Blog / Clean Economy Union Jobs
The Colorado BlueGreen Alliance Coalition secured high road labor protections for a variety of clean energy solutions including landmark legislation to ensure that all large energy-sector projects will include labor standards in line with eligibility requirements outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced tax credits.
Reports & Fact Sheets / Clean Economy Union Jobs
The Inflation Reduction Act extended and strengthened tax credits for investment in and production of a range of clean energy technologies—including solar, geothermal, wind, heat pumps, clean hydrogen, electric vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure—and energy storage technology. Critically, tax-exempt entities, such as public schools, non-profit hospitals, and Tribal, local, and state governments can now claim the tax credits in the form of “direct pay.”
Blog / Infrastructure and Community Resilience
The passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)—previously known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)—and the Inflation Reduction Act means more federal funding is available to upgrade and retrofit our public-serving institutions. In particular, Municipal, University, School, and Hospital (MUSH) buildings that serve as essential community assets represent a significant opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve health outcomes, build climate resilience, and support and create good, local jobs all while addressing equity and environmental justice.
Reports & Fact Sheets / Infrastructure and Community Resilience
The 117th Congress passed historic infrastructure legislation that can be utilized to retrofit buildings, including Municipal, University, School, and Hospital (MUSH) buildings. MUSH buildings are particularly important, serving as essential community assets that represent significant opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve health outcomes, build climate resilience, and support and create good, local jobs all while addressing equity and environmental justice. The objective of this roadmap is to identify the federal funding opportunities available through the Inflation Reduction Act, The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and, in the case of schools, the American Rescue Plan, that can be used to upgrade MUSH buildings.
Press Releases & Statements / Manufacturing and Industrial Policy
The BlueGreen Alliance today released Aluminum, Revitalized: Strengthening the Backbone of Our Clean Economy, a comprehensive report on how to reverse the recent decline of the U.S. aluminum industry to meet rising aluminum demand for clean energy while creating good-paying jobs, strengthening national security, and reducing industrial emissions.
Press Releases & Statements / Infrastructure and Community Resilience
The Oregon State Senate today approved a transformative “Buy America” bill (HB 3332), which will retool the state’s procurement practices and greater align state buying power with current robust federal domestic standards.
Testimony & Comments / Manufacturing and Industrial Policy
It’s important that regulators, policymakers, and advocates coordinate standards, policies, investments, and infrastructure projects that engage and benefit all people—from the manufacturing workers who build the vehicles of the future, to the people who drive them, to the communities they drive through. Strong heavy-duty vehicle standards—accompanied by policies to rebuild manufacturing, protect and create good family supporting jobs, and revitalize communities—are critical to achieving these aims.
Press Releases & Statements / Infrastructure and Community Resilience
The Inflation Reduction Act extended and strengthened tax credits for investment in and production of a range of clean energy technologies. The law included a “direct pay” option for which the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today released new guidance. The guidance will help public and tax-exempt entities—public schools, nonprofit hospitals, and tribal, local, and state governments—to recoup a significant portion of a clean energy project’s cost as a cash payment from the IRS.
Letters / Infrastructure and Community Resilience
In a letter to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the BlueGreen Alliance said investing in infrastructure isn’t just about repairing roads and bridges, it should also focus on protecting communities by restoring natural defenses.
Press Releases & Statements / Infrastructure and Community Resilience
The BlueGreen Alliance today celebrated the the Buy Clean Buy Fair Minnesota Act becoming law. The components of the bill were included two omnibus bills signed by Gov. Tim Walz.
Press Releases & Statements / Clean Economy Union Jobs
Governor Jared Polis signed HB23-1210—The Carbon Management Act. This bill was sponsored by State Representative Ruby Dickson and State Senators Chris Hansen and Kevin Priola. The new law requires the Colorado Energy Office to develop a roadmap examining the removal of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.
Press Releases & Statements / Infrastructure and Community Resilience
Today the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a six-month pilot of new requirements for the procurement of low-embodied carbon (LEC) materials as funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. The GSA received $2.15 billion to prioritize the purchase of LEC glass, asphalt, concrete, and steel, which collectively account for nearly half of all U.S. manufacturing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and represent 98% of the government’s purchased construction materials.