U.S. Business Coalition Endorses ‘Green’ Manufacturing Bill

The Apollo Alliance, a coalition of more than 150 U.S. businesses, has announced its support for a Senate bill aimed at advancing and creating more than 2.5 million green manufacturing jobs in the United States. Businesses backing the bill include manufacturers, distributors, labor unions and clean energy producers.

The Senate bill (H.R. 3083) “Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act,” is targeted at boosting domestic clean energy manufacturing and ensuring that new clean energy jobs stay in the United States. The bill would provide resources for small and medium-sized manufacturers through a 2-year, $30-billion manufacturing revolving loan fund, which will help them to become more energy efficient, retool facilities, and retrain workers to produce clean energy products.

The Apollo Alliance estimates that the IMPACT Act will generate more than $100 billion in revenue for clean energy businesses while creating 680,000 direct manufacturing jobs and nearly 2 million indirect jobs over five years.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), co-sponsor of the bill, believes American manufacturing can be revived through clean energy investments. “This bill will help our manufacturers retool, put our auto suppliers back to work, and produce clean energy technologies,” said Brown.

In June, U.S. manufacturers accounted for nearly 30 percent of overall U.S. job losses, according to Apollo Alliance. The organization also notes that the stimulus and renewable energy policies being considered by Congress, including the Renewable Energy Standard and a carbon cap, will increase demand for clean energy parts and systems; however, 70 percent of the nation’s clean and efficient energy systems are currently produced outside of the United States.

Michael Peck, director of media, institutional and labor relations for Gamesa North America, one of the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers, and a supporter of the bill, believes IMPACT can help rebuild the economy, restore manufacturing and lead to U.S. greater independence and security.