Inslee-Sarbanes Clean Energy Service Corps Becomes Law
Congressional Desk
April 23, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC –Just in time for Earth Day, the Inslee-Sarbanes Clean Energy Service Corps was signed into law by President Barack Obama as part of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The Clean Energy Service Corps will give training and skills in the clean energy industry to disadvantaged young Americans while improving the efficiency of low-income housing and other public facilities. U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) previously introduced the program in a stand-alone bill, H.R. 1394, the Clean Energy Service Corps Act, which was co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.).
"The Clean Energy Service Corps will be an incredible learning experience for thousands of young people in disadvantaged communities throughout the country," said Inslee, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "As a key component of the New Apollo Energy Project, the Clean Energy Service Corps will build our nation´s green-collar workforce and help to improve our national lands and infrastructure and make thousands of homes and businesses energy efficient."
"Our dependence on finite fossil fuels and their impact on our environment will be one of the foremost challenges we face in the 21st Century," said Sarbanes. "By adopting an aggressive strategy to conserve and develop alternative sources of energy, we can meet economic, national security, and environmental policy objectives in one fell swoop. Let´s harness the unlimited energy of idealistic and service-oriented Americans to put our nation on a stronger and more sustainable path."
Advocates for green-collar jobs and climate action are excited about the passage of the Clean Energy Service Corps.
"The Clean Energy Service Corps holds special promise as a pathway out of poverty for low-income youth and moves us closer to building an inclusive green economy," said Green For All CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins. "The Corps serves as a strong entry point to sustainable career paths for thousands of people with barriers to employment. By providing job training and ample service-learning programs, the Corps arms the people who most need work with the skills to do the work that most needs to be done. Green For All applauds Representatives Inslee and Sarbanes for making the Clean Energy Service Corps and opportunity for our youth a reality."
"Young Americans are eager to solve our economic and environmental problems with real investment in clean energy and good, green jobs," said Jessy Tolkan, Executive Director of Energy Action Coalition, organizers of the successful Powershift 2009 rally on Capitol Hill. "We've rallied and voted for a clean energy economy and now we're ready to get our hands dirty to serve our communities and our country in the pursuit of a cleaner, more prosperous, and healthier future through the Clean Energy Service Corps."
The bill signing was the end of a long uphill legislative battle to make the Clean Energy Service Corps a reality. The Inslee-Sarbanes program builds on the members´ efforts from the 110th Congress when they secured an amendment to create the Energy Conservation Corps to the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, H.R. 2857. Inslee and Sarbanes have since worked with the House Committee on Education and Labor to ensure that the Clean Energy Conservation Corps was included in H.R. 1388, the GIVE Act in the 111th Congress, which passed the House by a vote of 321-105 on March 18, 2009.
The Clean Energy Service Corps Act will set up training and education programs through grants to non-profit organizations, universities, and state and local governments that can operate clean energy projects in public spaces, create green housing for elderly and low-income people, and weatherize and restore historic structures on public lands, among other things. The Clean Energy Service Corps program will be formed within the Corporation for National and Community Service, which currently implements similar programs like AmeriCorps, SeniorCorps, and Americorps VISTA.
"The Clean Energy Service Corps will be an incredible learning experience for thousands of young people in disadvantaged communities throughout the country," said Inslee, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "As a key component of the New Apollo Energy Project, the Clean Energy Service Corps will build our nation´s green-collar workforce and help to improve our national lands and infrastructure and make thousands of homes and businesses energy efficient."
"Our dependence on finite fossil fuels and their impact on our environment will be one of the foremost challenges we face in the 21st Century," said Sarbanes. "By adopting an aggressive strategy to conserve and develop alternative sources of energy, we can meet economic, national security, and environmental policy objectives in one fell swoop. Let´s harness the unlimited energy of idealistic and service-oriented Americans to put our nation on a stronger and more sustainable path."
Advocates for green-collar jobs and climate action are excited about the passage of the Clean Energy Service Corps.
"The Clean Energy Service Corps holds special promise as a pathway out of poverty for low-income youth and moves us closer to building an inclusive green economy," said Green For All CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins. "The Corps serves as a strong entry point to sustainable career paths for thousands of people with barriers to employment. By providing job training and ample service-learning programs, the Corps arms the people who most need work with the skills to do the work that most needs to be done. Green For All applauds Representatives Inslee and Sarbanes for making the Clean Energy Service Corps and opportunity for our youth a reality."
"Young Americans are eager to solve our economic and environmental problems with real investment in clean energy and good, green jobs," said Jessy Tolkan, Executive Director of Energy Action Coalition, organizers of the successful Powershift 2009 rally on Capitol Hill. "We've rallied and voted for a clean energy economy and now we're ready to get our hands dirty to serve our communities and our country in the pursuit of a cleaner, more prosperous, and healthier future through the Clean Energy Service Corps."
The bill signing was the end of a long uphill legislative battle to make the Clean Energy Service Corps a reality. The Inslee-Sarbanes program builds on the members´ efforts from the 110th Congress when they secured an amendment to create the Energy Conservation Corps to the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, H.R. 2857. Inslee and Sarbanes have since worked with the House Committee on Education and Labor to ensure that the Clean Energy Conservation Corps was included in H.R. 1388, the GIVE Act in the 111th Congress, which passed the House by a vote of 321-105 on March 18, 2009.
The Clean Energy Service Corps Act will set up training and education programs through grants to non-profit organizations, universities, and state and local governments that can operate clean energy projects in public spaces, create green housing for elderly and low-income people, and weatherize and restore historic structures on public lands, among other things. The Clean Energy Service Corps program will be formed within the Corporation for National and Community Service, which currently implements similar programs like AmeriCorps, SeniorCorps, and Americorps VISTA.
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