pa good clean jobs now stephen herzenberg keystone research center
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PA Good Clean JOBS NOW
Stephen HerzenbergKeystone Research Center
Pennsylvania Green Policy Context
• 2004 Advanced Energy Portfolio Standard• Governor’s $650 million Alternative Energy
Investment Fund: conservation, solar tax credits, other renewable economic development investments
• State workforce strategy funds a half dozen energy “Industry Partnership”
State Economic & Political Context• An economy spiraling down• State revenues plunging: deficits of $1-3 billion
next fiscal year with flat spending • Politics: a bipartisan majority supports
investment in good, clean jobs• State should leverage federal/private dollars, and
increase near-term state spending• Spending cuts will exacerbate the recession• Be ready with “public jobs” program as situation
worsens
Potential Outside Coalition for Good, Clean JOBS NOW
• Environmental, smart growth, community revitalization groups
• Labor• Manufacturers and energy service companies• Anti-poverty organizations• Parts of a state infrastructure coalition • Some workforce development stakeholders• Philanthropy/civic leadership
Challenge (1): Where could PA get $?
• The federal government• Existing state bonds• Mobilizing private capital for energy efficiency• Reprogram existing economic development $• New state bonds--e.g., for workforce training• Borrowing from the federal government?• Higher taxes on high earners
Challenges (2)
• Building a strong, diverse coalition• National stage a moving target…a good thing
but makes state planning harder
Clean and Green JOBS NOW
• Energy Efficiency JOBS NOW• Renewable Energy JOBS NOW • Clean manufacturing JOBS NOW• Smart infrastructure JOBS NOW• Green skills investment• Clean Economy Corps
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy JOBS NOW
• Adapting Clean Energy Corps report by GreenforAll to state level
• Interest in funding renewable energy as well as energy efficiency through the a model which is free up front and paid for through savings captured on utility bill, municipal services bill, or property taxes
• Mobilize state pension fund and building trusts to invest?
Clean Manufacturing JOBS NOW (1)
• Governor’s Office of Clean Manufacturing• Clean Manufacturing Partnerships– To implement energy efficiency, renewable
energy, clean processing quickly– Training Partnerships: keep dislocated workers in
the industry, spread work sharing, plug skill gaps– Entrepreneurial training for dislocated workers– In-sourcing partnerships• Clean Technology grants (equipment subsidies)
Clean Manufacturing JOBS NOW (2)
• Working capital with a clean tilt• Layoff aversion with a clean tilt• Mobilize state pension fund investment as in
California
Smart Infrastructure JOBS NOW
• Broadband in rural areas to permit tele-commuting
• “Soft” water and sewer infrastructure• Dollars for Department of Environmental
Protection staff to avoid bottlenecks in permitting of water and sewer infrastructure
• Implement “smart growth”/“fix it first” principles
Green Skills Investment
• More $ for clean and green Industry Partnerships and training/other services
• Funded through a small employer and worker tax on the entire wage base plus state bonds (or borrowing from the federal government)
• Explore coalition willingness to support overall workforce proposal that socializes the cost of employment transitions—key to raising environmental standards quickly in the long run
Green Economy Corps/Public Jobs
• Contingency plan for much higher unemployment• Explore work sharing: partial unemployment
benefits for partly unemployed workers• Raise more UI funds through tax increases/
increasing the wage base subject to the tax• Trigger mechanism (e.g., at 10% unemployment)
to kick in higher “shared sacrifice” tax that would support expanded Green Economy Corps jobs
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