Economic Stimulus and the Power of Green Jobs:
Labor Department, Congress, Presidential Candidates See Potential in Green Industries to Stimulate the U.S. Economy, Create Quality Jobs
As fears of a recession have begun to shake the economy, many public leaders are calling for green industries and jobs to be an important part of the solution.

In a Washington Post article on January 23, 2008, Democratic Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton and John Edwards both tout the importance of “green collar” jobs along with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  In the first session of the 110th Congress, measures were passed by both the Senate and the House which establish an energy efficiency and renewable energy worker training program to be administered by the Department of Labor in coordination with the Department of Energy (see EESI's Legislation Fact Sheet). In addition, Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA) has gone so far as to co-author a book about the creation of a new clean energy economy.

Furthermore, the Labor Department has released a solicitation for grant applications for the Bush Administration’s High Growth Job Training Initiative (HGJTI).  The Department of Labor (DOL)and the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announced the availability of approximately $10 million in grant funds for high-impact regional approaches to meet the workforce challenges of the energy industry and/or address the shortage of construction and skilled trade workers needed to maintain and expand the energy industry infrastructure.  A Webinar for prospective applicants will be held for this grant competition on February 1, 2008 with the closing date for receipt of applications on March 25, 2008.  Information for the Webinar will be posted on the DOL’s ETA website at http://www.workforce3one.org. You can also view a detailed description in the Federal Register (pdf).

Advocacy groups have also taken up the call for a clean, green energy economy.  The newly formed organization 1Sky, along with coalition partners, is circulating a letter on the subject to Congress and has an online petition posted for the public to sign.

For more information on renewable energy and efficiency jobs, check out EESI’s in-depth fact sheet and the American Solar Energy Society’s report, released at EESI’s briefing on November 8, 2007.