Green Jobs

Individual Panel Recommendations

The following are all the recommendations generated by panelists. Individual recommendations reflect their diversity of views.

  1. Definitions:
    1. Define "green collar jobs".
    2. Wherever possible, the U.S. Department of Labor taxonomy and EE/RE categorization should be incorporated into explanations of green collar jobs.
    3. Green collar jobs definition and related information should be collected and displayed within a Connecticut Green Jobs website.
    4. Define career ladders to provide a clear track including opportunities for mobility.
    5. Use the 2009 Navigant Consulting study as a reference to quantify the number of current jobs in place and jobs created.
  2. Organization and Coordination of Green Jobs Initiatives
    1. Establish a single point of responsibility or a coordinating council regarding green collar jobs.
    2. Establish a state energy office to serve as conduit for federal funding, and with authority regarding: transportation energy; electrical energy; renewable technologies; efficiency; emission reductions; climate change; energy education; and public outreach.
    3. Create an advisory board of entities involved in establishing/creating the demand for green jobs, including the utility companies, Energy Conservation Management Board, Clean Energy Fund, and others, to provide guidance to the higher education system regarding training for green jobs.
    4. The UConn Center for Clean Energy and the Institute for Sustainable Energy should meet at least quarterly to discuss ways to collaborate on green initiatives. Institutions and centers located within the same region should also form partnerships and meet to develop collaborative efforts.
  3. Financing Green Collar Initiatives:
    1. Maintain current funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
    2. Develop viable financing mechanisms, including streamlining the existing Connecticut Housing Investment Fund(CHIF) program.
    3. Establish innovative municipal clean energy financing programs using the Berkeley model.
    4. Develop new or modify existing financing mechanisms to provide low-interest capital at all levels of the value chain.
    5. A state energy office should: control 50% of the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funds (CMAQ - currently controlled by the Connecticut Department of Transportation); have significant control over CCEF; have the authority to put together energy projects and develop energy related business opportunities.
    6. Allow CCEF to develop transportation projects, e.g., those supporting plug-in hybrid vehicles.
    7. Make it easier for non-state organizations to access state matching funds when applying for federal energy grants.
    8. Examine use of state pension funds for in-state investment, especially in green manufacturing.
    9. Create green economy investment funds through bonding.
    10. Improve Connecticut's ability to take advantage of federal programs to bring greater resources into the state.
    11. Create matching funds to pursue federal funding, specifically grants from the US Department of Energy that require 50% state matches.
    12. Increase funding for the state's current Small Business Incubator Program by $1 million annually and focus new dollars on supporting green technology companies.
    13. Increase funding for Connecticut Innovation's Seed and Pre-Seed Programs by $1 million.
    14. Release funding for the Fuel Diversification Grant Program included the FY 2008 bond package ($2.5 million).
    15. Allocate sufficient resources for laboratories and equipment for training in occupational courses to meet the specifications of national certifying associations for solar teaching laboratories.
    16. Provide resources for public exhibits to showcase and demonstrate the latest green and sustainable technologies to increase public awareness and acceptance.
  4. Design of Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs:
    1. Design energy-related programs to use the lowest possible cash incentive to induce consumers to invest. Conduct "willingness to pay" focus groups and use other professional marketing techniques to help determine such points.
    2. Require a minimum percentage of funding dedicated to clean energy and efficiency incentive or rebate programs be directed towards workforce development.
    3. Clarify eligibility for rebates from CCEF, making consumers eligible for rebates after their system undergoes inspection by a building inspector.
    4. Create stable clean energy programs that break the boom-bust cycle of incentives that have stifled growth of Connecticut-based clean energy businesses. Design the programs to reduce the need for incentives in an orderly fashion over time with the ultimate goal of creating self-sustaining in-state clean energy industries (such as solar or fuel cells) that are not dependent upon public or ratepayer subsidies for growth.
    5. Focus state support and attention on low tech and consumer oriented technology, as well as high tech, to promote economic growth and employment.
    6. Develop more effective approaches of informing the public of existing renewable energy programs.
  5. Training and Workforce Development:
    1. Tailor green jobs training to market and societal demand, and include training on the economics of green technologies.
    2. The Departments of Higher Education and Education should prepare an annual cross-system list of green courses, certificates and majors offered, and an inventory of green-related equipment.
    3. The names of green certificate programs should be uniform across the Connecticut Community College System.
    4. Develop a strategic plan that includes resources to sustain proven strategies for student success in completing certificates and degrees and in finding and maintaining employment in Connecticut's changing economy.
    5. Invest in academic innovations, increased support for students, state of the art equipment for training and affordable solutions critical to workforce training needs.
    6. Provide greater financial aid for non-credit occupational and small business development courses and programs, to make them more affordable.
    7. Create a solar thermal installers' certification course, curriculum and test to be administered by a third party.
    8. The Connecticut Employment and Training Commission and the Connecticut Energy Sector Partnership should regularly solicit and make widely available information on green efforts occurring among higher education institutions, including new degree and certificate programs, stand-alone courses, and center/institute initiatives useful in the alignment of green collar jobs and employer needs.
    9. Educational systems should develop agreements to share equipment needed for students training for green collar jobs, such as solar photovoltaic installation.
    10. Frequent workshops and conferences should be held to educate school administrators, guidance counselors and instructors, to ensure a better understanding of the national and state commitment to the goals of a green economy, knowledge of the concepts supporting green jobs and hands-on experience and resources to help assist their students to identify career opportunities and related educational and training requirements.
    11. Protect UConn's Eminent Faculty Funding in FY 2012 and beyond.
    12. Department of Labor and related agencies should work through technical advisory groups with unions and the state's educational systems to coordinate the use of "job ladders" that provide immediate employment, continuous training opportunities and advancement possibilities, in order to strengthen the state's ability to develop the skills and knowledge its workforce needs to create a more sustainable, green economy.
    13. Involve unions in green jobs initiatives.
    14. Ensure knowledge and skills training is made available by the state's workforce development providers and educational systems.
    15. Use the workforce development system as the conduit for implementing workforce development activities, linking with K-12 public education, Technical High Schools, Community Colleges, Connecticut State University System, adult basic education, community organizations and commercial training providers, to create pipelines of workers for entry level employment through advanced supervisory and management levels and system design occupations.
    16. Set realistic employment goals for job creation to avoid glutting the market that may not be ready to absorb new graduates.
  6. Other:
    1. Fully implement the provision in PA 07-242 requiring the Integrated Resource Plan (developed by the utilities and approved by the Department of Public Utility Control) to prioritize all cost-effective energy efficiency investments before new electric generation construction.
    2. Gradually increase the Class III Renewable Portfolio Standard from 4% to 20% by 2020. Limit the total percentage of Class III demand that can met by measures funded by CCEF and require that a certain percentage be met by efficiency measures directly benefiting residential ratepayers.
    3. Authorize the Attorney General's office to provide technical assistance and limited representation to individuals and small businesses to protect intellectual property through patents and other mechanisms.
    4. Allow utility companies to partner with community and public agencies to develop renewable energy projects.
    5. Adopt a neighborhood electric (slow speed) vehicle law.
    6. Address zoning barriers for green manufacturing.
    7. Make changes in the bureaucracy and leadership of the state community college system in order to facilitate the promotion and implementation of green jobs.
    8. Streamline and clarify regulations and agency procedures.
    9. Learn from efforts in other states related to promotion of green collar jobs to avoid reinventing the wheel.
    10. Support creation of commuter rail corridors and linked intermodal transit networks serving Connecticut's communities.
    11. Release bond funds for state construction projects, e.g., vocational high schools.
    12. Use empty or abandoned factories for cooperative indoor organic farming powered by renewable energy sources.

Panel Membership:

Panel members represented government, education, labor, the environmental community and the investor owned electric utilities.

Legislators:
Rep. Vickie Nardello, Chair
Rep. Elizabeth Esty
Rep. Henry Genga
Rep. Susan Johnson
Rep. Matt Lesser
Rep. James O'Rourke
Rep. Lonnie Reed

Connecticut Clean Energy Fund
Lisa Dondy

Workforce Development Boards
Joe Carbone

University of Connecticut
Prabakhar Singh
Dr. Cameron Faustman

Institute for Sustainable Energy
Eastern Connecticut State University
William Leahy

Connecticut Community Colleges
Shelly Jewell

Connecticut Technical Schools
Patricia Ciccone

Grow Jobs Connecticut
John Harrity

Connecticut Trades
Frank DaCato

Environmental Energy Solutions
Joel Gordes

Environment Connecticut
Christopher Phelps

Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition
Lee Grannis

Northeast Utilities
James Ferrentino

United Illuminating
Chris Ehlert