This commentary of mine appeared on Friday in the St. Paul Legal Ledger's Capitol Report.
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I’ve just returned from western Colorado, where one manifestation of the quest for domestic energy independence is inescapable.
Oil and gas rigs line the interstate. Acres of new housing have
sprung up over the summer. Retail businesses and construction sites
sport permanent help wanted signs because they can’t compete with
oil-industry wages. The foregrounds of scenic vistas are marred by
industrial yards of trucks, stored drill pipe and other equipment.
Streets are clogged and county roads are taking a beating from heavy
loads. Towns and rural landowners are concerned about spills that
imperil their water supply.
And white company pickups are all over town, some of them
sporting the bumper sticker: “Oil and gas feeds my family — and yours!”
Although the economic impact in Colorado seems sudden, a
mature, well-financed industry had its eye on those resources for
decades. But it was only when market forces and government policy
finally aligned that the boom began.
Here in Minnesota, we’re counting on riding a different
energy-development wave – one that produces energy and good jobs, but
is also clean and sustainable. Getting this boom started will require
similar alignment, but our economy is not yet organized around
conservation and renewables. And there’s no green Exxon Mobil just
waiting to swoop in.
This may take a while.
Last week, Gov. Tim Pawlenty introduced a proposed package to
encourage expansion of green jobs in Minnesota. His “Green Jobs
Investment Initiative” extends tax credits to businesses and investors
with an eye toward making more financing available to emerging
companies. These features of his plan are similar to measures
introduced in the last legislative session, but go the extra step of
specifying that half the tax credits will be focused on green jobs.
Incentives such as what the governor proposes will attract
investor attention to Minnesota, and they may eventually help seal a
deal or two. But tax breaks alone don’t have a great record of bringing
in new industry. A successful green-jobs strategy must also heed the
forthcoming work of the legislature-commissioned Green Jobs Task Force,
which addresses three important aspects of the jobs challenge:
Attracting green jobs. Besides an investment-friendly tax
policy, companies thinking about building a Minnesota operation will
demand a skilled work force, well-developed infrastructure and good
quality of life. Minnesota’s unsuccessful experience trying to lure the
U.S. research and development center for Danish company Vestas Wind
Systems highlighted another imperative. The state must have a focused
marketing strategy that identifies what new green businesses need to
get established in Minnesota, and it must aggressively promote our
virtues. In February of 2007, I counted at least 18 states that had
declared themselves leaders in some aspect of renewable energy. The
list of competitors certainly isn’t going to get shorter.
Retaining and expanding green jobs. Minnesota already has a
base of existing green jobs in wind, ethanol, biodiesel, mining,
forestry and the window manufacturing industry. These companies will be
looking for expansion opportunities, and other states will be courting
them. A smart strategy will focus on Minnesota’s current strengths and
also encourage development of markets within the state for
conservation, energy efficiency, sustainable practices and use of
renewable energy. To help this transformation, developers and building
owners must incorporate green strategies in construction and renovation
projects. And consumers, builders, manufacturers and other employers
must commit to using green products, materials and processes.
Preparing a green work force. The good news is that many
green-collar jobs use blue- and white-collar skills, and there will be
both urban and rural job opportunities. As “Greener Pathways: Jobs and
Workforce Development in the Clean Energy Economy” says, “The new
energy economy will create some brand new industries and many brand new
jobs. But even more of it will involve transforming the industries and
jobs we already have.”
But new green jobs won’t grow on trees. Green skills have to be
embedded in existing education and training programs. And even more
should be done to expand access to quality jobs that renew the middle
class, according to the “Greener Pathways” report:
To help workers advance from unemployment, disconnection, or
dead-end poverty-wage work into family-sustaining green jobs, states
need to build and support career pathways. These pathways are not new
ones, necessarily, but greener ones in collaboration with employers,
workforce agencies, community organizations, labor unions, and
community and technical colleges.
Rep. Jeremy Kalin, co-chair of the Green Jobs Task Force, has
said: “Right now we all need to work together to identify how we can
overcome some challenges in making Minnesota a leader across the board
in the green economy. We have to do this together, and we have to be
all on the same page.”
And maybe then we’ll start seeing the green bumper stickers.
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