What we need for strong clean energy legislation
In June, the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). Now the Senate is crafting its own climate and energy legislation to move America forward into the new century. Such legislation can kick-start our struggling economy, creating clean energy jobs and putting American industries at the global forefront of the burgeoning clean energy sector.
Access and opportunity for all in the clean-energy economy.
As legislation moves through
the Senate, it should maximize funding for
green jobs and include the strongest possible climate standards. At minimum it must include the following two provisions, which are central to
expanding access and opportunity in the clean-energy economy:
1. The Green Construction Careers Demonstration Project
The Green Construction Careers Demonstration Project creates middle class careers in the green economy for low-income Americans. It allows the Secretaries of Labor and Energy to target employment and training opportunities in green construction to workers and communities who traditionally have had little access to career-track jobs with high-road contractors in the building trades.
Specifically, the demonstration project:
- Builds a green career pipeline and ensures that only qualified workers build covered projects. Construction contractors in projects within the demonstration would collaborate with high-quality apprenticeship and training programs that admit high numbers of local, low-income workers and utilize pre-apprenticeship programs.
- Creates employment opportunities for local communities and workers. Fully qualified local, low-income workers must perform a minimum percentage of all construction work hours on covered projects. This ensures that communities most in need get a direct economic benefit from these federal investments.
- Enables uniform work rules for major projects. On large projects, the proposal allows the Secretary of Labor to enact community workforce agreements that establish uniform labor and workplace safety standards, and coordinate and reinforce the proposal’s targeted hiring goals and training programs.
Read the exact language from ACES.
Read the exact language from the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.
2. Funding for The Green Jobs Act
The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act passed by the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee allocates 1% of allowance value in 2012 and 2013 to the Green Jobs Act and 0.05% in 2014 and 2015. In ACES, the House allocated 0.75% of allowance value –- an estimated $860 million –- to the Green Jobs Act in 2012 and 2013. Legislation should allocate allowance value well beyond 2013, in order to meet the ongoing skill demands of workers and businesses in the clean energy economy.
- The Green Jobs Act is an existing program. The Green Jobs Act (Title X of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) trains workers, particularly those from disadvantaged communities, for jobs in the clean energy economy -- and leverages significant private sector money in doing so.
- Green industries will be able to hire qualified workers. Job-creating renewable energy and energy efficiency employers need skilled workers. The Green Jobs Act will prepare those workers, allowing these industries to maximize productivity and ensure high quality work.
- The Green Jobs Act creates green pathways out of poverty. Workers suffering the worst effects of the recession and of pollution will get the training and support they need to find middle-class careers in the green economy.
Read the exact language from ACES.
Read the exact language from the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.
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