Last week, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy Security Act of 2009 (ACES). The act represents America’s first comprehensive attempt to build a new, clean energy economy. It will create millions of jobs, reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign sources of oil, and mitigate the threat of global warming.
After many years of speculative, boom and bust “bubble” economics, the United States Congress is now seizing the opportunity to create solid, sustainable economic growth by investing in the infrastructures of the future, and re-building our human capital. In the case of ACES, Congress has taken the first step towards building a clean energy infrastructure here in the United States. Make no mistake about it, the development and deployment of an expanding domestic clean energy infrastructure – as well as new market opportunities relating to “green building retro-fits” – remains one of the best opportunities our nation has to create sustainable job opportunities for our contractors and our members.
Our unions realize that the important work of building a clean energy economy will require the skilled workers of our unions, as well as our world-class apprenticeship and training programs.
We also realize and understand that our nation cannot simply turn on a dime and become a renewable energy-based economy overnight. The accelerating demands for affordable energy necessitate a balanced and sensible national energy strategy and portfolio that includes the further development of our domestic oil and natural gas reserves, as well as a strong commitment to “clean” energy in the form of nuclear, solar, wind, and geothermal power.
It was with this notion of a balanced energy portfolio in mind that a few weeks ago the Building and Construction Trades Department agreed to participate in the formation of a labor-management committee for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry (
www.ongil-mc.org ). This effort was spearheaded by the American Petroleum Institute, who also reached out for the inclusion of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and the International Union of Operating Engineers. On June 17, a press event was held in Washington, DC for the official unveiling of the new labor-management committee.
This new entity is expressly designed to promote innovation, exploration, job retention and growth. This historic partnership between the oil and natural gas industry and our unions will discuss and explore plans to protect and establish quality jobs by promoting innovative and affordable access to domestic energy that is vital to the American economy.
Specifically, the Oil and Natural Gas Industry Labor-Management Committee seeks to:
Advance public policy goals and promote technology that will drive job growth;
Forge coalitions with like-minded organizations to advance public policy goals and promote technology that will drive job growth and address long-term challenges;
Educate the public about the economic impact and effects of legislation that would affect exploration for, processing, refining, or marketing oil and natural gas;
Identify areas of skills training needed in the construction and maintenance side of the industry;
Address long-term challenges, such as increasing access, promoting pro job growth tax policies, promoting energy security, and rationally addressing climate change.
Central to all the efforts of the Committee is the creation of jobs across a broad spectrum of the oil and natural gas industry, including construction and permanent jobs in the upstream and downstream sectors, such as exploration and production, transportation, pipeline construction and the building of increased refinery capacity in America.
There is broad support today for our nation to develop our domestic sources of energy, and begin the transition to a cleaner energy future. Not only are these issues of national security and environmental stewardship, but they are also questions of economic necessity. That is why the Department supported the American Clean Energy Security Act when it came to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for final passage.
But this also raises important issues about the realities of our energy needs and their associated costs to businesses and consumers. The Oil and Natural Gas Industry Labor-Management Committee has been formed to provide a dose of honesty and reality to the debate over what defines a realistic transition to a cleaner, "greener" American economy.
Extraordinary challenges lie ahead. Nearly four-fifths of the world’s petroleum reserves are controlled by state-owned national oil companies, who are, for the most part, disinclined to share them. Even more problematic is the consensus among experts that future global oil supplies will not be able to keep pace with increasing global consumption and, in fact, between 2015 and 2020, global oil production will actually start to decline.
Because of America’s steadily increasing needs for affordable energy, we need to produce energy from all of our domestic sources – renewable and conventional – at significantly higher levels than we do today. To succeed, we certainly have to make major investments in wind, solar, nuclear and other sources of renewable power, as well as invest in carbon sequestration technologies for coal-fired electrical plants, as well as advancements that will lead to cleaner uses of our domestic sources of oil and natural gas. In each and every one of these areas, there is the potential for significant growth and opportunities for the skilled craft professionals we represent.
Further, these energy investment priorities – should they proceed under the creative and innovative provisions of Community Workforce Agreements – will empower many communities and previously disadvantaged individuals to become an integral part of developing the skilled workforce of the future for this and many other industries.
America’s Building Trades Unions are, and will always be, focused on working in cooperation with entire industries, as well as individual owners and contractors, to secure growth, value and opportunity through our training and education infrastructure, innovative labor agreements, and skilled craft professionals.
Value on Display. Every Day. It’s not just a slogan…it’s a way of life for us now!