Green for All CEO Praises Rep. Luján as Champion of Marginalized Communities in Energy Bill Battles

Rep. Luján speaks on behalf of ACES on House floor

Despite the weakness of a number of key provisions in H.R. 2454, the Waxman-Markey energy bill that just passed in the U.S. House, it does contain some very meaningful and ground-breaking measures. Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, the CEO of Green for All, wrote a compelling article on Huffington Post that describes a little-known aspect of the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) in the House. She tells of an unlikely coalition that successfully pushed to include key provisions in the bill that will bring economic opportunity to disadvantaged communities:

ACES now includes almost $1 billion in funding for job training programs, and it ensures local access to quality jobs in green construction. Thanks to bold collective efforts, the House adopted these provisions, and the bill now includes opportunity for communities that too often languish at the margins of American prosperity.

... This unexpected success would simply not have happened without a broad range of groups - many of whom are not known for their engagement in climate and energy issues - coming together for a better, more equitable ACES. This coalition was made up of civil rights, social justice, labor, environmental, faith and community groups.

The article also singled out three members of the House for special recognition due to their pivotal contributions to the successful initiative. One of them is Northern New Mexico's Rep. Ben Ray Luján (NM-03):

On the Hill, it was members of the Black and Hispanic Caucuses that pressed for the provisions. Champions like Representatives Bobby Rush, Emanuel Cleaver, and Ben Ray Luján in particular participated in the discussion and fought for their communities.

The leadership role taken on by advocates for people of color and the working poor has never before been seen on this scale when it comes to climate and energy legislation. It was essential to getting the equity provisions into ACES, and has helped shift the terms of the debate.

ACES includes language that Rep. Luján worked on and advocated for to provide funding for clean energy job training and to include Hispanic Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges as Innovation Hubs for clean energy research. Perhaps the most important of the equity provisions added to the House legislation is an $860 million allocation to the Green Jobs Act that will provide training to workers who need new skills for clean energy jobs -- training that can be "the first step on a pathway from poverty to a steady green career." Rep. Luján was the prime mover in the House for including the provision in ACES.

According to Rep. Luján, "A strong and robust clean energy economy can power our country and lift communities out of poverty and into the middle class. I’m excited that funding was included in the American Clean Energy and Security Act for clean energy job training that can spur economic growth in New Mexico and in communities across the country."

Earlier this month, in a speech at a legislative forum hosted by Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association, Rep. Luján addressed the importance of ensuring that the Hispanic community will actively participate in the new green jobs economy:

We all know that as the Latino community continues to increase in numbers and influence, the success of a clean energy economy is dependent, in part, on involving the growing Hispanic community. If our community is not a part of this movement, it will not only mean less opportunity for Hispanics but also a less successful green economy overall. We must ensure that our workforce is trained and ready for clean energy economy, and we must help Latino-owned small businesses prepare for a clean energy economy.”

Ellis-Lamkins stresses the importance of convincing the Senate to include these provisions in its version of the energy and climate bill, and celebrates the growing power and engagement of a broad and diverse coalition working for change:

Because we're gaining strength, we're forging partnerships, and we're building a growing consensus that low-income communities and communities of color must have a fair stake in a new clean energy economy.