Green Job Skills in Demand As Clean Energy Industries Boom

INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana’s surging clean-energy industry thrust new green jobs into the limelight today during a ceremony to certify the state’s first graduates of the Electrical Training Institute’s Indianapolis Electrical Apprenticeship program.

In receiving their certifications, the 14 “Green Technicians” displayed an array of solar panels and a wind turbine they recently installed at the Institute, examples of how their new skill-sets will be put to work in advancing the development of a clean energy economy. Among the featured guests at the ceremony, co-sponsored by the Apollo Alliance and IBEW Local 481, were U.S. Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.) and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler.

Shuler praised joint labor-management preparation of workers for a new generation of clean energy jobs. “It’s important that American workers stay at the cutting edge of green technology so they can access the high-quality jobs that are being created in the global clean energy economy,” she said. “The race is on to build a 21^st century clean energy infrastructure, and the AFL-CIO continues to push for it to be nurtured here in the U.S. and built by American workers.”

The Indianapolis Electrical Apprenticeship program is a joint partnership between the National Electrical Contractors Association of Central Indiana, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #481. In 2009, the Electrical Institute designed a program to train workers in alternative energies such as wind and solar.

“Each graduate of the Green Technician program will be an Industry Certified Technician, ready to work on anything from windmills to retrofits of existing buildings that need to become more energy efficient. We are incredibly proud of their achievement,” said Jim Patterson, director of the Electrical Training Institute.

The training is well timed, as Indiana is poised to become a leader in the clean energy field.  Clean energy jobs in the state grew by a stunning 17.9 percent from 1998 to 2007, while overall jobs declined by 1 percent, according to a 2009 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Today, Indiana has more than 1,200 clean energy companies, which employ more than 17,000 people across the state.

Indiana’s First Green Technicians Graduate
The Apollo Alliance has worked closely with 13 unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO to develop strategies for federal investment in job growth in the clean energy economy and the manufacture of green technologies in the United States.

By a 2-1 margin (54 percent to 26 percent), Hoosiers believe that public and private investment in the manufacture of clean energy technologies can help revive the state’s economy and create jobs, according to a Research 2000 poll commissioned by the Apollo Alliance in February.

“Here in Indiana, we have a workforce that is ready to take advantage of expanding opportunities in the clean energy sector,” said Andrea Bazemore, Indiana State Coordinator for the Apollo Alliance. “The Apollo Alliance continues to call on Congress to pass a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill that boosts demand for clean energy and for the types of quality, long-term jobs we are talking about here today.”

The American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act, passed by the House in June 2009, would put a cap on carbon and establish a Renewable Energy Standard that will generate unprecedented demand for the components and systems of the clean energy economy.

Rep. Carson, a supporter of ACES, said clean energy is the key to renewed prosperity. “The type of training and work being celebrated here today is exactly what we had in mind when we passed clean energy legislation in the House,” he said. “If the Senate will join that effort, we can put clean energy on the fast track and rebuild America’s middle class on a foundation of new, well-paying green jobs.”

The American Clean Energy and Security Act would provide capital for small and mid-sized manufacturers to become more energy efficient and retool to expand into the clean energy supply chain. These investments will create or retain at least 680,000 direct manufacturing jobs and nearly 2 million more jobs in related industries over the next five years.

For more on the Apollo Alliance, visit apolloalliance.org. To learn more about the Electrical Training Institute’s Electrical Apprenticeship program, visit www.iejatc.com.

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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

The conference, Picking a Winner: How to Make the U.S. a Leader in the Clean Energy Economy, was held amid growing concerns about clean-energy jobs—particularly manufacturing jobs—going overseas rather than being located in the United States. It covered the diversity of policies—trade, energy, industrial, innovation and workforce policies, to name a few—that will need to be implemented for the U.S. to regain its competitiveness in the global clean energy economy.

 “We’re here today because America is in trouble,” said Apollo Chairman Phil Angelides during his opening remarks at the conference. “We are quickly losing the chance to be a leader in what will be the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century: the global clean energy economy. While other countries are making massive investments in clean energy infrastructure and production—and creating tens of thousands of new jobs as a result—the United States doesn’t even have the capacity to meet its own demand for renewable energy components.”

Conference speakers included Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA); Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); John Podesta, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress; Thea Lee, deputy chief of staff of the AFL-CIO; Kathleen McGinty, former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; and William Spriggs, assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Labor; among others. Jared Bernstein (pictured above), chief economist and economic policy advisor to Vice President Joseph Biden, closed the conference by emphasizing the Obama administration’s commitment to strengthening the U.S. manufacturing sector—especially through supports for the domestic manufacture of clean energy technologies—because of the high quality of manufacturing jobs and their importance to having a thriving U.S. middle class.

Apollo and CAP also both released new reports about the clean energy economy on Thursday. The Apollo report, co-authored with Good Jobs First, analyzes the United States’ competitive position in the global race for clean-energy manufacturing jobs. The report, Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy, finds that under current policies, the U.S. stands to lose an estimated 100,000 clean-energy manufacturing jobs to foreign competitors between now and 2015, and potentially a quarter million manufacturing jobs by 2030. The report also finds that many U.S. and foreign-based clean-energy manufacturing firms are investing money and creating jobs in low-wage countries such as China that are key competitors in the clean-energy race. To read the report, visit www.ApolloAlliance.org.

The CAP report is called Out of the Running? How Germany, Spain, and China Are Seizing the Energy Opportunity and Why the United States Risks Getting Left Behind. According to the report, these three countries have vastly different political economies, but are alike in that each one is implementing clean-energy policies across three critical areas: markets, financing and infrastructure. As a result, these countries are pulling far ahead of the United States in clean-energy production, installation, and export—and increasingly in clean-energy innovation as well. In fact, when clean-energy technology product sales were expressed as a proportion of respective gross domestic product, the United States ranked 19th on the list. Click here to read the report.

Transportation Manufacturing Action Plan Task Force Holds Initial Meeting

The Apollo Alliance held another important meeting in Washington, D.C. this week. On Wednesday, Apollo hosted the first meeting of the Transportation Manufacturing Action Plan (TMAP) Task Force, a group of high-level business, labor and environmental leaders, and transportation and manufacturing policy experts who will work together throughout 2010 to develop recommendations for a clean energy transportation policy that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and U.S. dependence on foreign oil while simultaneously creating good American manufacturing jobs.

The U.S. transportation sector accounts for nearly 30 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and represents 70 percent of domestic oil consumption, most of which is imported. Apollo’s New Apollo Program advocates for a more forward-thinking U.S. transportation policy that results in a 21st century transit system and rebuilds our nation’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure, but the issue has taken on a new urgency because the current national transportation authorization bill has expired, and the next transportation bill will likely be passed during the next year.

The TMAP Task Force will focus on how to ensure that the next transportation bill leverages future investments in stronger transit into new, high-quality jobs in the manufacture of advanced rail vehicles, alternative fuel buses and clean trucks, as well as these vehicles’ component parts. In addition to working with the Task Force to develop its recommendations, Apollo is partnering with researchers from Northeastern and Duke Universities, and the Worldwatch Institute, who will be conducting analyses of urban mass transit systems such as subways, light rail, streetcars, buses and inter-city rail (including high-speed rail) to better inform the development of strong domestic transit manufacturing policy proposals.

Wednesday’s TMAP meeting in Washington included presentations by former Massachusetts Governor and Northeastern University Distinguished Professor of Political Science Michael Dukakis; Apollo Alliance Senior Advisor and Center for American Progress Vice President of Energy Policy Kate Gordon; and Transportation for America Campaign Director James Corless.  All spoke of the importance of a new approach to transportation as a key component of the transition to a clean energy, good jobs economy.

The TMAP project is modeled on the Apollo Alliance’s successful Green Manufacturing Action Plan. Stay tuned for more updates as the TMAP project develops.

“The United States is currently importing about 70 percent of its renewable energy systems and components,” said Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance. “If that trend continues, we stand to lose out on estimated 100,000 clean energy manufacturing jobs by 2015, and nearly 250,000 by 2030. This country needs a comprehensive clean-energy economic development strategy so we can ensure that jobs being created in the clean energy sector stay in America.”

“The U.S. needs a comprehensive strategy, including safeguards to ensure that increased demand for renewable energy systems doesn’t simply create manufacturing jobs in low-wage havens,” said Good Jobs First Executive Director Greg LeRoy. “In the same way Ohio wouldn’t knowingly subsidize job growth in Iowa, Uncle Sam needs to watch the store and ensure a good return on American investments in clean energy.

Winning the Race illustrates this risk by analyzing the recipients of the Recovery Act’s Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit (also known as 48C credits), which President Obama recently proposed expanding funding for by $5 billion due to the program’s success. The report finds that, of the 90 companies that received 48C credits for wind and solar manufacturing projects in the United States, 23 have also been investing in similar production in countries such as China, India, Mexico and Malaysia. The 23 companies, which include both U.S.-based and foreign firms, received a total of $458 million in 48C credits for their U.S. projects.

“A portion of this offshore investment is meant to serve foreign markets,” said Good Jobs First Research Director Philip Mattera, who analyzed the 48C recipient list for the report. “But these examples demonstrate that the U.S. share of the global clean energy economy - particularly in manufacturing - is far from guaranteed.  48C projects have helped stimulate the clean energy manufacturing sector, but some recipients are putting their primary emphasis on low-wage production for the entire global market..”

To address this risk, Winning the Race recommends a comprehensive strategy to create jobs in the clean energy economy through the entire supply chain. The first step is to ensure an expanded and consistent market for clean energy by passing comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation, and then to expand domestic clean energy manufacturing by:

• Increasing the Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit by $5 billion, as the president proposed in his FY2011 budget, but adding “clawback” provisions that would enable the federal government to recoup the tax credits if 48C jobs end up being sent offshore.
• Enacting the “Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technologies (IMPACT) Act,” which would support small and mid-sized manufacturers by providing capital for investments in energy efficiency and for retooling and expanding into the clean energy supply chain.
• Investing in the creation of a well-trained workforce that meets the needs of U.S. clean energy manufacturers and would make onshore investment more attractive.

The full report is available for download at www.apolloalliance.org and at www.goodjobsfirst.org.

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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.

Good Jobs First is a national policy resource center promoting accountability in economic development, smart growth for working families, and the creation of good, green jobs.

Conference Convened by the Center for American Progress and the Apollo Alliance Explores the Future of the Clean Energy Economy

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The Center for American Progress and the Apollo Alliance today co-hosted a conference, “Picking a Winner: How to Make the U.S. a Leader in the Clean Energy Economy,” in which several of America’s leading lawmakers and economic policy experts gathered to explore the future of the clean energy economy, how America’s choices for economic growth fit into the larger context of global trade, and how to position America’s workforce for success in the clean energy marketplace. The groups also released two reports (descriptions below) that offer recommendations for establishing U.S. competitiveness in the global clean energy economy.

Keynote speeches from Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, and U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash, drove home the possibilities for America’s leadership in manufacturing, innovation, and clean energy jobs.

“We are in a race with other countries like China that spend $288 million a day to develop clean energy technology,” said Sen. Stabenow. “That’s why I have authored provisions to cut taxes and provide capital to companies that will make these technologies here at home and create new jobs. These investments are critical to ensuring America is the global leader in the clean energy economy. I thank the Apollo Alliance and the Center for American Progress for hosting this conference today and for doing so much to highlight the need for a clean energy manufacturing policy in America.”

“In the new clean energy economy there is no silver medal,” said Rep. Inslee. “By taking advantage of the new clean energy economy, not only can we create millions of new, well paying jobs, we can begin to reverse the climate crisis and wean our nation off foreign oil. The American tradition of innovation is alive and well and by feeding that tradition we will win this race. I would like to thank the Apollo Alliance and the Center for American Progress for putting together this important forum and their continued efforts to bring light to this issue.”

Opening up the conference this morning, John Podesta, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, said, “If we don’t invest and legislate across the value chain-if we don’t develop a comprehensive policy that focuses also on commercialization, production, deployment, and export-we will look up in 10 years and find ourselves not the great leader on clean energy, but the great buyer of it.”

Apollo Alliance Chairman Phil Angelides offered a similar sentiment: “We’re here today because America is in trouble. We are quickly losing the chance to be a leader in what will be the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century: the global clean energy economy. While other countries are making massive investments in clean energy infrastructure and production-and creating tens of thousands of new jobs as a result-the United States doesn’t even have the capacity to meet its own demand for renewable energy components.”

Two new reports focus on future of U.S. competitiveness in clean energy marketplace

The new report from the Center for American Progress is “Out of the Running? How Germany, Spain, and China Are Seizing the Energy Opportunity and Why the United States Risks Getting Left Behind.” The report examines clean energy policies in each country across three critical areas: markets, financing, and infrastructure. As a result, these countries are pulling far ahead of the United States in clean energy production, installation, and export-and increasingly in clean energy innovation as well. In fact, when clean energy technology product sales were expressed as a proportion of respective gross domestic product, the United States ranked 19th on the list. The report concludes, however, with a clean energy investment agenda that will boost our competitiveness and economy in the United States. Read the full report here.

“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,” the new report by the Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, analyzes the United States’ competitive position in the global race for clean energy manufacturing jobs. It finds that under current policies, the United States stands to lose out on an estimated 100,000 clean energy manufacturing jobs to foreign competitors between now and 2015, and nearly 250,000 manufacturing jobs by 2030 should the nation fail to increase its support for domestic clean energy manufacturing. The report also finds that many U.S. and foreign-based clean energy manufacturing firms are investing money and creating jobs in low-wage countries that are key competitors in the clean energy race. Read the full report at http://www.apolloalliance.org/reports.

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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.

The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to these values, and we aspire to ensure that our national policies reflect these values. We work to find progressive and pragmatic solutions to significant domestic and international problems and develop policy proposals that foster a government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The United States must commit to developing a domestic manufacturing sector capable of meeting heightened demand for the parts, systems and components of the growing clean energy economy, a strategy that is key to ensuring that federal clean energy investments create quality, high-paying jobs in the United States. This would avoid indirectly subsidizing the growth of those activities in low-wage countries such as China that are emerging as key competitors in the race to lead the global clean energy economy. This is the conclusion of Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy, a report released today by the Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First at a Washington, D.C. conference.

“The United States is currently importing about 70 percent of its renewable energy systems and components,” said Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance. “If that trend continues, we stand to lose out on estimated 100,000 clean energy manufacturing jobs by 2015, and nearly 250,000 by 2030. This country needs a comprehensive clean-energy economic development strategy so we can ensure that jobs being created in the clean energy sector stay in America.”

“The U.S. needs a comprehensive strategy, including safeguards to ensure that increased demand for renewable energy systems doesn’t simply create manufacturing jobs in low-wage havens,” said Good Jobs First Executive Director Greg LeRoy. “In the same way Ohio wouldn’t knowingly subsidize job growth in Iowa, Uncle Sam needs to watch the store and ensure a good return on American investments in clean energy.

Winning the Race illustrates this risk by analyzing the recipients of the Recovery Act’s Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit (also known as 48C credits), which President Obama recently proposed expanding funding for by $5 billion due to the program’s success. The report finds that, of the 90 companies that received 48C credits for wind and solar manufacturing projects in the United States, 23 have also been investing in similar production in countries such as China, India, Mexico and Malaysia. The 23 companies, which include both U.S.-based and foreign firms, received a total of $458 million in 48C credits for their U.S. projects.

“A portion of this offshore investment is meant to serve foreign markets,” said Good Jobs First Research Director Philip Mattera, who analyzed the 48C recipient list for the report. “But these examples demonstrate that the U.S. share of the global clean energy economy - particularly in manufacturing - is far from guaranteed.  48C projects have helped stimulate the clean energy manufacturing sector, but some recipients are putting their primary emphasis on low-wage production for the entire global market..”

To address this risk, Winning the Race recommends a comprehensive strategy to create jobs in the clean energy economy through the entire supply chain. The first step is to ensure an expanded and consistent market for clean energy by passing comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation, and then to expand domestic clean energy manufacturing by:

• Increasing the Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit by $5 billion, as the president proposed in his FY2011 budget, but adding “clawback” provisions that would enable the federal government to recoup the tax credits if 48C jobs end up being sent offshore.
• Enacting the “Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technologies (IMPACT) Act,” which would support small and mid-sized manufacturers by providing capital for investments in energy efficiency and for retooling and expanding into the clean energy supply chain.
• Investing in the creation of a well-trained workforce that meets the needs of U.S. clean energy manufacturers and would make onshore investment more attractive.

The full report is available for download at www.apolloalliance.org and at www.goodjobsfirst.org.

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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.

Good Jobs First is a national policy resource center promoting accountability in economic development, smart growth for working families, and the creation of good, green jobs.

The Impact of IMPACT: Creating Jobs in Ohio finds that the IMPACT Act, which is contained in the proposed Senate clean energy and climate bill, would create between 41,063 and 52,214 new jobs across Ohio.

The IMPACT Act would establish a two-year $30 billion revolving loan fund to assist small- and medium-sized manufacturers retool to produce clean energy component parts and become more energy efficient. It would also increase long-term funding for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership program to help manufacturers access clean energy markets and adopt innovative, energy-efficient manufacturing technologies. Provisions that are nearly identical to those in IMPACT were included in the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in June 2009.

“PERI’s analysis finds that investing in the retooling and conversion of small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in Ohio would create a robust engine of job growth for the state,” said Heidi Garrett-Peltier, the economist who conducted the analysis. “We find that the investments from IMPACT would not only retain current jobs, but they would also create new jobs that utilize the skills of the workers of Ohio. These investments are a potentially powerful way to revitalize the manufacturing sector in the state.”

The findings of the report are relevant to other manufacturing states and to anyone who wants to ensure that comprehensive federal clean energy and climate measures create the economic benefits that American workers are expecting. To read the report, visit the Policy Matters Ohio website.

New Poll: Hoosiers Believe Investment in Clean Energy Manufacturing Can Help Revive Indiana’s Economy and Create Jobs

Ohio is not the only Midwest state that stands to benefit from clean energy investments. According to a new Indiana public opinion survey commissioned by the Apollo Alliance, by a 2-1 margin, Hoosiers believe that public and private investment in the manufacture of clean energy technologies can help revive the state’s economy and create jobs. The poll was conducted earlier this month by Research 2000. It found that Hoosiers are strong believers in the opportunity for economic recovery posed by boosting investment in clean energy and energy efficiency. Fifty-four percent of poll respondents said that investments in clean technologies would help revive the state’s economy, while only 26 percent disagreed.

Clean energy investments and industries were the main topics of conversation at a roundtable held in Indianapolis on Monday night that was organized by the Apollo Alliance, the National Wildlife Federation and the Richard G. Luger Center for Renewable Energy. Speakers included business leaders from Ameresco, Duke Energy and Vela Gear Systems, as well as Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, and Apollo’s Indiana state coordinator, Andrea Alderson-Bazemore.

“The new global economy will run on clean energy, and Indiana is helping lead the way,” said Alderson-Bazemore at the Monday night event. “With more investment in clean technologies and manufacturing, new industries will be born and supported right here, putting you and your neighbors back to work.”

Between 1998 and 2007, clean energy jobs in Indiana grew by 17.9 percent, even as overall jobs declined by one percent. During that time, green jobs grew nearly two-and-a-half times faster than overall job creation, according to a national study by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Today, Indiana is home to more than 1,200 clean energy companies that employ over 17,000 people across the state.

“It’s time for Congress to pass a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill that significantly boosts clean energy demand in this country,” said Kevin Leahy, managing director for climate policy and economics for Duke Energy. “Once this legislation is in place, companies like those here tonight will be poised to meet the resulting demand for clean energy.”

Schweiger said that businesses, labor and environmental advocates see a common goal in bolstering clean energy. “Americans go back to work, our economy booms, and the environment is protected for future generations,” he said. “It’s a win-win-win situation.”

Join Apollo at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference!

The Apollo Alliance is proud to announce that we are one of the conveners of this year’s Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference, which will take place May 4-6 in Washington, D.C. Good Jobs, Green Jobs (GJGJ) is an annual event organized by the Blue-Green Alliance and brings together thousands of union members, environmentalists, business leaders, and elected and administration officials for three days of sessions about building a green economy that creates good jobs, reduces global warming, and preserves America’s economic and environmental security.

The 2010 GJGJ conference program is still under development, but last year’s conference featured green economy leaders including U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Senators Sherrod Brown, Amy Klobuchar and Debbie Stabenow, and United Nations Environment Program Executive Director Achim Steiner. Apollo’s chairman, Phil Angelides, along with Apollo board members Leo Gerard of the United Steelworkers Union and Carl Pope of the Sierra Club, also spoke at the conference.

This year, the Apollo Alliance will be organizing at least two sessions at the GJGJ conference, one on how to build your state’s clean energy manufacturing sector, and another on clean transportation and good jobs. Stay tuned for more information about these and other panels and workshops.

Early bird registration ends March 15! If you’d like to join the Apollo Alliance and thousands of other green jobs enthusiasts at this year’s GJGJ conference, don’t miss the early bird registration deadline.

There’s also a green jobs expo to showcase the companies, products, services and career opportunities in the green economy. Your group can find out about registering for a booth at the GJGJ conference website.

We look forward to seeing you in May in DC!

In other news …

*Welcome back Van Jones! The Apollo Alliance is thrilled by the announcement that Van Jones, our former board member, has returned to the green jobs advocacy community and will be leading the Green Opportunity Initiative at the Center for American Progress. Van is a leading national spokesperson on the need to create pathways out of poverty and into the green economy for poor people, people of color, and people with barriers to employment.

Study outlines employment effect of a federal investment program proposed to help firms diversify into clean energy markets

Press call and discussion with Senator Sherrod Brown
12:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday February 24th

Senator Brown will discuss IMPACT and other programs intended to improve access to capital.  Wendy Patton of Policy Matters Ohio will be joined by Sam Haswell of the Apollo Alliance and Heidi Garrett-Peltier of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Climate legislation to stem global warming could direct substantial investment into domestic manufacturing plants and create new markets, laying the groundwork for growth in manufacturing jobs.  In this report, Policy Matters Ohio looks at an investment proposal:  “Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act of 2009″ (IMPACT). This proposal, introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown, is contained in Senate Bill 1617 and House Bill 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.  It would provide access to capital and technical assistance to American firms with fewer than 500 workers. Firms could use this assistance to conduct energy conservation retrofits or to retool so that they can participate in clean energy markets.  The legislation also provides for consulting assistance through the Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) to help firms identify and move into new markets. Analysis by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Policy Matters Ohio shows this program could create up to 52,214 new jobs in Ohio.

“Manufacturing jobs are important because they play an outsized role in generating other jobs from suppliers and from other sectors,” said Policy Matters Senior Associate Wendy Patton.  “Average weekly earnings in manufacturing are 21 percent higher than in other jobs. This means employees spend more, supporting the rest of the economy.  Assistance to manufacturers can jump start job creation in Ohio.”

The opportunity to develop and manufacture technology for clean energy markets has been heralded as a way to rebuild America’s production networks.  While green jobs may be a small share of total employment, they could be the heart of a new generation of wealth creation.

“Without a program to support our own domestic manufacturers, policies that create new demand for clean energy will just lead to more imports,” said Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance. “Senator Brown’s IMPACT Act will help put Americans back to work by allowing manufacturers in Ohio and across the country to tap into clean and efficient energy markets.”

The study relies on an economic assessment tool called input-output analysis.  The analysis finds that this investment in the base of Ohio’s industrial infrastructure could create up to 52,214 new manufacturing jobs in Ohio over the first ten years of the program. The University of Massachusetts’s Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) conducted the analysis.

“PERI’s analysis finds that investing in the retooling and conversion of small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in Ohio would create a robust engine of job growth for the state,” said Heidi Garrett-Peltier, the economist who conducted the analysis.  “We find that the investments from IMPACT would not only retain current jobs, but they would also create new jobs that utilize the skills of the workers of Ohio. These investments are a potentially powerful way to revitalize the manufacturing sector in the state.”

Policy Matters Ohio (www.policymattersohio.org) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization

with offices in Cleveland and Columbus.  The Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst is a leader in providing economic analysis of clean energy initiatives.  The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, business, community and environmentalists supporting a clean energy future.

Indianapolis — Clean energy industries will provide the catalyst to create long-term, good-paying jobs in Indiana, according to business leaders from Ameresco, Duke Energy and Vela Gear Systems who took part in a roundtable discussion here last night. Their views were supported by a new Indiana public opinion survey, commissioned by the Apollo Alliance, which showed that by a 2-1 margin, Hoosiers believe that public and private investment in the manufacture of clean technologies can help revive the state’s economy and create jobs.

“It’s time for Congress to pass a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill that significantly boosts clean energy demand in this country,” said Kevin Leahy, managing director for climate policy and economics for Duke Energy. “Once this legislation is in place, companies like those here tonight will be poised to meet the resulting demand for clean energy.”

The roundtable, sponsored by the Apollo Alliance, the National Wildlife Federation and the Richard G. Luger Center for Renewable Energy, identified ways that Indiana is already creating jobs in the state’s booming clean energy industry, and the need for state and federal policies that will keep new green jobs in the United States.

Between 1998 and 2007, clean energy jobs in Indiana grew by 17.9 percent, even as overall jobs declined by one percent. During that time, green jobs grew nearly two-and-a-half times faster than overall job creation, according to a national study by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Today, Indiana is home to more than 1,200 clean energy companies that employ over 17,000 people across the state.

According to a statewide poll conducted earlier this month by Research 2000, Indianans are strong believers in the opportunity for economic recovery posed by boosting investment in clean energy and energy efficiency. Fifty-four percent of poll respondents believe that investments in clean technologies will help revive the state’s economy, while only 26 percent disagree.

“The new global economy will run on clean energy, and Indiana is helping lead the way,” said Andrea Alderson-Bazemore, Indiana state coordinator for the Apollo Alliance. “With more investment in clean technologies and manufacturing, new industries will be born and supported right here, putting you and your neighbors back to work.”

Investments in clean energy technologies have the added benefits of increasing domestic security by reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, and mitigating the potentially devastating impacts of global climate change.

Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said that businesses, labor and environmental advocates see a common goal in bolstering clean energy. “Americans go back to work, our economy booms, and the environment is protected for future generations,” he said. “It’s a win-win-win situation.”

The American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in June 2009, would put a cap on carbon and establish a Renewable Energy Standard that will generate unprecedented demand for clean energy, its components and systems. The Senate has yet to act on its version of the climate and energy bill.

The House energy bill would provide capital for small and mid-sized manufacturers to become more energy efficient and retool to expand into the clean energy supply chain. Once enacted, these investments – based on U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s “Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act” – will create or retain at least 680,000 direct manufacturing jobs across the country and nearly 2 million more jobs in related industries over the next five years.

For more on the Apollo Alliance, visit www.ApolloAlliance.org. To learn more about the National Wildlife Federation’s work in Indiana, visit www.indianawildlife.org.

CONTACTS:  Sam Haswell, (415) 371-1700 x201, Kathleen Shea Porter, (703) 276-2772, x14

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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.

The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization. We work with more than 4 million members, partners and supporters in communities across the country to protect and restore wildlife habitat, confront global warming, and connect with nature.

“This is a shining example of how investing in green jobs can help revitalize the economy, while also saving low-income citizens money on their energy bills,” said Emily Andrews, executive director of the Greater St. Louis Green Building Council and a member of the Missouri Apollo Alliance steering committee. “If we follow this model with further investments in energy efficiency and weatherization, we’ll see a windfall of good, green jobs throughout the country.”

Weatherization assistance for eligible applicants may include installing wall and ceiling insulation; plugging air leaks with caulking; installing weather stripping; dryer venting; glazing and repairing windows and doors; minor duct repair; furnace repair or replacement; and hot water tank repair. Studies have shown that weatherization reduces household energy costs from $260 to as much as $700 over the course of a year.

“In addition to cutting the energy costs, these services also increase safety and enhance the quality of life for the residents of St. Louis city,” said Urban League President Jim Buford.

Todd Weaver, CEO of Legacy Building Construction, spoke about the people his company has employed to work on weatherization projects. “These jobs change lives,” he said. “They may start at entry level, but they lay the foundation for advancement into careers as crew chiefs, pre-weatherization and post-weatherization auditors.”

The event was covered by local media outlets, including St. Louis’s NBC affiliate and the St. Louis Business Journal. For more on the St. Louis Weatherization Assistance Program, visit www.ulstl.org. To learn more about the federal government’s weatherization efforts, visit the U.S. Department of Energy website.

Hot on the heels of our successful event in Missouri, the Indiana Apollo Alliance will be holding its own event next week—a business roundtable. The roundtable, which is being co-sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation and the Richard G. Luger Center for Renewable Energy, will convene a panel of clean energy business leaders to discuss how Indiana can lead the way in the new clean energy economy, and how investing in clean energy technologies and manufacturing is the key to creating millions of good-paying jobs across the country. Speakers will include Jerome Ringo, former president and current board member of the Apollo Alliance; Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation; Jeffery Metcalf, regional director for Amaresco; John Stowell, VP of Environmental Health Policy for Duke Energy; Noel Davis, president & founder of Vela Gear Systems; and Ethan Rogers, manager of energy efficiency services at Purdue University.

With 9.9 percent of Indiana residents unemployed, the solution for long-term job growth may lie in the state’s booming clean energy industry. A Pew Charitable Trusts national economic study showed that green jobs grew nearly two and a half times faster than overall job creation between 1998 and 2007. During that time, clean energy jobs in Indiana grew by 17.9 percent. Today, Indiana is home to more than 1,200 clean energy companies, which employ more than 17,000 people across the state.

Three Cheers for State and Local Apollo Alliance Victories

Speaking of state Apollo Alliances, we’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate our state and local Apollo affiliates for all of their achievements in 2009. Read on for a sampling of their accomplishments, from the creation of new green jobs training programs to the passage of various types of clean energy legislation.

* In April 2009, the Los Angeles City Council approved a first-in-the nation plan to create jobs, cut carbon emissions, and revitalize the inner city. The council voted to support a plan to green retrofit city buildings that will create hundreds of new jobs at a time when Angelenos are confronting high rates of unemployment, and federal officials are looking to cities and states for “shovel ready” projects to boost the economy. The ordinance, which will also connect the retrofitting to green jobs training programs that link underserved communities to careers in the clean energy economy, was brought to the city council by the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance, which is convened by SCOPE (Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Analysis).

*In 2009, the New York City Apollo Alliance played a key role advising and participating in the development of the New York City Green-Collar Jobs Roadmap, a comprehensive, step-by-step plan for how to grow New York City’s green economy in a sustainable, prosperous and just manner. The Roadmap was published in October 2009 by the Center for American Progress and Urban Agenda, which convenes NYC Apollo. It was the culmination of an 18-month process in which more than 170 stakeholders from businesses, labor unions and community-based organizations collaborated and developed a plan to grow an equitable green economy in New York City.

* Oregon Apollo and its partners, including the Oregon AFL-CIO, Citizens Utility Board, and Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, strongly supported the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Technology (EEAST) Act of 2009, which was signed into law in July 2009. EEAST makes available a low-cost loan that can be applied to weatherizing homes and small businesses and producing renewable energy. The loan can be paid back on the property owner’s energy bill over a long period of time—20+ years. Apollo and its partners played a key role in ensuring that energy efficiency and renewable energy jobs created by the program will be high-quality jobs.

* In October 2009, the Green Justice Coalition, an Apollo Alliance affiliate based in Boston, won a major victory for equity and economic development by convincing the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC) of Massachusetts to not only develop long-term goals for increasing energy efficiency throughout the state, but also to commit to make the energy efficiency program and jobs associated with it accessible to low-income communities. For example, the Green Justice Coalition worked with the EEAC and utilities to design an innovative financing mechanism that includes a commitment by the utilities to procure $300 million in external funding over the next two years to set up a revolving loan fund. Low- and moderate-income homeowners can access these funds to pay for energy efficiency retrofits, which can be paid back incrementally through utility bills.

* In June 2009, the Oakland Green Jobs Corps graduated its first class. The program, which is among the first training programs of its kind, was developed and proposed by the Oakland Apollo Alliance, which is convened by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and IBEW Local 595. The group won support from the Oakland City Council, which allocated $250,000 in seed money to create the program. Funds were awarded to a partnership between Laney Community College, Cypress Mandela Training Center, and Growth Sector – a workforce intermediary.

*In October 2009, New York Gov. David Paterson signed legislation creating the Green Jobs/Green New York (GJ/GNY) program. The bill commits the state to investing $112 million on a program to retrofit and weatherize private homes and small commercial buildings. Over the next five years, the program’s implementation will create thousands of jobs in the home and commercial building retrofit industry. The New York State Apollo Alliance was part of a broad coalition of labor, workforce training, clean energy, and environmental groups that joined together to support the green jobs initiative, which is poised to become the centerpiece of New York’s efforts to become a more energy-efficient state.

To read more about these and other state and local Apollo Alliance victories, visit ApolloAlliance.org. To find out about an Apollo Alliance affiliate near you, click here.

Over the last six years, the Apollo Alliance has built coalitions in 17 states and cities across America—often partnering with local host organizations—that have advanced the nation’s transition to a clean energy economy through innovative policies and projects. In 2009, our state and local Apollo Alliances continued this legacy of success. Read on to learn about their achievements.  

Launching New Apollo Alliances Across America

In 2009, the Apollo Alliance added new affiliates in Western New York, Missouri and Indiana. We also added a new affiliate in Massachusetts, at the end of 2008, when the Green Justice Coalition, convened by Community Labor United in Boston, became the Massachusetts Apollo Alliance.

The Western New York Apollo Alliance, organized by Frank Hotchkiss of the United Steel Workers, runs an innovative program called the Home Energy Conservation Kit (HECK). HECK brings union members, students and community members together in an all-volunteer effort to weatherize low-income homes.

The Missouri Apollo Alliance was formed in mid-2009 and has already proven the value of unlikely allies coming together in the “Show Me” state. In north St. Louis County, the Missouri Apollo Alliance is working with the Riverview Gardens School District to roll out a Green Schools Retrofit program that will produce economic and environmental benefits in the community by enlisting the participation of business, labor, community and district leaders. The Green Schools Retrofit program will launch in 2010.

The Indiana Apollo Alliance was formed in autumn 2009 after discussions with scores of state leaders from businesses, labor unions, and the environmental and social justice communities about the need to come together to advance clean energy and good jobs in Indiana. Indiana Apollo provides a valuable connecting point between groups that have historically worked in isolation. In addition to discussing clean energy manufacturing opportunities in the state, Indiana Apollo is engaging in the debate on how best to move a renewable energy standard forward to drive demand for clean energy.

Los Angeles Apollo Wins Passage of Green Jobs Ordinance

In April 2009, the Los Angeles City Council approved a first-in-the nation plan to create jobs, cut carbon emissions, and revitalize the inner city. The council voted to support a plan to green retrofit city buildings that will create hundreds of new jobs at a time when Angelenos are confronting high rates of unemployment, and federal officials are looking to cities and states for “shovel ready” projects to boost the economy. The ordinance, which will also connect the retrofitting to green jobs training programs that link underserved communities to careers in the clean energy economy, was brought to the city council by the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance, which is convened by SCOPE (Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Analysis).

The Green Jobs Ordinance calls for retrofitting all city-owned buildings larger than 7,500 square feet or built before 1978, using energy-efficient and environmentally sensitive guidelines from the U.S. Green Business Council and others. It sets a starting goal of 100 retrofits annually. The program also focuses on career training and placement for local, low-income, and underemployed workers.

The ordinance creates two management positions, an interdepartmental taskforce, and an advisory council of experts and stakeholders to oversee, guide and report on progress. Moreover, it represents the first municipal investment that combines energy efficiency retrofitting with green jobs training in a way that creates quality union jobs, pathways out of poverty for city residents, and significant savings in municipal energy costs.

The Green Jobs Ordinance is part of the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance’s Green Careers Training Initiative (GCTI), which seeks to create green career ladders in construction, the public sector, public and private power companies, and emerging energy industries. The GCTI will connect low-income inner-city residents to union apprenticeship and community college training programs that prepare them for living-wage jobs, and also provide upgrade training to existing workers within those industries.

NYC Apollo Helps Map the City’s Green-Collar Economy

The New York City Apollo Alliance played a key role advising and participating in the development of the New York City Green-Collar Jobs Roadmap, a comprehensive, step-by-step plan for how to grow New York City’s green economy in a sustainable, prosperous and just manner. The Roadmap was published in October 2009 by Urban Agenda, which convenes NYC Apollo, and the Center for American Progress.

The Roadmap is the culmination of an 18-month process, through which more than 170 stakeholders from businesses, labor unions and community-based organizations worked to come up with a plan to grow an equitable green economy in New York City. The stakeholder convening process, called the Green-Collar Jobs Roundtable, included working groups on the current green jobs landscape; existing training programs; how to make green-collar jobs high-quality jobs; and how to make sure green-collar jobs are accessible to traditionally disenfranchised populations. The working groups’ recommendations form the core of the New York City Green-Collar Jobs Roadmap.

“If the city implemented this roadmap, the result would be a vibrant, green economy that would lift up thousands of people and create pathways out of poverty and into long-term green jobs,” said Mijin Cha, director of campaign research at Urban Agenda and convener of the NYC Apollo Alliance.

Now that the Roadmap has been released, Urban Agenda is kicking off a Roadmap campaign by meeting with various stakeholders and city council members about how to implement the measures recommended in the report. Urban Agenda has received calls from Mayor Noam Bramson of New Rochelle, and Congressman Jose Serrano of the Bronx about how a similar roadmap could serve as a roadmap for other cities and communities.

To read the New York City Green-Collar Jobs Roadmap, visit the Urban Agenda website.

Oregon Apollo Helps Pass Energy Efficiency and Good Jobs Legislation

Oregon Apollo and its partners, including the Oregon AFL-CIO, Citizens Utility Board, and Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, strongly supported HB 2626, the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Technology (EEAST) Act of 2009, which was signed into law in July 2009. Apollo and its partners played a key role in developing the labor standards that were included in the bill.

EEAST addresses a problem that impacts not just Oregon, but the entire nation. Often, residential and commercial property owners want to improve the energy efficiency of their properties or produce their own renewable energy, but they can’t afford the up-front costs or access low-cost, up-front financing. EEAST makes available a low-cost loan that can be applied to weatherizing existing residences and small businesses and producing renewable energy. The loan can be paid back on the property owner’s energy bill over a long period of time—20+ years.

Another key component of EEAST is that it ensures that energy efficiency and renewable energy jobs created by the program will be high-quality jobs. It sets standards for the certification of contractors who work in the program, including an equal opportunity clause; an 80 percent local hiring requirement; payment of at least 180 percent of the state minimum wage; compliance with all health and safety rules; and a preference for contractors that provide health insurance to their employees. EEAST also requires the State Department of Energy to collaborate with the Workforce Investment Board to identify job training opportunities created as the program is implemented.

The first pilot project under EEAST is called Clean Energy Works Portland. “Portland is the first pilot project for this new statewide, low-interest loan program for weatherization work that you can pay back on your utility bill. That’s how we’re going to spread this idea around the state,” said Barbara Byrd, secretary-treasurer of the Oregon AFL-CIO and coordinator of the Oregon Apollo Alliance.

Oakland Apollo Creates Model Green Jobs Training Program

In June 2009, the Oakland Green Jobs Corps graduated its first class. The program, which is among the first training programs of its kind, was developed and proposed by the Oakland Apollo Alliance, which is convened by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and IBEW Local 595. The group won support from the Oakland City Council, which allocated $250,000 in seed money to create the program. Funds were awarded to a partnership between Laney Community College, Cypress Mandela Training Center, and Growth Sector – a workforce intermediary.

Cypress Mandela, a community-based pre-apprenticeship program, recruits low-income young adults from Oakland to participate in the program by outreaching to high schools, churches, job fairs, and community organizations. Once they are accepted into the program, the students begin with a 16-week “boot camp” in which they learn basic construction and undergo soft skills training, including literacy and life skills such as money management, job readiness, and an understanding of labor unions and apprenticeship programs. They also have access to support services, such as drug and alcohol counseling, childcare assistance, or resolution of driver’s license issues.

Students then move to Laney Community College, where they spend 12 weeks taking environmental education classes and learning construction and technical skills with an emphasis on green construction and solar photovoltaics – all while earning college credit. Part of the solar skills training is done on-site with GRID Alternatives, an Oakland volunteer-based non-profit that installs solar panels on low-income homes. After completing the classroom portion, Growth Sector connects students with three-month, full-time internships at local green businesses, where they gain on-the-job experience. During their internships, students earn $15 an hour. Upon completion, Growth Sector works with participants to place them in jobs with local firms.

Although the economic downturn has made it more difficult to place graduates in jobs, the program still placed 21 students from its first graduating class directly in jobs with local employers. The program has won grants from the California Employment Development Department and the California Energy Commission and is eligible for a Department of Labor Recovery Act grant.

Massachusetts Apollo Wins Key Equity and Economic Development Victory

In October 2009, the Green Justice Coalition, an Apollo Alliance affiliate based in Boston, won a major victory for equity and economic development by convincing the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC) of Massachusetts to not only develop long-term goals for increasing energy efficiency throughout the state, but also to commit to make the energy efficiency program and jobs associated with it accessible to low-income communities.

Under the Green Communities Act of 2008, the EEAC’s primary task is to review and approve utilities’ three-year energy efficiency plans. The Green Justice Coalition was also able to convince the EEAC to review utilities’ progress in creating equitable and effective energy efficiency programs.

For example, for low- and moderate-income families, the cost of home energy efficiency retrofits can be insurmountable. To address this barrier, the Green Justice Coalition worked with the EEAC and utilities to design an innovative financing mechanism that includes a commitment by the utilities to procure $300 million in external funding over the next two years to set up a revolving loan fund. Homeowners can access these funds to pay for energy efficiency retrofits and pay them back incrementally through their utility bills.

For their part, the utility companies have agreed to do a better job communicating their programs to economically marginalized communities, and have included in their three-year plans a commitment to work with and fund existing community groups to perform community outreach and education. The utilities have also committed to partnering with union-supported training programs to ensure adequate safety and quality training.

Finally, the Green Justice Coalition also sought a mechanism for community participation in planning and overseeing energy efficiency projects, and the EEAC has made a verbal commitment to community leaders that an equity subcommittee will be formed in the coming months to allow greater community participation in implementing energy efficiency projects.

The key to the Green Justice Coalition victory was the coalition’s ability to draw upon a broad base of working class and marginalized communities across the state. The Green Justice Coalition is convened by Community Labor United.

California Apollo Calls for Stimulus Accountability

The California Apollo Alliance is a strong coalition that has been a leader in the green jobs movement for several years, and 2009 was no exception. The unprecedented $100 billion federal investment in clean energy from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) sparked the formation of the California Green Stimulus Coalition to ensure the accountable and effective use of ARRA funds in California. The California Apollo Alliance was a founding member of this 53-member coalition and instrumental in developing the principles and criteria that policymakers were urged to consider when evaluating ARRA-funded projects.

Furthermore, their work reflects the Apollo Alliance’s long history of finding common ground amid diverse interests and forging a path ahead. “California Apollo Alliance members are playing a pivotal role on the CA Green Stimulus Coalition and fostering a heightened, cooperative culture among activists in which it is not uncommon for environmental groups to speak loudly for prevailing wage and for unions to walk the halls of Sacramento pushing for stronger environmental protections,” said Peter Cooper of the California Labor Federation.

One of the CA Green Stimulus Coalition’s major achievements in 2009 was helping develop the California Energy Commission’s “Clean Energy Workforce Training Program,” which awarded $37 million in workforce training grants in the fall of 2009. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a press conference in Los Angeles to announce the $75 million program, which combines funds from several state and federal sources and involves collaboration with other state agencies including the EDD and California Green Collar Jobs Council. The core of the program is funded from the State Energy Program, which received $226 million in stimulus funds for energy efficiency programs and workforce development that could create thousands of jobs and benefit tens of thousands of homeowners in California.

The Green Stimulus Coalition also shaped the $10 million California Green Jobs Corps, which is training 1,500 at-risk youth for green jobs.

New York Apollo Helps Pass Green Jobs/Green New York

In October 2009, Gov. David Paterson traveled to the New York State Weatherization Directors Association training center in North Syracuse, where New Yorkers are being trained to weatherize and retrofit homes. There he signed legislation creating the Green Jobs/Green New York (GJ/GNY) program. The bill commits the state to investing $112 million on a program to retrofit and weatherize private homes and small commercial buildings. Over the next five years, the program’s implementation will create thousands of jobs in the home and commercial building retrofit industry.

The New York State Apollo Alliance was part of a broad coalition of labor, workforce training, clean energy, and environmental groups that joined together to support the green jobs initiative, which is poised to become the centerpiece of New York’s plans to become a more energy-efficient state. Funding for the program comes from the auctioning of pollution credits to in-state emitters of fossil fuels through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). A collaboration of 10 northeastern states, RGGI is the nation’s first cap-and-invest program designed to limit carbon emissions from power plants.

Members of the state Apollo Alliance are active in committees and groups working with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the state agency charged with implementing the GJ/GNY program. Buffalo-area Apollo leader Frank Hotchkiss of the United Steelworkers union has been named to the state Advisory Council that must approve and monitor the program’s implementation.

“Apollo Alliance is an important partner in helping us build the green workforce envisioned in the Green Jobs/Green New York program,” said Francis J. Murray, president and CEO of NYSERDA. “This innovative program will create thousands of good green jobs and help us meet Governor David Paterson’s ambitious clean energy targets by providing homeowners and businesses with critical incentives to invest in weatherization and energy efficiency improvements. NYSERDA looks forward to continuing to work with the Apollo Alliance and our other organizational partners as we collectively green New York’s homes and buildings and invest in the training of the clean energy workforce of the future.”

Other Recent Apollo Alliance State and Local Highlighted Achievements

*The Ohio Apollo Alliance helped launch an exciting new statewide green job training initiative for dislocated workers with the Ohio Department of Development’s Energy Office and the Ohio Board of Regents.

*The Washington State Apollo Alliance partnered with the Manufacturing Industrial Council and the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee to create pathways out of poverty and into clean energy manufacturing jobs. Those groups were awarded a green jobs training grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

*The Wisconsin Apollo Alliance worked with the state AFL-CIO to create quality labor standards for the state’s Regional Transit Authority to ensure that public transit jobs are high-quality jobs.

*The Oakland Apollo Alliance launched the innovative Oakland Climate Action Committee to bring together a diverse coalition to help make sure economic, equity and environmental principles would be included in the city’s Climate Action Plan.

*The Hawaii Apollo Alliance hosted a forum of the candidates for the Kaua’i Island Utility Co-Op.

*The Michigan Apollo Alliance helped roll out ReEnergize Michigan, a statewide energy policy platform.

*The New York State Apollo Alliance convened nearly 100 political, labor, business, community and environmental leaders as part of its Reindustrialization Strategies Conference to discuss ways to ensure that growing clean energy demand in New York State leads to a revitalization of its manufacturing base.

*The San Diego Apollo Alliance released a study, San Diego County’s Potential to Develop a Clean Energy Sector, in partnership with San Diego State University’s MBA program.

*The Colorado Apollo Alliance incorporated training and job-quality standards for solar installers into a renewable energy bill that is currently being considered by the Colorado legislature.

*Apollo Alliance affiliates across America gained the support of 150 businesses for clean energy manufacturing policies that would promote American production of clean energy components.