, long-term jobs that provide lasting environmental and social benefits."
Core Principles
The national Apollo Alliance also has developed core principles to assure that Recovery Act funding for clean energy development is spent "in a way that truly moves America toward a sustainable economy with broadly shared prosperity." A statement on core principles also was issued by the New York City Apollo Alliance, a coalition of labor, social justice, and environmental organizations. (URLs to both here.)
We posted articles this week on clean energy companies generating good green-collar jobs in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Brooklyn. Heidi Pickman, our communications associate and an accomplished broadcaster, interviewed clean energy leaders about the core principles in a podcast we produced this week. Check back regularly to our continuously updated Recovery Act Information Center, the go-to one stop shop to find out how and where stimulus funds are spent. Chris Greenspan, who writes our Daily Digest, is doing a great job keeping all of us current on clean energy news and trends. And we posted a new Apollo Feedback that features some of the lively correspondence we receive from the Apollo nation.
Take care and talk to you again next week.
Yours,

Keith Schneider
Communications Director
Apollo Alliance
The Apollo Alliance is the program needed to develop Green Jobs to be the restimulus for the valley and Ohio.

Dennis Spisak
Mahoning Valey Greens
Ohio Green Party

www.ohiogreens.org

www.votespisak.org/thinkgreen/