Public Sector/Municipal-Based Public Sector/Municipal-Based Green JobsGreen Jobs

Tennessee Alliance for Progress, Compass VII Conference, Tennessee Alliance for Progress, Compass VII Conference, October 9, 2010. October 9, 2010.

What are Public Sector Green Jobs?

• Large-scale jobs initiatives backed by municipalities or state governments (usually approved by a city ordinance, state law, or executive order) that focus on preserving or enhancing the environment

• Municipal jobs brought to scale – expanded beyond small-scale employment programs to employ and/or serve hundreds/thousands of people, similar to municipal transportation or public works jobs.

• Satisfies “Triple Bottom Line” Principles: Ecology, Economy, Equity

How are public sector green jobs initiatives

different?

• Can be created and maintained at relatively low costs.

• Can be funded through innovative financing measures financing measures.

• Coordination is difficult because it requires cross-sector coordination: government, private investors, community, labor, businesses, etc.

Why Public Sector Programs/Policies?

• Public Sector/Government has a role to play in job creation

• Public Sector/Government can encourage the cooperation of businesses

• Public Sector/Government can help leverage financing measures, including federal dollars, for large-scale development projects

• Public Sector/Government can help protect benefits, collective bargaining, and fair labor standards

Municipal-Based Municipal-Based Weatherization Jobs Programs Weatherization Jobs Programs

• It can help reduce It can help reduce pollution and create a pollution and create a low carbon economylow carbon economy

• As much as 40% of As much as 40% of green house gas green house gas emissions come from emissions come from citiescities

• Supports goals of the Supports goals of the U.S. Climate U.S. Climate Protection Agreement Protection Agreement (signed by 1,000 (signed by 1,000 mayors)mayors)

Municipal-Based Municipal-Based Weatherization Jobs ProgramsWeatherization Jobs Programs

• It’s diverse: It’s diverse: residential, residential, commercial commercial buildings, or buildings, or institutions of care institutions of care (schools, senior (schools, senior citizen and child citizen and child care centers, and care centers, and churches)churches)

CommercialBuildings

Support Institutions (Churches,

Child Care Centers,Schools, Etc.)

ResidentialRetrofits

Examples of Public Sector (State Examples of Public Sector (State and Municipal) Green Jobs and Municipal) Green Jobs

ProgramsPrograms• Green Jobs/Green Homes NY programGreen Jobs/Green Homes NY program: a statewide : a statewide

home retrofitting programhome retrofitting program

• L.A. Green Jobs Ordinance (2009)L.A. Green Jobs Ordinance (2009): L.A. adopted a : L.A. adopted a Green Jobs Ordinance that retrofitting city Green Jobs Ordinance that retrofitting city buildings in low-income neighborhoodsbuildings in low-income neighborhoods

• Clean Energy Works Portland (Clean Energy Works Portland (CEWP): A CEWP): A comprehensive Community Workforce Agreement comprehensive Community Workforce Agreement that weatherizing 100,000 homes. that weatherizing 100,000 homes.

• Berkeley Berkeley FIRST and Babylon, New York: : Weatherization programs created by assessment Weatherization programs created by assessment districts (neighborhood residents agree to pay for districts (neighborhood residents agree to pay for weatherization through property taxes).weatherization through property taxes).

• High Road Agreement in Seattle. High Road Agreement in Seattle.

Public Sector (cont.)

• A public sector initiative focusing on A public sector initiative focusing on weatherization can improve the weatherization can improve the environment and create jobs.environment and create jobs.

• Other green jobs sectors can be brought to Other green jobs sectors can be brought to scale by municipalities:scale by municipalities:– Composting and urban gardeningComposting and urban gardening

– Urban forestryUrban forestry

– Watershed managementWatershed management

– Brownfield remediationBrownfield remediation

Snapshot of Clean Energy Works

(Portland-Multnomah, Oregon)

• Weatherize 100,000 homes between 2010-Weatherize 100,000 homes between 2010-20302030

• Begins with a pilot phase of 470 homes in Begins with a pilot phase of 470 homes in 2010.2010.

• Expected to employ 10,000 people directly Expected to employ 10,000 people directly and provide other indirect jobs.and provide other indirect jobs.

• The Portland initiative is groundbreaking The Portland initiative is groundbreaking because it is backed by a because it is backed by a Community Community Workforce Agreement (CWA)Workforce Agreement (CWA) approved by approved by the Portland City Council in 2009.the Portland City Council in 2009.

Community Workforce Agreement Objectives

• A legally binding agreement usually approved through a municipal ordinance or executive (mayoral) order/decision.

• Clearly Articulates Hiring and Contracting Goals

• Includes Collective Bargaining Language and Fair Labor Standards

• Includes Guidelines for Monitoring the CWA

• Language About Racial and Gender Equity

Portland Community Workforce Agreement

• 80% workers are local 80% workers are local hireshires

• Pay is at least 180% Pay is at least 180% above minimum wage above minimum wage (this amounts to a (this amounts to a prevailing wage)prevailing wage)

• 30% of project hours go 30% of project hours go to workers from high to workers from high poverty communities, poverty communities, racial minorities, etc.racial minorities, etc.

• 20% of the contracts go 20% of the contracts go to underrepresented to underrepresented communitiescommunities

Portland Community Workforce Agreement

(Best Value Contracting)– Collective bargaining/

working with labor unions

– Health insurance, benefits, pensions, etc.

– History working with racial minorities

– History of gender equity (no sexual harassment)

– Willing to participate in a small business mentoring program

Financing the CEWP (Portland)

1. City of Portland provided seed funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG)

2. The seed funding was dropped into a “revolving loan fund” managed by a prominent bank

3. The revolving loan provides the initial costs to homeowners/renters to weatherize their homes (no up front costs), and allows private investors to contribute

4. These homeowners repay the loan/weatherization costs through their utility bills (“on-bill” repayments)

Managing/Coordinating CEWP5. Repayment plans are adjusted for income of

homeowners and type of weatherization

6. Energy Trust of Oregon coordinates the CEWP Program (nonprofit established by the state in 1999)

7. The bank manages the Revolving Loan Fund and facilitates payments to utility companies

8. Stakeholder Evaluation and Implementation Committee (SEIC) works with the City and the state Energy Trust to evaluate CEWP