U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) today announced he had reached a deal with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022—a budget reconciliation bill that is expected to include $369 billion in energy and climate investments. The announcement comes after months of negotiations to reach agreement on budget reconciliation legislation.

In response, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Executive Director Jason Walsh:

New guidance from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) will help determine how states spend $11.3 billion of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to clean up abandoned mine lands.

Sometimes it’s easy for the dysfunction on Capitol Hill to become overwhelming, overshadowing important work being done every day in communities across the nation to ensure that working families and people have what they need to thrive.

In a letter, the BlueGreen Alliance focused on the opportunity the Next Generation Deliver Vehicle contract represents an opportunity to rebuild the largest non-defense federal fleet to advance climate progress, improve air quality in our neighborhoods, support workers & their communities, and model responsible procurement practices. The turnover of the aging fleet can also restore the independent agency’s financial stability in the long term through the significant total cost of ownership savings that come with electrification. 

President Joe Biden today traveled to Somerset, MA to announce a number of climate change initiatives and tour a former coal-fired power plant that has been converted to manufacture products, including submarine power cables for use in offshore wind projects. It is estimated that 6,800 miles of cable will be needed to reach the administration’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced today that at least 50% of its new vehicle fleet—the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles—will be electric. This decision represents a reversal of an earlier decision by USPS, which promised to electrify only a tiny percentage of the new fleet. The BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Policy Advisor Reem Rayef in response to the announcement.

During an interview today on Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval on the status of talks around a budget reconciliation bill, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) confirmed he was committed to continuing negotiations saying he “is not stopping.”

As the BABA provisions in the BIL come into effect and strengthen the Buy America requirements associated with federal investments, the positive market and employment effects of United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs will be further magnified by supporting U.S. manufacturing jobs. 

When done right, offshore wind power will create thousands of high-quality, family-sustaining jobs in manufacturing, construction, operations and maintenance, and in the development of port facilities, transmission, and other associated infrastructure. 

Establishing a safe and reliable nationwide network of EV chargers will require mass mobilization of, and investment in, the workers who will build, install, and maintain the EV chargers. With federal funds allocated from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, states have a unique opportunity to fund new green technology in communities but also ensure a skilled and localized workforce for the safe and effective construction of EV charging infrastructure.

When done right, offshore wind power will create thousands of high-quality, family-sustaining jobs in manufacturing, construction, operations and maintenance, and in the development of port facilities, transmission, and other associated infrastructure while also minimizing environmental impacts.

Maximizing the use of union labor for offshore wind development can ensure the best return on investment for taxpayers and support the administration’s equity goals—union households earn up to 20% more than nonunion households. Workers of color and workers with less formal education see even greater advantages.