Within six months of President Biden’s signature on the Inflation Reduction Act, companies announced a wave of solar, battery, and other clean tech manufacturing investments that will create more than 100,000 jobs across 31 states to make the nuts and bolts of clean energy. Many of the job openings will be in communities that have endured decades of divestment, deindustrialization, and economic insecurity. That response to the Inflation Reduction Act’s unprecedented federal funding is faster than anyone predicted. It offers an early validation of the strategy behind the law: to wield public investments to support climate action, good jobs, and greater equity at the same time. But some prominent commentators argue this is trying to do too much. Ezra Klein, for example, writes that such multi-pronged goals suffer from “everything bagel liberalism” that threatens the success of these landmark investments. 

BlueGreen Alliance Vice President of Manufacturing and Industrial Policy Ben Beachy testified at the House Ways and Means Committee entitled, “U.S. Tax Code Subsidizing Green Corporate Handouts and the Chinese Communist Party.”

This morning, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new light- and heavy-duty vehicle greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions standards that chart a course toward significantly reduced emissions from the nation’s future vehicle fleets. The new standards, which apply to vehicles beginning with Model Year 2027, represent one part of the broader whole-of-government approach the administration is taking to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and meet climate goals. It is essential, however, that the standards also contribute to the protection and creation of high-quality, union jobs in the auto manufacturing sector. 

Done right, the Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants represent a critical pathway through which EPA can support clean energy deployment, pollution reduction, and climate goals. The block grants can achieve those goals while creating good union jobs, growing domestic manufacturing, and delivering public health and environmental benefits to the workers and communities that need it most.

By Reem Rayef, Senior Policy Advisor With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year came Congress’ framework of an updated clean vehicle consumer tax credit that strikes a tough balance. It accelerates the deployment of clean and electric vehicles (EVs), while incentivizing automakers to secure and bring their auto manufacturing supply chains to…

 Today the Maryland General Assembly passed the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act. This legislation increases Maryland’s offshore wind (OSW) goals to 8.5 gigawatts by 2031 and establishes high-road labor standards across OSW manufacturing, construction, operations, and maintenance through the requirement for Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and Labor Peace Agreements (LPAs). The POWER Act also initiates a state process to coordinate transmission infrastructure and prioritize in-state manufacturing. 

The Biden administration announced several initiatives today as leaders from across the country gathered to acknowledge the second anniversary of the founding of the Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization.

The BlueGreen Alliance prepared a fact sheet to showcase the available investments to energy communities in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Today, BlueGreen Alliance and Third Way hosted a summit at the Hamilton Live to discuss the future of Buy Clean and industrial policy and the importance of worker-centered policies. Policies that will not only help create a more affordable, reliable, and secure clean economy, but will create good-paying jobs for middle-class families in every American community.

The BlueGreen Alliance’s Minnesota Policy Organizer Abby Hornberger testified in support the inclusion of SF 2156 (Murphy), the Buy Clean Buy Fair Minnesota Act, in the Minnesota State Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate Committee’s omnibus bill.

In comments to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the BlueGreen Alliance welcome the continued rollout of DOI’s orphaned well remediation program and appreciate the opportunity to provide further comments on how that program can be implemented in ways that create high-quality, family-sustaining jobs, reduce methane emissions and pollution, and leave behind healthier and cleaner communities.

Steamfitters Pipefitters Local 455, Fresh Energy, and the BlueGreen Alliance today hosted a tour of a cutting-edge geothermal energy system with Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and local labor, environment, and civic leaders and local community members.