BlueGreen Alliance responds to the Department of Energy’s Request for Information on the Advanced Energy Manufacturing & Recycling Grant Program
The Advanced Energy Manufacturing & Recycling Grant Program offers a critical opportunity to support the creation and retention of good union jobs in communities facing economic hardships related to coal facility closures while addressing climate change and reducing toxic pollution.
As DOE considers implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), it must ensure that these investments address climate change and toxic pollution while ensuring funding translates into high-road, union jobs that are accessible for workers dislocated from the coal economy, particularly low-income workers and workers of color. This includes supporting and growing pathways into good union jobs along the full supply chain.
DOE can help to ensure that the investments in this program redress economic, racial, and environmental injustices by initiating early and meaningful engagement with impacted workers and communities and by employing strong labor, equity, and environmental standards. By using strong domestic content standards and supporting viable pathways for reducing industrial emissions, DOE also can help to ensure that the program supports the growth in clean manufacturing that we need to secure a livable climate and a thriving and more just economy.