Civil Rights, Environmental, and Solar Advocates Respond to Release of Administration’s American Jobs Plan
The White House yesterday released a fact sheet detailing President Joe Biden’s plan to rebuild the American economy with significant investments to expand access to better healthcare, education, jobs, and clean energy.
Expanding access and participation in local, distributed energy like rooftop and community solar and batteries will be critical to achieving the Administration's ambitious clean energy, climate, and environmental justice goals most affordably and equitably.
A broad coalition of civil rights, environmental, and solar advocates will release a policy guide shortly to help guide the Administration on how we can deploy the hundreds of gigawatts of new local solar and storage that will be necessary to achieve our shared climate and equity goals, while creating over a million new jobs.
In support of the American Jobs Plan, coalition members released the following statements:
“For too long the benefits of a clean energy transition have escaped the reach of low and moderate-income families. That is why we are encouraged by aspects of the Administration’s American Jobs Plan that specifically aim to deploy clean energy infrastructure in a way that centers equity and access for America’s most underserved families,” said Luis Nasvytis Torres, Senior Legislative Representative, Earthjustice. “Every low- and moderate-income family should have access to the benefits of a clean energy future and we look forward to working with Congress and this Administration to ensure that this plan materializes into tangible benefits for frontline families.”
“Community solar affords every American the opportunity to access clean, local, and affordable energy. The American Jobs plan addresses key barriers to expanding access to community solar by investing in an aging grid to better accommodate scaling local solar and storage resources necessary to achieving climate and equity goals, while also making the grid more resilient and creating over a million new jobs by 2035,” said Jeff Cramer, Executive Director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access.
"The American Jobs plan will create thousands of good-paying jobs for frontline urban and rural communities while investing equitably in renewable energy and infrastructure to address the climate crisis and build an environmentally and economically healthy future for all Americans," said Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder & Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
“The President’s American Jobs Plan is an important step in realizing a more equitable and just climate and energy future for all. Latino, Black, Indigenous, and Asian communities have been hit the hardest by the environmental impacts from pollution created by outdated and dangerous energy systems. The public health and financial costs have been significant. By investing in local innovation, improving electricity infrastructure, and providing aid to rural, Tribal, and economically distressed communities to install local, accessible, and affordable solar, we can help alleviate these historic burdens and begin to work toward a cleaner energy future.” said Mark Magaña, Founding President & CEO, GreenLatinos.
"The clean energy and rural community investments in the American Jobs Plan will help to ensure that the coal-impacted communities that have powered our country for more than a century are part of the clean energy economy going forward," said Chelsea Barnes, Legislative Director for Appalachian Voices.
"Solar energy provides homes and businesses with pollution-free electricity and improves the quality of life in our communities by creating jobs and boosting resilience. But we've barely scratched the surface of our ability to harness the power of the sun on our rooftops and in our neighborhoods. Dramatically expanding access to solar energy via rooftop and community solar is vital to our efforts to build a grid that is more equitable, resilient, and cost-effective. We look forward to working with the Biden Administration, Congress, and state and local leaders to bring their vision to life with policies that expand access to local solar for all Americans,” said Rob Sargent, Campaign Director for Local Solar for All.
“The pandemic made the inequities in our current energy system worse. Solar is uniquely suited to address this problem. It spreads the benefits of energy production without adding to the environmental harm this production can cause. We are encouraged by the administration's focus on modernizing the grid through clean energy and their commitment to environmental justice,” said Yesenia Rivera, Director of Energy Equity and Inclusion at Solar United Neighbors.
“For 30 years, Hispanic Federation has worked to empower, support, and advocate for Latino communities. Addressing the infrastructure and clean energy needs of frontline Latino communities in the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico is a top priority,” said Laura M. Esquivel, Vice President of Federal Policy and Advocacy at the Hispanic Federation. “The American Jobs Plan offers us a starting blueprint to bring about much needed investments and to address inequities in health care, education, infrastructure, and clean energy. We will continue to work with Congress and this Administration to center the voices and needs of communities negatively impacted by systemic racism - from healthcare to transportation - to ensure that these investments redress past inequities, prioritize the needs of Latino families and communities, and result in a just, equitable, and clean energy transformation.”
“Bringing solar energy to our communities in an equitable manner provides an unprecedented opportunity for addressing climate change as a pathway to a more fair and just society. It will create resilient communities, local jobs, cleaner air, better health outcomes, and reduce monthly bills for struggling families, ” said Odette Mucha, Federal Liaison for Vote Solar. "Vote Solar applauds President Biden's leadership in the American Jobs Plan, which takes a comprehensive, justice-driven approach to modernizing our country's electric infrastructure, homes, and schools, and critically focuses on equity and reaching underserved communities."
"The American Jobs Plan is the right step forward in addressing the future in a proactive way. As I see the next 50 years of my future, I can only wonder how these bold and courageous policies and actions will help transform our country. I'm excited about our future,” said Joél-Léhi Organista, LULAC National Vice President of Youth and Co-Chair of the Environmental Committee.
"Centering environmental justice and equity within distributed energy and transportation infrastructure and workforce programming can move the US rapidly towards a sustainable and just economy that maximizes benefits for low-income communities and communities of color," said Stan Greschner, Chief Policy and Business Development Officer, GRID Alternatives, "The American Jobs Act is an important step towards a more equitable clean energy future for America."
“The American jobs plan’s promise to electrify 20% of school buses is a great first step toward 100% clean buses for healthy Ninos. Black, Indigenous, and children of color deserve to breathe clean air, especially on their way to and from school,” said Johana Vicente, Chispa National Director. “Recognizing the urgency and existential threat of the climate crisis, which communities of color bear most, is a step in the right direction -- we must rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, power our country with clean energy, and right the wrongs of past environmental injustices.”
