Obama administration wants to expand clean energy manufacturing tax credits
This Wednesday, at a meeting of the White House Middle-Class Task Force, Vice President Joe Biden announced plans by the Obama administration to expand by $5 billion a tax credit for U.S.-based manufacturers that produce renewable energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines and advanced batteries. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided $2.3 billion to fund the tax credit, but those funds are expected to run out shortly because of the popularity of the program.
“The Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit program, which supports the building and equipping of factories to make the products of the green economy, has been wildly successful since its inception,” said Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance. “This much-needed influx of funds will help maximize private sector investment in clean energy production facilities while generating tens of thousands of new jobs in construction and manufacturing.” Click here to read the full Apollo Alliance statement on the proposal to expand the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit.
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, whose state has been actively promoting domestic clean energy manufacturing, co-authored the tax credit provision that was included in ARRA. She released a statement praising the administration’s proposal as being central to any job-creation package:
“In order to turn Michigan’s economy around and create jobs, we need to build the clean energy technology of the future here in America. Otherwise, we will lose the race with other countries and see those jobs go overseas. This manufacturing tax credit, which I co-authored in the recovery act, has already spurred interest to invest in renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar, geothermal, and advanced batteries for vehicles in Michigan and across the country,” Stabenow said.
Congress will still need to approve the administration’s proposal, which would fund the expansion of the tax credit with money left over from the bank bailout.
The White House also released on Wednesday a report on the challenges to U.S. manufacturing and the government policies that could help U.S. manufacturers succeed. Click here to read the report, A Framework For Revitalizing American Manufacturing.
Outcome in Copenhagen Still Unclear
As we finalize this weekly update, it’s still uncertain whether a global climate agreement will be reached in Copenhagen. President Obama has just made a speech to those attending the international gathering, saying that if the nations of the world fail to reach an accord, “we will be back having the same stale arguments month after month, year after year – all while the danger of climate change grows until it is irreversible.”
Richard Black of BBC News described the current state of the talks: “Two years ago, governments committed to agreeing a new deal to combat climate change - ‘full and sustained implementation of the UN climate convention’ - by the end of today…In back rooms now, officials are drafting and re-drafting documents in an attempt to find a form of words - any form of words - that will allow them to get out of here clutching a piece of paper.”
The Apollo Alliance is urging the governments of the world to find common ground and reach a fair, ambitious and binding climate change treaty. Many of our board members, member groups and allies are in Copenhagen, and we recommend that you refer to their blogs over the next few days to read their analyses of the final outcome in Copenhagen. Following are a list of recommended blogs:
AFL-CIO
Climate Progress
Green For All
Grist
Huffington Post
It’s Getting Hot In Here (youth perspective)
Natural Resources Defense Council
Third World Network (climate justice perspective)
And if you haven’t yet read it, you should know about an outstanding editorial that ran on December 7 in 56 newspapers around the world in 20 different languages. It urged global leaders to seize the opportunity to reach an agreement in Copenhagen. This editorial is an inspiration to people all over the world. Even if an agreement isn’t reached in Copenhagen, this editorial should inspire us to continue our work to take decisive action to stop climate change before it ravages our planet. Click here to read the editorial, Copenhagen climate change conference: ‘Fourteen days to seal history’s judgment on this generation.’
In other news …
*CBO says the Senate clean energy and climate bill could save $21 billion. This week, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released its estimate of the cost of implementing S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. The CBO found that the bill would create a surplus of $21 billion over the period between 2010 and 2019. Senator Barbara Boxer, who co-authored the bill, said, “The CBO score shows that there is a way to design a clean energy and climate bill that is fiscally responsible and gets the job done - while protecting the health of our families and the planet.”
*Make an end-of-the-year donation to the Apollo Alliance! Help the Apollo Alliance seal the deal on America’s clean energy and climate policies in 2010. The House of Representatives has already passed the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act, but now the Senate needs to step up and pass its version of a new, national energy policy. Donate to the Apollo Alliance today to help us make 2010 the year of clean energy and good jobs!
*Weekly update is going on vacation. The Apollo Alliance office will be closed for the holidays, and therefore the weekly update will be on hiatus until the first week of 2010. Happy holidays and talk to you next year!
News from Copenhagen
Read blog posts from Copenhagen by Apollo board members, member groups and allies.
Apollo Alliance Praises President’s Decision to Expand Tax Credits for Clean Energy Manufacturers
SAN FRANCISCO – Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance, today released the following statement praising President Obama’s decision to expand the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit by $5 billion, a move the administration expects will support an additional $15 billion in total capital investment in domestic clean energy manufacturing:
“The president’s decision to boost domestic job growth by expanding tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing facilities is another welcome sign that this administration is committed to making America a leader in the global clean energy economy.
“The Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit program, which supports the building and equipping of factories to make the products of the green economy, has been wildly successful since its inception. This much-needed influx of funds will help maximize private sector investment in clean energy production facilities while generating tens of thousands of new jobs in construction and manufacturing.
“Given that 70 percent of America’s clean energy components and systems are currently manufactured abroad – which means valuable, well-paying jobs that should be filled by American workers are instead going overseas – we need to seize every opportunity to enhance our ability to make the products of the clean energy economy in America and bring those jobs back home.
“We also encourage the president and Congress to make a long-term commitment to the country’s clean energy manufacturing sector by including the provisions of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act in any jobs creation package. By doing so, we can ensure that America’s manufacturers have the funds they need to become more energy efficient and expand into the global clean energy marketplace.”
In early December, the Apollo Alliance released a clean energy investment plan that, if enacted, would create up to 1.2 million domestic jobs while increasing U.S. energy security and climate stability. The 5-point plan, meant for inclusion in a larger Congressional and administration strategy to spur economic recovery and create jobs, focused on several areas the president has identified as key to short-term job creation, including transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency and renewables, and domestic clean energy manufacturing.
For more information, visit ApolloAlliance.org.
###
The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, business, environmental and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs.
Obama’s New Jobs Proposal Keeps the Spotlight on Clean Energy
Following up on last week’s White House Jobs Summit, President Obama made a speech on Tuesday at the Brookings Institution outlining his plan to accelerate U.S. job creation and stimulate economic growth. He proposed initiatives aimed at helping small businesses access credit and hire workers; infrastructure investment in highways, transit, rail, aviation and water; and programs to create jobs through energy efficiency and clean energy investments.
“The Apollo Alliance applauds the president’s continued focus on creating jobs through investments in clean and efficient energy systems and improvements to the nation’s aging transportation infrastructure,” said Apollo Chairman Phil Angelides. Click here to read Angelides’ full statement.
The energy efficiency and clean energy proposals include a “cash for caulkers program,” modeled on the cash for clunkers program, which would offer consumers rebates for upgrading the energy efficiency of their homes. The president also proposed expanding several successful and over-subscribed clean energy programs that were created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These include a program for industrial energy efficiency and tax incentives for investments in domestic renewable energy manufacturing facilities.
Last week, to coincide with the White House Jobs Summit, Apollo released a clean energy investment plan that, if enacted, would create up to 1.2 million domestic jobs while increasing U.S. energy security and climate stability. The 5-point plan focused on several areas the president identified as part of his short-term job growth plan, including transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency and renewables, and domestic clean energy manufacturing. Click here to read Apollo’s 5-Point Plan for Boosting Clean Energy Job Growth.
The World is Watching for Climate Progress in Copenhagen
The long-awaited Copenhagen climate negotiations are officially underway. COP 15, as the gathering is called, is the largest climate change summit in world history.
There are hundreds of fascinating stories coming out of Copenhagen, being reported not only by journalists but also by clean energy, environmental and climate justice activists, among others. Below are some recent entries from blog posts by Apollo Alliance coalition members and allies.
Natural Resources Defense Council Copenhagen blog: Posted December 9 by JingJing Qian, NRDC Beijing Deputy Director: Engaging the Business World: Side Events by Indian and Chinese Institutions
“I went to two interesting side events this week … One was organized by the Indian Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, and the other by the Chinese environmental NGO Shan Shui Conservation Center in collaboration with WWF.
The Indian workshop was interesting to me because of the subject it discussed: Removing Barriers to Private Sector Investment in Climate Solutions. According to several panelists of the workshop, the private sector, especially the financial segment of it, is capable of filling the big financing gap between the investment needed for CO2 mitigation and what the public funding (government funds) can possibly offer … To attract private sector investments in fighting climate change, risk management is key, the financial experts said at the workshop. Policies that can reduce investment risk are needed.
The Chinese workshop also concerned the business sector, but from a different angle. It had several Chinese business leaders talking about their perspectives on climate change. Wang Shi, Chairman of China’s famous real estate developer Wanke, and Feng Lun, Chairman of another well-known giant building developer Vantone, each told their personal stories at the workshop, which were quite effective advocacy …
What I found more encouraging than these personal convictions was a joint statement by some 200 Chinese companies and organizations, including Wang and Feng, at the event in Copenhagen. The statement recognizes the urgent need to fight global warming and promises to give strong support to Chinese Government’s recent commitment to carbon intensity reduction.”
AFL-CIO blog: Posted December 10 by Bob Baugh, executive director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council: Workers’ Rights Message Taking Hold in Copenhagen
“Something promising is happening in Copenhagen.
Yesterday, the government of Norway announced support of “just transition” language, a key part of our approach to a new green economy. Under a just transition program, workers have the right to a voice in their workplace, the right to form a union and bargain collectively and the right to have access to training on the latest technology. And that message appears to be working.
Our labor delegation also met privately with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lisa Jackson. It was an open, productive discussion of the just transition concepts and how they related directly to our efforts in Congress. She got it, telling us that she appreciated our frank approach in addressing climate change and in linking it to job opportunities.
Jackson said she wants to see EPA’s work lead to green industry development. We told her we want to see the same and we urged her to spread the just transition message in the statement we gave to her team.
In other developments, France has proposed a financial transaction tax to help pay for international adaptation to new climate change rules. This is similar to the idea the AFL-CIO has been proposing to raise revenues in the United States for job creation.”
Green For All Copenhagen Blog: Posted December 8 by Ada McMahon, Online Communications Associate: Copenhagen climate talks kick-off with tension over leaked text.
“Yesterday was the first day of the 15th UN Conference on Climate Change, which runs through December 18th. The Conference opened with speeches, concerts, and actions as delegates from 192 nations and tens of thousands of citizens of the world descended on Copenhagen, Denmark.
Despite lofty speeches about coming together to seal a deal, the first day of the conference reinforced tensions between wealthy and developing nations. Draft negotiating text, likely between the United States, Britain, and Denmark, was leaked on Monday. The Guardian reported that the leaked text would set emissions targets that unfairly burden developing countries and give the World Bank, rather than the UN, control of financing poor nations as they adapt to climate change. Developing nations interpreted the leaked text as an indication that wealthy nations are trying to cut an unfair backroom deal without them …
Some argue that these concerns are overblown, and that the text is just a framework for negotiations and will be changed considerably throughout the process.
Whatever the meaning of the leaked text, the voices of the most vulnerable people and countries must be central to the negotiations in Copenhagen. There is simply no way that a deal struck between the wealthiest nations in the world will protect and provide opportunity for the communities and nations that are most vulnerable to the climate crisis and shifts in the global economy.”
For more news about the climate talks in Copenhagen, check out these blogs and websites:
It’s Getting Hot in Here (for a youth perspective)
Third World Network (for a climate justice perspective)
In other news …
*Ready to do more to press for climate action in Copenhagen? In support of a fair, ambitious and binding global climate deal, people all over the U.S. and in every corner of the world will join together this weekend for a massive global day of action. Thousands of candlelight vigils, marches, “signature walls” and other events will take place from December 11-13. Show your support by attending one of the 400+ actions in the United States. Go to http://tcktcktck.org/realdeal to find an event near you.
*Environmental Protection Agency takes another step toward regulating greenhouse gases. On Monday, the EPA issued a formal finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. This finding means that the EPA will soon move to regulate GHG emissions from facilities like power plants and oil refineries that emit more than 25,000 tons of GHG per year. It also means that opponents of the Senate climate and clean energy bill may reconsider their positions, if they hope to have any influence over federal plans to address GHG emissions.
*Check out our newest clean energy success stories! The Apollo Alliance has new signature stories on our website about a green jobs and equity campaign victory in Massachusetts (Massachusetts Apollo Wins Key Victory) and a model weatherization training program in San Diego (San Diego Creates Green Pathways Out of Poverty). We also have a story about the Arkansas Economic Development council’s successful efforts to attracting wind manufacturing firms to the state (Watch out, Wal-Mart–Wind Manufacturing is the New Kid on the Block in Arkansas).
Administration to Make Clean Energy Key Part of Economic Recovery Strategy
SAN FRANCISCO – Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance, today released the following statement commending President Obama’s plan to accelerate U.S. job creation and stimulate economic growth:
“The Apollo Alliance applauds the president’s continued focus on creating jobs through investments in clean and efficient energy systems and improvements to the nation’s aging transportation infrastructure.
“America is facing twin crises of economic instability and a global clean energy race that is quickly leaving us behind. Fortunately, the president understands that these crises can also be opportunities. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was a significant down payment on America’s clean energy future, but we must continue to drive short-term investment and job creation in efficiency and renewables in ways that leverage private capital over the long term and lay the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable U.S. economy.
“The president’s proposed efficiency retrofit incentives have the potential to provide a strong stimulus for immediate job creation, as does his plan to expand oversubscribed, successful Recovery Act programs. Going forward, we encourage the administration to pair these efforts with the creation of a federal financing authority that provides credit enhancement to innovative energy efficiency and renewable installation models.
“We commend the president’s focus on creating clean energy manufacturing jobs through the expansion of industrial energy efficiency programs and tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing facilities. Currently, 70 percent of America’s clean energy systems are manufactured abroad, which means valuable, well-paying jobs that should be filled by American workers are instead going overseas. We need to turn that ship around.
“We encourage the president and Congress to make a long-term commitment to the country’s clean energy manufacturing sector. By including the provisions of the Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act of 2009 in any jobs creation package, we can ensure that America’s manufacturers have the funds they need to expand into the global clean energy marketplace and become more energy efficient.”
During last week’s White House Jobs Summit, the Apollo Alliance released a clean energy investment plan that, if enacted, would create up to 1.2 million domestic jobs while increasing U.S. energy security and climate stability. The 5-point plan, meant for inclusion in a larger Congressional and administration strategy to spur economic recovery and create jobs, focused on several areas the president identified as part of his short-term job growth plan, including transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency and renewables, and domestic clean energy manufacturing.
San Diego Creates Green Pathways Out of Poverty
During a campaign speech last year, President Obama made a promise that the United States would weatherize at least 1 million low-income homes each year for the next decade. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act took the first steps toward making that promise a reality by including $5 billion to expand the Weatherization Assistance Program, a move that has the potential to create over 78,000 jobs in the construction industry each year, according to the Department of Energy, and generate huge demand for workers with specific technical knowledge of energy efficiency. Read more
Watch out, Wal-Mart–Wind Manufacturing is the New Kid on the Block in Arkansas
Watch out, Wal-Mart. When it comes to the Arkansas economy, there’s a new kid on the block: wind energy manufacturing. “Since we’ve targeted wind, we’ve had five manufacturers locate in the state, and they’ve invested a total of $370 million and created about 2,900 jobs,” said Scott Hardin of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Read more
Massachusetts Apollo Wins Key Victory
On Oct. 27, Massachusetts solidified its leadership in tackling climate change and creating good jobs by adopting a $1.4 billion plan to improve residential energy efficiency in working class communities. The Green Justice Coalition, an Apollo Alliance chapter comprised of community, labor and environmental groups, spearheaded the campaign to bring equity and economic development into the state’s three-year utility plans. Read more
Apollo Alliance Unveils Five-Point Plan to Boost Clean Energy Job Growth by More Than 1.2 Million
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2009
CONTACTS: Sam Haswell: (415) 371-1700 x201
Proposal Emphasizes Short-term Job Creation, Reducing Dependence on Foreign Oil
SAN FRANCISCO - The Apollo Alliance released a clean energy investment plan today that will create up to 1.2 million domestic jobs while increasing U.S. energy security and climate stability. The release of Apollo’s 5-point plan coincides with today’s urgent White House jobs summit and amid intensified talk by Congressional leaders of an emergency jobs bill.
“America is facing twin crises of economic instability and a global clean energy race that is quickly leaving us behind,” said Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance. “By making targeted investments in our transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency and renewables, and domestic clean energy manufacturing, we will create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and help restore America’s leadership in the global clean energy marketplace.”
Apollo’s job creation recommendations - for inclusion in a larger Congressional and administration plan to spur economic recovery and create jobs - include:
- Creating 255,000 jobs by driving short-term investment in efficiency and renewables in ways that will leverage private capital in the long term.
- Creating 278,000 jobs by laying the groundwork for a 21st century transportation system.
- Creating 700,000 manufacturing jobs (and an additional 1.9 million indirect jobs in related industries) by supporting American manufacturers in retooling and expanding their operations, and positioning domestic clean energy manufacturers to compete in the global marketplace.
- Creating a large-scale financing mechanism that drives investment and creates jobs researching, developing, and manufacturing the technologies and products of the clean energy economy.
- Creating 31,000 jobs by putting Americans back to work serving their communities and preparing a workforce to build the clean energy economy.
The plan calls for investments of approximately $60 billion in the program outlined above.
“While we must take immediate action to create jobs, these actions must be combined with comprehensive energy and climate policies that encourage public and private investment in the clean tech sector,” said Angelides.
In October 2008, Apollo released the New Apollo Program, a comprehensive strategy for generating broad economic prosperity, energy security and climate stability. Earlier this year, Congress invested more than $100 billion in renewable energy development, transportation projects, energy efficiency and weatherization, technological research, and workforce training as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This down payment on the transition to a clean energy economy has already resulted in the retention or creation of more than 640,000 jobs, according to the federal government’s Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.
The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of unlikely and diverse interests - including labor, business, environmental, and community leaders - advancing a bold vision for the next American economy centered on clean energy and good jobs.
Flip the Script
Long known for its it workforce readiness programs, Goodwill Industries of Detroit started its Flip the Script program in 2003, targeting minority men ages 18-30 who reside in the city of Detroit and Wayne County for careers in the building and construction trades industry. The program is an intensive curriculum centered on gender and culture-specific training in the critical areas of mathematics, reading enrichment, positive relationship development, fatherhood, workplace ethics and “the other 16 hours” that are important to becoming economically self-sufficient and a positive head of household. Read more
