Apollo Update, 5/22/08: US Confirms Wind Capacity, Colorado Summit, Black Mayors in New Orleans

On one side of the nation’s capital Congress is considering two proposals critical to the development of clean energy and good jobs – the Warner-Lieberman Climate Security Act, and renewing federal tax credits for renewable energy development. But down the street from Capitol Hill the Department of Energy just released a groundbreaking reportthat indicates discussion on both measures ought to be swift because the United States has the capacity to meet 20 percent of US energy demand from wind energy alone by 2030. 

Our very own Kate Gordon, program director of the Apollo Alliance, contributed to the report as a task force member, weighing in on manufacturing and workforce issues. Kate was eager to point out that major investments in wind energy – and the renewable energy policies that must accompany these investments – would create a massive demand for domestic wind turbines and result in hundreds of thousands of new green-collar jobs in manufacturing, installation and maintenance.

These jobs are exactly the high-quality, career-track jobs that we point to as model green-collar jobs in our March report, Green-Collar Jobs in America’s Cities. A major investment in wind energy would have huge environmental benefits as well. According to the American Wind Energy Association, if America met 20 percent of its energy demand using wind, we would reduce US carbon emissions by 825 million metric tons in 2030 alone — the equivalent of taking 140 million cars off the road.  And according to DOE Assistant Secretary Alexander Karsner, the technology to achieve 20 percent is already here, and the cost to ratepayers will be minimal. 

The nation, at the end of 2007, had the capacity to generate 18,000 megawatts of electricity from wind, or 1.6 percent of total production, or 60 percent more than the 11,000 megawatts of wind energy generated in 2004. Read the full report here.
 
How significant is the clean energy sector becoming? Very.  
 
If you’re interested in the fun facts that make the case for aggressively pursuing a clean energy, good jobs economy, see “Green-Collar Jobs: What we know so far.” Heidi Pickman, the Apollo Alliance communications associate, did some nifty research about clean energy jobs, where they exist now, and where the sector is heading.  Her piece is the first contribution to the new Data Points section of the Web site.

More Data Points will soon follow that document one of the fastest growing industrial sectors in the United States and the world.  Did you know, for example, that the United States is now the largest market for wind power generating equipment in the world? Or that venture capitalists invested $625 million in the first quarter of 2008 on “clean tech,” which includes renewable energy. That puts the category fourth in total investment behind life sciences ($2.3 billion), biotech ($1.27 billion) and software ($1.26 billion).  My friends in the venture capital world tell me that Congress better renew those alternative energy tax credits or the surge in investment could diminish. 
 
Finally, it’s good to talk about the important conferences we’re participating in next month. 

The National Conference of Black Mayors holds its annual meeting in New Orleans this year and the Apollo Alliance is front and center. The theme is “Partnerships for Progress: One Nation Lifting Voices for Change.” Hundreds of mayors from around the country will hear Jerome Ringo, president of the Apollo Alliance, deliver a keynote speech on Friday, June 6 about how mayors can promote green jobs programs that lead to clean energy, family-supporting jobs and economic growth. The following day he hosts a presidential candidate forum – Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are scheduled to appear; Senator John McCain was invited and may also attend.   

The Colorado Apollo Alliance next month holds a summit on Green Jobs and the Building Trades. The summit’s focus is to alert business managers, union staff, directors of training and apprenticeship programs, contractors, and residents about the opportunities in the clean energy sector.  The one-day event, scheduled for June 5, 2008, occurs at IBEW Local 68 on Logan Street in Denver. Kate Gordon, the Apollo Alliance program director, and Richard Eidlin, the Apollo Alliance business outreach director, are participating as speakers and panelists. For more information contact Tim Lenoch, 303-218-0870, ortlenoch@fresc.org

Apollo Update, 5/16/08: Renewable Tax Credit, Colorado Green Energy Progress

Legislation to renew billions of dollars in tax breaks for solar, wind, biomass and other renewable energy sources was approved yesterday by the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, by a vote of 25-12. The House proposal, which differs from the Senate version approved in early April, would extend a proposed new tax credit for ethanol fuels not produced from corn. This week, Congress approved a veto-proof version of the Farm Bill that provides $1.01 per gallon tax credit for ethanol produced from grass and waste materials.

The House Ways and Means Committee would give farmers and refiners three more years of subsidies beyond what is included in the Farm Bill. In all, the House committee measure would extend about $54 billion in expiring tax breaks for renewable energy sources, education and a number of business expenses including research and development. That’s not pocket change for clean energy.

Though the House is taking up the legislation, the deliberate pace of the Congressional work to extend existing tax credits for renewable energy is worrying executives in the utility, finance, investment, and production sectors. This week Peter Darbee, the chairman and chief executive officer of PG&E Corporation, the parent of California’s largest investor-owned utility, noted in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle that “failure by Congress to renew the credits could cost the United States 100,000 jobs and billions of dollars annually in new investments.”

He added, “the tremendous spurt of innovation and development we have seen in the renewable energy sector could be squelched just when the national economy, buffeted by the housing collapse and record oil prices, needs all the support it can get.”

Here at the Apollo Alliance, we’re closely watching the Congressional deliberations on the renewable energy tax credits, and we’re involved in making the case for their extension. For next week’s Apollo Feedback, I’d like to hear from our partners and supporters who are renewable energy developers, manufacturers, installers, and workers. What do the existing renewable tax credits mean to your business? If they are not extended, what are the consequences. We’ll post responses and make sure that lawmakers in Washington see your feedback.

In other news from around Apollo, Phil Angelides, our chairman, (see pix right) was in Albuquerque this week with our Program Director Kate Gordon, to talk about clean energy and good jobs to an international summit of mayors and local government officials who are leading local and metropolitan action of climate change and sustainability. While there Phil shot over to the NPR affiliate to record an interview about green-collar jobs with Bob Garfield, host of “On The Media,” the terrific weekly news show about the news. The interview goes up on the program’s website on Saturday.

Jerome Ringo, our president (see pix left), is in Honolulu next week to keynote the Hawaii Build & Buy Green conference, accompanied by Carla Din, our western regional field director. Jerome has been relentless this year in spreading the message of the promise of the unfolding clean energy industry, and the army of well-paid workers it is employing.

And it’s a privilege and pleasure to receive all of the useful dispatches describing advances in the clean energy economy around the country. We’re posting those in our Apollo Feedback feature every week. See the archive here. One of the most informative dispatches was sent this week by Diane Mitsch Bush, the chair of the Routt County Board of Commissioners in Colorado, where Steamboat Springs is the county seat.  Diane credited Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr., a Democrat, with putting more emphasis than ever before on Developitn clean energy sources. “Renewables are now a major part of both energy, economic, and environmental programs in Colorado,” Diane wrote. “Just last week, Vestas, the Danish wind turbine manufacturer, announced that it will build its second plant in Colorado.”

“Here in rural Routt county,” she added, “we have installed 26 KW of PV panels on our new Justice Center. Now we are embarking on a larger PV array for our regional airport, which we own and operate. We are also doing a historic courthouse remodel, making the facility more energy efficient and providing jobs at the same time. “You may go to our website to see how much electricity we produce each day. I see the triple bottom line — economic, social, and environmental sustainability — as a win- win situation for American workers, their families, and all Americans.”
 
Thanks Diane. And for the rest of you, let me know what’s going on out there. Talk to you next week. 

Data Points: Economic Consequences of The New Apollo Program in Select States

During the first two weeks of October, the Apollo Alliance introduced The New Apollo Program in town hall meetings and news conferences in six states - California, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington State. Our preparation included determining the consequences of our plan in building the economy and green-collar job prospects in each.

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