This fall, organizing and policy organizations in Massachussetts and New York have achieved major victories that will help green their states' building stock while providing good, green jobs for low-income communities.
On October 27, due in large part to the work of Surdna grantee Community Labor United and its partners, including Alternatives for Community and Environment, Massachusetts adopted a $1.4 billion energy efficiency plan that will bring economic revival to Massachusetts's working class communities. The three-year plan, adopted by the states' utility companies, will address many of the barriers to traditional house retrofit programs, including financing, community engagement, and standards for workforce development programs that lead to good, green jobs. Additionally, the plan includes the creation of an Equity Subcommittee, which will play a role in shaping policy and implementation strategies to ensure that equity remains a focus of the program. For more information, please click here.
On October 16, Governor Patterson of New York signed into law Green Jobs / Green Homes New York, setting aside $112 million to jumpstart a $5 billion dollar program in energy efficiency retrofits across the state. Based mainly on the policy blueprint set out by the Center for Working Families, GJ/GNY will be housed at the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) and will be informed by an advisory council made up of relevant state agencies, community groups, unions, contractors and utility companies that will work to ensure the role of community based organizations and contractors, as well as NYSERDA's role in supporting business and job development. For more information, please go to websites for the Center for Working Families or NYSERDA.
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