To spark recovery, tap clean-energy jobs

To spark recovery, tap clean-energy jobs
Andrea Alderson-Bazemore
During this time of economic anxiety, the growth of companies involved in clean energy has been a small but significant bright spot in Fort Wayne and throughout Indiana.

National news outlets took note when Italian and German wind companies announced they would open manufacturing plants in Muncie, and more recently when Abound Solar declared it would be setting up shop in Tipton County.

In Fort Wayne, we are also seeing clean energy success stories. WaterFurnace International is creating jobs manufacturing environmentally friendly geothermal heating and cooling systems. And ITT Geospatial Systems is making climate and environmental monitoring sensors that help businesses and governments predict weather and climate-change patterns.

A new report released by the Apollo Alliance in mid-August shows that these success stories could become even more commonplace if the U.S. implemented strong clean-energy and climate-change policies. According to the report, a combination of the right energy policies could create up to 117,000 jobs in Indiana by 2030—that’s a big number, considering that Hoosiers are still suffering from an unemployment rate that’s higher than 10 percent.

What are the right energy policies? The report looks at the job-creation potential of a bill called the Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act, which would support domestic manufacturing of solar panels, wind turbines, electric cars and other clean-energy products. It finds that IMPACT would create up to 50,000 jobs in Indiana over 10 years.

The report also looks at the jobs impact of a renewable energy standard of 25 percent by 2025 and finds that with stronger domestic supply chains to ensure that American workers – rather than overseas ones – meet the new demand created by the standard, this policy could create up to 39,000 manufacturing jobs here by 2025.

In the area of clean automobiles and trucks – key to Indiana’s future because of our long and rich history as an auto manufacturing state – the report finds that improved vehicle efficiency standards paired with investments in domestic advanced vehicle manufacturing could create up to 19,000 manufacturing jobs in Indiana by 2020.

Finally, the report evaluates a cap on carbon emissions combined with strong energy efficiency standards, and finds that these policies would create more than 7,000 jobs in the Hoosier state by 2030.

One of the most exciting aspects of the report is that it finds that a large number of the clean-energy jobs created will be in manufacturing. This makes sense, because we have an experienced manufacturing workforce and far too many vacant manufacturing facilities that could be retooled for clean-energy production. Manufacturing jobs tend to be high-paying and include benefits.

Unfortunately, there is also bad news. The Senate wasn’t able to pass any clean energy policies during its summer session. So for Indiana workers and businesses to see the clean-energy job creation our state so desperately needs, we are going to need to push our senators to make another attempt to pass clean-energy and climate policies this fall. It won’t be easy, especially during an election season, but Indiana workers, businesses and our economy can’t wait another year or longer without strong national clean-energy and climate policies.

Andrea Alderson-Bazemore is coordinator of the Indiana Apollo Alliance, a coalition of businesses, labor unions, environmental organizations and community groups that advocates for clean energy. She wrote this for The Journal Gazette.