New Report Shows the IMPACT Act Will Create Clean Energy Jobs in Ohio

Amid growing concerns about the U.S. losing clean energy manufacturing jobs to other countries, a new report released this week by Policy Matters Ohio, the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) and the Apollo Alliance documents how one clean energy investment proposal, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act, would help create and retain clean energy manufacturing jobs in Ohio.

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.

What Does The Fox News Channel Have Against Green Jobs?

This week, the Apollo Alliance and our allies had a run-in with Fox News talk-show host Glenn Beck. Read more

Capping Carbon, Michigan Moves on Clean Energy

Over the last three months, with determination and legislative success born of economic urgency, the White House and Congress have done more to treat America’s addiction to fossil fuels than any government in history. The $787 billion Recovery Act enacted in February and the appropriations bill approved in March invested nearly $200 billion to scale up wind, solar, clean fuels, next generation vehicles, a smart energy grid, energy efficiency, and transit. President Obama’s budget outline, approved in April, calls for $150 billion more in clean energy development.

Now, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are working on a new energy policy that, if done right, would put a cap and a price on carbon emissions and drive demand for a whole new generation of jobs in the clean and efficient energy sectors.

Read more

Apollo Board Member Van Jones Accepts White House Post

Congratulations to Van Jones, the founder and president of Green For All, a long-time board member of the Apollo Alliance, and one of the nation’s premier voices for scaling up the clean energy, good jobs economy. Jones has accepted the Obama administration’s invitation to be a special advisor to the president for green jobs, enterprise, and innovation. The White House said Jones’ focus will be promoting green-collar jobs in vulnerable communities.

“Van Jones has been a strong voice for green jobs and we look forward to having him work with departments and agencies to advance the president’s agenda of creating 21st century jobs that improve energy efficiency and utilize renewable resources.  Jones will also help to shape and advance the Administration’s energy and climate initiatives with a specific interest in improvements and opportunities for vulnerable communities,” said Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, in a statement today.

In a statement, Phil Angelides, the chairman of the Apollo Alliance said: “Van Jones has been a tireless advocate for creating good green jobs that create pathways out of poverty for vulnerable communities throughout the nation.  In his new role, he will help shape the administration’s clean energy and climate policy by producing high-quality, career track jobs that give all Americans an opportunity to share in new prosperity. The appointment of Van Jones as special advisor on green-collar jobs is evidence of President Obama’s determination to pursue a new economic development strategy, founded on the principles of clean energy and good jobs.”

The White House appointment culminates an exceptional 18 months for Jones, who was celebrated at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York in September 2007 as one of the new and important leaders in American environmentalism. The following month New York Times columnist Tom Friedman called Jones “a rare bird” and described him as “a black social activist in Oakland, Calif., and as green an environmentalist as they come. He really gets passionate, and funny, when he talks about what it’s like to be black and green.”

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