Representative Hilda Solis of California–whom president-elect Barack Obama chose to head the Department of Labor on Friday–has been a preeminent advocate for green jobs and environmental justice during her career in the House.
She has a strong record on environmental issues with a 2008 League of Conservation Voters score of 85 and a lifetime score of 97.
Representative Solis co-authored the Green Jobs Act, which later became part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which became law December 19, 2007. The Green Jobs Act authorized $125 million for workforce training programs. The training will be targeted to veterans, displaced workers, at risk youth, and individuals in families under 200% of the federal poverty line.
Upon the signing, Congresswoman Solis stated: "The bill is a message for all workers across our nation that there is a place for them in the clean energy future."
Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director, said "The Sierra Club is overjoyed at the news of Hilda Solis’ selection as Secretary of Labor. She has been a tireless advocate for environmental issues, environmental justice, worker’s rights, and green jobs. We can think of no better person to help President-Elect Obama implement his plans for an economic recovery fueled by the creation of millions of new green jobs."
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Environmental groups issued a set of recommendations to the incoming administration and Congress that they say will boost the nation’s energy efficiency, create green jobs, and save energy and money.
The Alliance to Save Energy, Edison Electric Institute, Energy Future Coalition, and the Natural Resources Defense Council released proposals ranging from low-income home weatherization and energy efficiency retrofits for homes and commercial and government buildings, to strengthened national model building energy codes, enhanced product efficiency standards and energy efficiency investments by utilities.
In addition to federal funds for job-creating efficiency programs, the groups asked Congress to fund the authorized Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program to help states further reduce their total energy use, reduce emissions related to fossil fuel use, and improve energy efficiency across all sectors.
Significantly, the groups urged Congress to make the program’s funding contingent upon state adoption of more stringent building code requirements and major changes to utility regulation that create long-term incentives to encourage major investments in energy efficiency. Without making such long-term changes, the benefits of federal funding under the block grant program likely would not be as sustainable, the organizations said.
Link to the recommendations below.
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