Hill Heat: Tag green jobs

Green Recovery

Wonk Room — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0600

At a time of fiscal belt tightening, when some would put environmental priorities on the back burner, there are many who believe that investing in a green economy now is the best way to achieve both short and long term economic solutions. A recent paper by the Center for American Progress and the University of Massachusetts Political Economy Research Institute, “Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low Carbon Economy,” finds that to promote economic mobility, growth, job creation, and regain technological leadership in the global innovation marketplace, we must fundamentally change how we produce and consume energy in this country and transform our economy to a low-carbon model. Investing in clean energy and efficiency will enable the United States to regain technological leadership in the global innovation marketplace, grow our economy, reduce global warming emissions, and invest in national security.

Please join the Center for American Progress and three of the country’s leading advocates for investments in a green economy for a discussion on how each step of an economic recovery package (stabilization, stimulus, recovery, and growth) can be greened, and explore both national and state perspectives on policy solutions towards transforming our economy to a low-carbon model.

Copies of Hot, Flat, and Crowded will be available for purchase at the event.

Introduction by:

Joseph Romm, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Featured Speakers:

Governor Ed Rendell (D – PA)
Thomas Friedman, columnist, New York Times; author, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution—and How It Can Renew America
Carol Browner, Principal, The Albright Group LLC

Moderated by:

Bracken Hendricks, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Live webcast.

Green Jobs Now National Conference Call

The Cunctator — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0500

Last Saturday, September 27, tens of thousands of Americans organized nearly 700 Green Jobs Now events in all 50 states calling upon their elected officials to make an inclusive green economy a top priority. The national day of action may now be over, but our movement is just beginning! Join 1Sky Campaign Director Gillian Caldwell, Green for All President and Founder Van Jones, and We Campaign CEO Cathy Zoi for a national conference call this Friday to discuss how we can build upon the momentum from September 27.

Please RSVP here for this call. You will receive the call in number via e-mail upon completion of the form.

Have questions for the guest speakers? Email them in advance to josh@greenforall.org.

Green Jobs Now Day of Action

Wonk Room — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

On September 26, we will watch the first presidential debate of this election.

The next day, the candidates will watch us.

On Saturday, September 27, we’re launching a national mobilization to say, “I’m ready for the green economy.” We are ready to tackle the climate crisis by building a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

Green Jobs Now is a National Day of Action that will empower everyday people to stage hundreds of grassroots events throughout the country. We will have a special focus on low-income communities, communities of color and indigenous people. This will send a message to our leaders that, when it comes to creating green jobs for a more sustainable economy, PEOPLE ARE READY!

Right now, there are millions of people ready to work and countless jobs to be done that will strengthen our economy at home. There are thousands of buildings that need to be weatherized, solar panels to be installed, and wind turbines to be erected. There communities that need local and sustainable food and people ready to farm the crops. There are public transit systems and smart electricity grids in need of engineers and electricians. Americans are ready to build the new economy. It’s time to invest in saving the planet and the people. It’s time for green jobs now!

New Report: Stimulus Plan For 2 Million Green Jobs In Two Years

Wonk Room — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:08:00 -0500

From the Wonk Room.

Yesterday, the Center for American Progress released Green Recovery, a new report by Dr. Robert Pollin and University of Massachusetts Political Economy Research Institute economists. This report demonstrates how a new Green Recovery program that invests $100 billion over two years would create 2 million new jobs, with a significant proportion in the struggling construction and manufacturing sectors. It is clear from this research that a strategy to invest in the greening of our economy will create more jobs, and better jobs, compared to continuing to pursue a path of inaction marked by rising dependence on fossil fuel billionaires.

To create 2 million new jobs within two years, the overall level of fiscal expansion will need to be around $100 billion, or roughly the same as the portion of the April 2008 stimulus program that was targeted at expanding household consumption. This green economic recovery program will create more jobs and better paying jobs. If Congress were to decide as part of a domestic oil production and gas price reduction effort to spend $100 billion on new oil and gas subsidies and subsidizing gasoline and oil prices, only a quarter as many jobs would be created:

The plan calls for most of the stimulus to go directly to the private sector, with $50 billion for tax credits and $4 billion for federal loan guarantees. $46 billion in direct government spending would support public building retrofits, the expansion of mass transit, freight rail, and smart electrical grid systems, and new investments. This $100 billion investment is targeted at six key sectors in building a green economy today: <!~~-more~~->

Retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency
Expanding mass transit and freight rail
Constructing smart electrical grid transmission systems
Wind power
Solar power
Next-generation biofuels

The Green Recovery program is part of a comprehensive low-carbon energy strategy and could be paid for with proceeds from auctions of carbon permits under a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program.

Center for American Progress President and CEO John Podesta explains why the time for a green recovery is now:

It is time for a new vision for the economic revitalization of the nation and a restoration of American leadership in the world. We must seize this precious opportunity to mobilize the country and the international community toward a brighter, more prosperous future. At the heart of this opportunity is clean energy, remaking the vast energy systems that power the nation and the world. We must fundamentally change the way we produce and consume energy and dramatically reduce our dependence on oil. The economic opportunities provided by such a transformation are vast, not to mention the national security benefits of reducing oil dependence and the pressing need to fight global warming. The time for action is now.

In a press briefing introducing the report, Leo Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers of America, said: “The point of view of the Steelworkers is quite simple: An energy-efficient green economy creates jobs, and creates jobs in America.”

When asked what are the minimum steps Congress and the president must take this session, Van Jones (Green For All) and Frances Beinecke (NRDC) identified three key elements:

Congress needs to appropriate funds ($125 million) for the Green Jobs Act
Congress needs to appropriate funds for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant

Congress needs to renew and extend the production and investment tax credits for renewable energy.

Conservatives in Congress are threatening to filibuster these efforts, and President Bush is threatening vetoes—even to shut down the government to protect oil companies at the expense of everyone else.

Senate Finance Committee Includes Green Jobs, Renewables In Stimulus Package

The Cunctator — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:39:00 -0600

In today’s executive session on the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, the Senate Finance Committee passed by a 14-7 vote a package that includes $5.6 billion in “green” incentives, including $400 million in new “clean renewable energy bonds”, a one-year extensions for:

the renewable electricity production credit
solar, fuel cell, and microturbine credits
energy-efficient building deductions and credits;

and two-year extensions for:

the high-efficiency appliances manufacturing credit
stripper well depreciation credit
energy-efficient home retrofitting credit

Full details are available here.

Last Friday, 33 senators sent a letter to the Committee leadership urging support for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and green jobs incentives.

According to the Sierra Club, by today the number of Senators was up to forty:

Senators who have expressed support for the inclusion of the renewable energy incentives include: Cantwell, Snowe, Wyden, Smith, Klobuchar, Kerry, Sununu, Sanders, Dole, Boxer, Johnson, Allard, Salazar, Mikulski, Stabenow, Murray, Dorgan, Brown, Bayh, Clinton, Collins, Specter, Menendez, Thune, Feingold, Dodd, Levin, Obama, Brownback, Coleman, Murkowski, Feinstein, Schumer, Stevens, Lautenberg, Leahy, Akaka, Kohl, Roberts, Grassley, Bingaman, and Domenici.

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008

The Cunctator — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:30:00 -0600

Modification Energy Package part of package passed by committee.

Provision	Approx Cost (billions)
PTC (Sec. 45)	3.0
Solar (residential & business, including fuel cells, microturbines)	0.13
CREBs ($400m allocation)	0.2
Commercial buildings	0.15
Efficient homes (new)	0.06
(exp. 12/07) Efficient homes (existing)	1.5
(exp. 12/07) Efficient appliances	0.32
Percentage Depletion (marginal wells and stripper wells)	0.25
TOTAL	5.57

1. Production Tax Credit (Section 45). Extends placed-in-service deadline for qualifying electric generating facilities (wind, biomass, geothermal, etc.) for one year. Estimated cost is $3b/10.

2. Solar, fuel cell, microturbine credits (Sections 48 and 25D). Extends Section 48 (30% investment credit for solar and fuel cell property, 10% credit for microturbines) and Section 25D residential solar credit for one year. Cost is approx. $130m/10.

3. Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs). Provides $400m in new CREBs issuance, at estimated cost of $206m/10.

4. Appliances Manufacturer Credit. Extends manufacturer credit for high-efficiency appliances for two years through 2009, at cost of approximately $323m/10.

5. Energy-Efficient Existing Homes. Extends 10% investment tax credit for energy-efficient home retrofits (windows, heating and cooling equipment, etc.) through 2009, at estimated cost of $1.5b/10.

6. Energy-efficient Commercial Buildings: Extends deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings for one year, at estimated cost of $153m/10.

7. Energy-efficient New Homes. Extends credit for energy-efficient new homes for one year, at estimated cost of $61m/10.

8. Percentage depletion for marginal wells. Extends suspension on the taxable income limit for purposes of depreciating a marginal oil or gas well through 2009, at estimated cost of $247m/10.

ASES: One in Four U.S. Jobs Could Be in Green Sector by 2030

The Cunctator — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:54:00 -0600

The American Solar Energy Society unveiled a new report today in a briefing with Sen. Ken Salazar that says that 40 million U.S. jobs by 2030 in renewable energy and energy-efficiency (RE&EE) could be created if policymakers commit to growing the sector.

If U.S. policymakers aggressively commit to programs that support the sustained orderly development of RE&EE, the news gets even better. According to research conducted by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and Management Information Services, Inc. (MISI), the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry could—in a crash effort—generate up to $4.5 trillion in revenue in the United States and create 40 million new jobs by the year 2030. These 40 million jobs would represent nearly one out of every four jobs in 2030, and many would be jobs that could not easily be outsourced.

Continue reading for more excerpts.

Germany has about one-fourth the gross domestic product and population of the U.S., but has more RE jobs (214,000 vs. 194,000). RE employment in Germany has increased 36 percent in two years. We don’t even know how much RE employment has increased in the United States, because—until now—no one has estimated actual RE employment.

Despite some job losses, the net effect within a carbon-constrained energy economy is positive, creating roughly five jobs for each job lost. Because unionization rates are higher on average in more energy-intensive industries, the positive effect on union jobs is not as strong, but it is still true that four union jobs are created for every three lost.

A second implication of these results is the importance of revenue recycling. Much of the negative impact of carbon/energy taxes is based on the assumption that the revenue will not be recycled through cuts in other taxes. It is critical, therefore, that the pricing policy be accomplished either by permits that are sold or by energy taxes, not through permits that are given away to industries at no cost (i.e., “grandfathered” to existing companies).

If we fail to invest in RE&EE, the United States runs the risk of losing ground to international RE&EE programs and industries. If we refuse to address policy and regulatory barriers to the sustained, orderly development of the RE&EE industry, other countries will take the lead and reap the economic and environmental benefits. For the United States to be competitive in a carbon-constrained world, the RE&EE industry will be a critical economic driver.

Green Collar Jobs: Why Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency are Economic Powerhouses

The Cunctator — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:30:00 -0600

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) invite you to a briefing at which a groundbreaking new report will be released entitled Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Economic Drivers for the 21st Century. This report from ASES is the nation’s first comprehensive study of the tremendous economic impact of these industries. It aims to answer the questions: how big are the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries and how large are they forecasted to grow? How many jobs and what types of jobs do they create? What are the economic development implications? The briefing will address these questions, as well as provide a special case study, and explore the important policy implications of this powerful research.

Speakers

Sen. Ken Salazar, (D-CO), Member, Senate Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Finance Committees
Brad Collins, Executive Director, American Solar Energy Society
Drew McCracken, Director, Washington Office of the State of Ohio
Roger Bezdek, Ph.D, President, Management Information Services, Inc.

While policymakers consider how to tackle climate change and energy policy, the study to be released shows that renewable energy and energy efficiency can offer the economic opportunity of the century – but only if we take advantage of this huge opportunity. Today, these industries generate 8.5 million jobs and nearly $1 trillion in annual revenue in the United States, and they contain some of the fastest growing sectors in the economy. Among the study’s findings are: if the country fails to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency, it runs the risk of losing ground to global competitors. If policy and regulatory barriers to the sustained development of the industry are not addressed now, other countries like Germany, Denmark, and China will take the lead and reap the economic benefits. However, this new report also illustrates the tremendous opportunity for the United States to harvest these green collar jobs and how these industries, with the correct support, are poised to be economic powerhouses for the 21st century.

This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Neal Lurie at the American Solar Energy Society at nlurie@ases.org or 303.443.3130×105 or Leanne Lamusga- EESI, llamusga@eesi.org or 202-662-1884.

The efficacy of the domestic energy industry, focusing on its available workforce to meet our nation's growing needs

The Cunctator — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:00:00 -0600

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on whether domestic energy industry will have the available workforce – crafts and professional – to meet our nation’s growing energy needs and if gaps exist, what policies the Congress should take to address these gaps.

Panel 1

Ms. Emily DeRocco, Department of Labor
Ms. Patricia Hoffman, Department of Energy
Ms. Andra Cornelius, Workforce Florida

Panel 2

Mr. Norm Szydlowski, Colonial Pipeline
Mr. Paul Bowers, Southern Company
Dr. Ray Stults, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Ms. Carol Berrigan, Nuclear Energy Institute
Mr. Jim Hunter, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Climate Youth Invade Capitol

The Cunctator — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:29:00 -0600

Today saw thousands of Power Shift participants coming to Capitol Hill for a day of testimony before the House Global Warming Committee, a large rally on the Capitol steps, and perhaps most importantly, hundreds of meetings with staff and legislators.

The youth activists introduced the 1Sky platform and asked for a commitment to the goals of making green jobs, strong emissions cuts, and no new coal top climate legislation priorities. They also called for 100% auction of pollution permits, and for an energy bill with the Senate 35 MPG standard, the House renewable energy standard, the Green Jobs Act, and no coal or nuclear subsidies.