Apollo Alliance Announces Formation of Ohio Affiliate
CONTACTS:
National: Sam Haswell: (415) 371-1700 x201
Ohio: Shanelle Smith (216) 361-9801
July 13, 2009
Coalition Will Promote Clean Energy, Good Jobs Economy in Ohio
SAN FRANCISCO – The Apollo Alliance today announced the official formation of its Ohio affiliate, a broad coalition of labor, environmental, community and business leaders that will promote policies and projects to help revitalize Ohio as it transitions to a clean energy, good jobs economy.
Since its founding in 2003, Apollo Alliance has worked at the local, state and national levels to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs by promoting investments in energy efficiency, clean power, mass transit, next-generation vehicles, emerging technologies, and clean-energy education and training. Apollo has had a presence in Ohio already, partnering with the think tank Policy Matters Ohio to position the state as a leader in the burgeoning clean energy economy.
Despite coping with nearly 11 percent unemployment and the loss of tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs in recent years, Ohio’s world-class manufacturing infrastructure and workforce are poised to make the state a leading provider of parts for renewable energy equipment and green-collar workforce training. With strategic investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency manufacturing – as called for in the Apollo Green Manufacturing Action Plan (GreenMAP) and included in the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) – Ohio could gain thousands of well-paying building-material and energy-efficient appliance manufacturing jobs, as well as jobs in finance, transportation, installation, and other related sectors. This is why Sen. Sherrod Brown introduced legislation to support domestic manufacturing, which the Ohio Congressional delegation worked to incorporate into ACES.
“We are thrilled to welcome our new Ohio affiliate into the Apollo fold,” said Phil Angelides, Chairman of the Apollo Alliance. “We’re on the verge of making an historic leap from a country than runs on fossil fuels to one that runs on clean energy. To realize this transition, we’ll need to build on the great work of local groups like Policy Matters Ohio with a strong, on-the-ground organizing presence.”
“Ohio is taking the lead in pushing for a green energy economy that supports domestic manufacturing,” said Amy Hanauer, Executive Director of Policy Matters Ohio. “Ohio’s leaders in Congress and the U.S. Senate are focused on supporting a carbon cap and making it work for employers and workers in our industrial heartland.”
The Ohio Apollo Alliance steering committee consists of: Sara Letourneau, Labor-Climate Project Regional Program Manager for the Blue Green Alliance; Amy Gomberg, Program Director at Environment Ohio; Terri Burgess-Sandu, Executive Director of Hard Hatted Women; David Rinebolt, Executive Director of Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy; Amy Hanauer, Executive Director of Policy Matters Ohio; Mark Batson, Executive Director of Policy Bridge; Harriet Applegate, Executive Secretary of the North Shore AFL-CIO; Tim Burga, Chief of Staff of Ohio AFL-CIO; Sam Chilia, International Vice President of IBEW; Bob Hopkins, President and Founder of Empire Die Casting; David Beach, Director of the GreenCityBlueLake Institute. Committee advisors include: Brian Kaiser, Green Jobs Coordinator for the Lucas County Workforce Development Agency; Courtney D’Oreo, President of Common Wealth Services, Inc.; Kelly Kupcak, consultant; and Kerrie Carte, Development Specialist at WSOS Community Action Commission, Inc.
Ohio joins more than a dozen state and local Apollo affiliates around the country. The Alliance is particularly strong in the Midwest, where affiliates in Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin are already working to ensure a just transition to a clean energy economy.
