Energizing the Workforce: Biden's "Clean Energy Revolution"
Time is an odd concept these days, seeing that I blinked and it is practically August! With the days going by alarmingly fast (for some), we are months away from one of the most pinnacle events that occurs in our country, the presidential election of 2020. A few weeks back, Democratic candidate and Former Vice President Joe Biden, released a “Clean Energy Revolution” Proposal addressing the various topics that we encounter in the energy industry daily.
Throughout many points of the plan, Biden explains that we must constantly address the issues that accompany climate change. Each facet of this plan will “rebuild the infrastructure that can withstand the impacts of climate change.” The $1.7 trillion dollar plan has a goal of achieving a 100% clean energy economy with zero net emissions no later than 2050. While there are countless components of this plan, I want to focus specifically on the points that address the energy industry workforce.
“Each (community impacted by climate transformation) has assets that can be leveraged to diversify their economies, create good, middle-class jobs, and help the country get stronger... The federal government should be a partner to help these communities capitalize on these strengths and build vibrant communities where good jobs are available and young people want to stay or return home” Highlighting the importance and opportunity that the energy sector holds, especially in the coming years, is imperative for the growth in our workforce. Biden’s plan consistently emphasizes the need for creating good jobs and livelihoods in vulnerable communities. The collaborative essence within this plan establishes Biden’s stress on equity. Reaching vulnerable communities, focusing on the workers working, and increasing participation in industries outside of clean energy is making space for every American to be a part of a “clean energy economy.”
In addition to the importance of equity within this plan, another highlight surrounding workforce efforts is the opportunity for employees to join a union. “President Biden will defend workers’ rights to form unions and collectively bargain in these emerging and growing industries; pursue new partnerships with community colleges, unions, and the private sector to develop programs to train all of America’s workforce to tap into the growing clean energy economy.” The growing union representation in the clean energy sector that ensures workers with rights, builds on the fact that this plan is focusing on the workers doing their jobs to create a more sustainable environment for their communities.
“The Task Force will help these communities access federal investments and leverage private sector investments to help create high-paying union jobs based upon the unique assets of each community, partner with unions and community colleges to create training opportunities for these new jobs, repair infrastructure, keep public employees like firefighters and teachers on the payroll, and keep local hospitals open.” Specifying the distinction or differences in each community is vital for our future clean energy economy. From working in rural California, we know that each part of the state is different and that reigns even more true when we look at the grand scope of the country. Furthermore, creating job training in various institutions like community colleges introduces these communities to the importance of clean energy and this career path that they can embark upon.
Within Energizing the Workforce, we have opened the conversation of how and why it is imperative we focus on at-risk populations when it comes to equity and justice in our energy industry. There is a trend where these low-income, disadvantaged communities are often left out of the conversation when discussing various components of a clean energy future. Under this proposal, that trend will begin to disappear.
To read the entirety of the “Clean Energy Revolution” please see the resources below:
https://joebiden.com/clean-energy/
https://joebiden.com/climate/