Energizing the Workforce: Part II- Clean Energy Revolution
After what seemed like years of awaiting results, we now have a new president entering the White House in January, former Vice President Joe Biden. A few months ago, I covered Joe Biden’s Clean Energy Revolution, which was a set of plans and policies that would be enacted if he were to win the election. Now that he is the President-Elect, stakeholders across the county are taking a deeper look into what these policies will look like for their own communities. Will the steps to “green” our country work for smaller, rural communities like the ones we serve here in the San Joaquin Valley? Or are they created for larger, metropolitan cities like New York? While it is slightly early to examine the specifics, here is what is being said TODAY, surrounding the Clean Energy Revolution and more specifically on the workforce implications.
Clean Energy Highlights:
Revitalizing our Clean Energy Industry will be no easy feat especially when emphasizing equity in all its facets. Joe Biden’s plan covers many of the bases that are often not included in policy surrounding workforce opportunity. Furthermore, “communities in every corner of the country so that no one is left behind or cut off from economic opportunities- It also means funding investments in local and regional strategies to prevent a lack of transportation options in urban, rural, and high-poverty areas from cutting off after-school opportunities for young people and job opportunities for workers seeking better jobs and more economic security for their families.” This paragraph is one of many that I found throughout the plan that presents a deeper understanding of the “access” argument that I have addressed time and time again. By allocating funding and creating local strategies so opportunity exists, low income, rural constituents can seek economic security through meaningful career paths that they may have not been able to access previously.
Moving along through the President Elect’s plan, Environmental Justice is a key component that is wildly spread throughout, with particular emphasis on disadvantaged communities. “Setting a goal that disadvantaged communities receive 40% of overall benefits of spending in the areas of clean energy and energy efficiency deployment; clean transit and transportation; affordable and sustainable housing; training and workforce development; remediation and reduction of legacy pollution; and development of critical clean water infrastructure.” For us here in the San Joaquin Valley, most of the region that we serve is within a “disadvantaged community” based on the Cal Enviro Screening Tool. This threshold is based on multiple factors such as air quality, pollution burdened, socioeconomic status, and other climate and non-climate related categories. As an organization whose mission is to represent these communities that are often overlooked, having an administration who is not only recognizing our communities, but serving them properly, is something that we are eager to see unfold.
So What Happens Now:
Now everyone gets is employed and our workforce is thriving with 100% equity, right? I wish it were that simple, but there is a long road ahead of us. Even within the first days of his presidency, Joe Biden will not be able to solve these issues overnight. However according to the campaign’s climate plan, Biden will “demand that Congress enacts legislation in the first year of his presidency that: 1) establishes an enforcement mechanism that includes milestone targets no later than the end of his first term in 2025, 2) makes a historic investment in clean energy and climate research and innovation, 3) incentivizes the rapid deployment of clean energy innovations across the economy, especially in communities most impacted by climate change.” As for now, we must continue to pay close attention, especially within the first year, to the Biden presidency and see what clean energy advancements will be made in our own backyards.
Sources:
https://joebiden.com/clean-energy/
https://joebiden.com/9-key-elements-of-joe-bidens-plan-for-a-clean-energy-revolution/
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2020/11/09/what-can-biden-can-get-done-on-energy-in-the-first-100-days/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2020/11/09/bidens-energy-policy-outlook/?sh=252050e55bfb