State Policy Resources
In Buffalo, Green For All Launches a Policy Proposal to Green the CRA
If you've been poking around our website lately, you have probably seen something about the convening we just hosted with PUSH Buffalo in Buffalo, New York about how the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) can help financial institutions support green jobs programs. Well, now that the convening is over, we are happy to say that it was a wonderful success.
Latinos: The Dirty Energy Proposition is Not for Us
Texas oil companies are investing millions of dollars in the Dirty Energy Proposition to repeal portions of California’s health and safety codes, some of the most comprehensive in the nation. This is dangerous especially for California's Latino communities, not only because they are disproportionately located near polluting facilities, but also because many Latinos lack access to health care.
California's Dirty Energy Proposition Seeks to Rollback Progress
Two Texas oil companies are putting the Dirty Energy Proposition on the November 2010 ballot. This deceptive proposition would kill California’s clean air standards, and stifle California’s clean tech businesses from leading us out of this recession. Green For All is joining CA’s NAACP, the American Lung Association and CA’s Teamsters Public Affairs Council to defeat the Dirty Energy Proposition – and we urge our California allies to engage as well. Learn more about California’s success with a growing green economy and the battle to defeat the Dirty Energy Proposition.
California at risk.
The Gulf Coast states and their coastlines are being devastated by thousands of barrels of oil poisoning their coastal waters. These damages wrought by oil companies will have long-lasting harms on all affected areas. Now, California is under threat too.
Retrofit Ramp-Up Awards Announced! $452 million for large-scale energy efficiency retrofits.
On Wednesday, Vice President Biden got a head start on Earth Day by announcing the winners of the Recovery Act “Retrofit Ramp-Up” Awards. Congratulations to the winners of the grants, which will help bring energy efficiency retrofit projects to scale in 25 communities across the country!
An Industry at the Crossroads: Energy Efficiency Employment in Massachusetts
The United states building energy efficiency market is projected to double in size over the next 20 years. Massachusetts, a national leader in this field, has already earmarked $1.4 billion to create thousands of jobs in the construction sector retrofitting more than 100,000 residential units and 20,000 commercial and municipal structures over the next three years.
Statewide green job training program in New Jersey led by unique partnership.
Led by the New Jersey Building Laborers Training and Apprenticeship Fund (NJBLTAF), the partnership includes the Black Ministers Council of NJ, the state’s County Vocational-Technical Schools, Laborers’ Union Local 55, and the Workforce Investment System.
Update from Washington State: SustainableWorks secures Recovery grant.
In May of 2009, we reported on a major legislative victory for clean-energy jobs in Washington, thanks to deep community involvement and champions in the state legislature. Now, the application process for those funds is complete, and a great organization called SustainableWorks won a Recovery grant.
Construction Apprenticeship Programs: Career Training for California's Recovery
The Center on Policy Initiatives has released a report linking quality apprenticeship programs in the building trades to the future of California's green economy and economic recovery. The report demonstrates that apprenticeship training is most effective when run collaboratively by labor and management.
Louisiana Green Corps provides green job training to court-involved youth (VIDEO)
Since its inception in 2008, the Louisiana Green Corps has graduated 68 court-involved youth from its green jobs training programs, with another 100 now in various stages of training. The LA Green Corps educates youth aged 17-24 in green construction, weatherizing homes, material deconstruction and reuse, and energy-saving techniques.
Summary of Minnesota Green Jobs Act (2007)
Minnesota has long been a forerunner on environmental issues. In 2007, the state passed the Demand Efficiency Act, which provided strong targets for energy efficiency. Representative Kalin and Senator Ellen Anderson met with public and private stakeholders to create a strategy for developing green jobs. The result of this collaboration was the Minnesota Green Jobs Act, which sought to advance green economic development while also creating living wage jobs. The was signed into law on May 23, 2008, and includes five policy mechanisms to assist the statewide emerging green economy: The Act: (A) adds green economic development to the criteria for economic development assistance; (B) creates a Green Jobs Task Force; (C) creates an Energy Improvement Loan Program; (D) establishes a Microenergy Loan Program; and (E) mandates the completion of the “Green Economy Report.”
Washington Senate Bill 5649
Increasingly, states are taking it upon themselves to make America more energy efficient. On May 7, 2009, Washington became the latest state to step up as a leader on this front by passing SB 5649 (“the Act”). The Act puts Washington on the path to weatherize, and otherwise make more energy efficient, 100,000 buildings over the next five years. This will reduce energy costs, create thousands of quality new jobs, and obviate any potential need for new electricity-generating facilities. The Act also guarantees access to these jobs for veterans, members of the National Guard, and low-income and disadvantaged populations.
Green Jobs/Green Homes New York
A new report from the Center for American Progress, the Center for Working Families, and Half in Ten shows how innovative public policy can transform the market for home energy efficiency, create tens of thousands of new clean-energy jobs, and leverage billions in private capital to revitalize the housing sector.
Historic green jobs bill signed in Washington State
A lot is going on in Washington, D.C. these days, as Congress works to pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill. But if you've focused too much on Washington, D.C. lately, you may have missed the important strides made by the other Washington. Just this month, Governor Chris Gregoire of Washington State signed a landmark green jobs bill into law (Senate Bill 5649).
State Spotlight: New York lawyers advocate for Green Jobs
On April 22, 2009, my team and, I called Lawyers For Green Jobs, publicly released a green jobs training & education legislative proposal for the State of New York. For the past twelve months, we worked pro bono to develop legislation providing a comprehensive statewide framework to prepare New York’s workforce for green jobs in the emerging green economy. Our primary goal is to urge the New York Legislature to pass an inclusive green jobs bill in New York State.
Massachusetts Green Jobs Act of 2008
In 2008, Governor Deval Patrick signed the Massachusetts Green Jobs Act (HB 5018, DiMassi). The Act results from the collaborative efforts of policy leaders and community advocates. It provides grant money to stimulate clean energy companies, to create green jobs and to provide job training programs to ensure all people have access to new green jobs.
Green Jobs Guidebook
New environmental and energy laws and policies will create of tens of thousands of new jobs in California. This guide from the Environmental Defense Fund provides: profiles of 200 green jobs currently in California; details on 45 job types for high school grads, many paying over $25 per hour; information on job training and placement programs; and listings of valuable apprenticeship programs.
Washington State Climate Action and Green Jobs Bill
The Climate Action and Green Jobs bill was signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire in March of 2008. This unprecedented bill combines for the first time a green-collar jobs training initiative and greenhouse gas reduction strategies in a single piece of legislation. This approach busts apart the tired “jobs vs. the environment” frame that has been used so effectively to defeat efforts to save the planet and build a green economy. The day after the Governor announced the legislation the headline in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer declared, “Gov. Gregoire announces bill to fight climate change, create jobs.”
Big Plans for Jobs and Energy Savings by Milwaukee Energy Efficiency
The Center on Wisconsin Strategy, in cooperation with local political, labor, business, and community leaders, is organizing a large building-energy efficiency project in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2) will invest $500 million in private capital to retrofit as many of the city's residential, commercial, and institutional buildings as possible, leading to a significant reduction in overall energy use, corresponding cost savings, and job creation in the city’s underserved communities.
Milwaukee Retrofit: Capturing Home Energy Savings in Milwaukee
This piece outlines an approach to improve inefficient buildings, at once saving property owners money, reducing demand for coal-generated electricity, and providing both skilled and unskilled work for local contractors and their employees. Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (ME2) is an innovative program of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy that will allow small-property owners and even renters to use a process similar to performance contracting in order to achieve energy savings. Property owners or renters (with landlords' cooperation) would receive an audit listing conservation measures that could be paid for out of energy savings in a given period. They would repay the cost of the measures via their energy-utility bill.
