The first Earth Day was observed in 1970. Even then, early environmental activists understood the value of labor in their endeavors for a cleaner earth. Former United Autoworkers President Walter Reuther was an integral part to this important holiday. President Biden and Congressional Democrats continued this legacy by passing the most pro-labor pro-environmental laws in U.S. history.

Too many of our Earth Days have been marred by steep industrial emissions and a decline in domestic manufacturing. That decline has equated to importing emissions through foreign goods made with lower environmental and labor standards. Thanks to the Biden administration, the tide is changing for our industrial sector.

The U.S. Departments of Treasury and Energy announced the first round of project recipients for the Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit (48C). The Inflation Reduction Act provided 48C with $10 billion—including $4 billion for communities that have recently lost jobs in the coal sector. Following the announcement, the BlueGreen Alliance released a statement.

Today the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $6 billion in awards to 33 projects across more than 20 states through its Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations’ Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP). This funding—made possible by initiatives championed by President Biden and Democrats in Congress and passed into law—will help strengthen local economies across the nation and create and sustain tens of thousands of good-paying, high-quality jobs—particularly those that support worker organizing and collective bargaining.

Twitter/X .@POTUS and Democrats in #Congress delivered the investments we need to revitalize #manufacturing here in the US. Today’s Industrial Demonstrations Program announcements will drive down emissions & create and sustain good #union #mfg jobs. READ MORE: [LINK]   Exciting news from @POTUS and @Energy! New funding will help transform energy-intensive industries will: ✅ Grow…

The 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit provides the largest ever investment in U.S. manufacturing of clean energy technologies. These investments are core to our mission to link climate action with good union jobs and to counter the racial and income inequality fed by manufacturing job losses. 45X is critical to the Inflation Reduction Act’s larger strategy to reduce industrial emissions and pollution, re-shore clean technology supply chains, support good manufacturing jobs, and spur U.S. global competitiveness.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released new guidance for Section 45X of the U.S. Federal Tax Code, an uncapped production tax credit meant to grow domestic manufacturing for solar, wind, batteries, and critical materials such as aluminum.

Today Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Ami Bera (D-CA) introduced bicameral versions of the Clean Competition Act. The bill would impose a border fee on imports from carbon-intensive industries such as steel, aluminum, cement, and iron. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced a similar bill, the Foreign Pollution Fee Act, on November 3, 2023.

Researchers at Dartmouth and Princeton released a report on the estimated impacts the Inflation Reduction Act will have on the U.S. wind and solar industry.

Researchers at Dartmouth and Princeton released a BlueGreen Alliance-funded report on the estimated impacts the Inflation Reduction Act will have on the U.S. wind and solar industry, including changes in wind and solar manufacturing, labor standards for clean energy workers, job creation, and demand for materials.

Clean technology manufacturing is having a moment. In order to address climate change, we are going to need to produce a lot more solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, building efficiency products, electric vehicles, batteries, and other clean energy goods. Since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, manufacturers have already announced more than $200 billion in private investment for solar, wind, energy storage, and electric vehicle projects in the U.S. The 48C tax credit is particularly well suited to build U.S. manufacturing capacity in specific segments of clean energy supply chains where we face the biggest gaps—gaps that are reflected in our new supply chain analysis.

The road to net-zero emissions requires rapid acceleration of clean energy technology and low-carbon materials production. The Evergreen State is well-positioned to lead this clean manufacturing revolution and grow a new generation of high-road jobs. Washington is already home to world-class production facilities for materials like steel rebar and aluminum plate, and its strong climate commitments and highly-skilled manufacturing workforce are two cornerstones of a robust low-carbon industrial economy.