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'Green Jobs' Bills Pass PA State House

by Aaron Couch | 03.18.2008

Two 'Green Jobs' bills passed the PA State House this week. Both bills provides $850 million for renewable energy technologies, including green buildings, consumer rebates for energy efficient appliances, and $200 million for solar power.


Photo from http://www.aashe.net/

The first bill HB2200 passed the PA State House in February. The second, SHB1, passed last week. Both need to pass the Senate before becoming law.

PennFuture is among the groups pushing for HB2200 and SHB1. You can send a letter to your reps and join their campaing here.

'Green Jobs' are jobs that employee in the environmental sector including solar, wind energy, hydrogen and biofuels sectors.

Green Jobs have been touted as a bridge between environmental and social justice movements. The idea is to train and employ low income workers for the growing green economy. Van Jones, who has helped popularize this concept, visited Philadelphia in February.

SHB1 has been criticized for its language which includes biodiesel and ethanol as 'alternative fuels'.

Here is some more info about these bills from PennFuture:

1. SHB1 contains $200 million for solar of which 65% must go to solar rebates for installations.  The remainder would be available to attract solar manufacturing.  This is critical money that will give Pennsylvania a major solar program that will create exactly the employment opportunities in Philadelphia about which Van Jones spoke and which Mayor Nutter is focused.  The PA AEPS has a solar share requirement of 0.5% that will require 800 megawatts (that is a lot/enough for 250,000 homes) be installed but it ramps up slowly, with the big requirements kicking in 2011 and later.
 
Without SHB1 there will be no substantial solar program in Pa for another 4 years at least.  That will be a major blow to the goal of creating green jobs here.
 
2. SHB1 has $25 million in it for Green Buildings.  That will be a substantial boost to Green Architecture
 
3. SHB1 has $5 million in it for the HELP program administered by the State Treasurer.  This is an innovative, successful energy conservation program that has helped thousands of families already.
 
4. SHB1 has $30 million for wind which has zero air pollution, zero water withdrawals, and is now producing enough wind power for 95,000 households in Pa.  It is essential to grow wind to combat global warming.  US now gets 1% of electricity from wind; Germany 6%; Pa less than 0.5%.  Wind is also now employing more than 2,000 Pennsylvania families.  Gamesa is a major wind turbine manufacturer that chose to locate its North American Headquarters on Broad Street in Philadelphia.  It also has a manufacturing facilities in Bucks County and in Cambria County. The workers there are represented by the United Steel Workers.
 
5. SHB1 has $44 million in it for rebates for energy efficient heating and cooling appliances.
 
6. SHB1 has $56 million in it for the Ben Franklin Technology Fund.

 More info about HB200 here.



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