While state and local governments so far have spent only a small percentage of stimulus funds for energy efficiency and new green jobs,
reporter Roger Valdez has found early signs of success in several communities in the Northwest including Portland, Oregon.
Writing in his news blog, Color of Money, for Sightline Daily, Valdez notes that Oregon will spend $2.5 million in stimulus funds on Clean Energy Works, a program that already is qualifying participants for its energy efficiency loan program. Of critical importance, says Valdez, is that the City Council has approved a Community Workforce Agreement, signed by businesses, churches and labor unions to focus the job creation effort in the places where it is needed most.
Writes Valdez: "The agreement is more of a promise than a contract, but its important. In order to actually train workers and get them on the job, unions, environmental and community organizations need to start talking with one another. The agreement is the first step to getting organizations familiar with each other to build the programs that will train the work force needed to implement the Clean Energy Works model throughout the Portland area."
Adds Valdez: "Portland’s agreement is focused on engaging parts of the community that haven’t often connected in past, aligning interests to benefit green jobs training. Taking these first steps in the early stages of spending stimulus money improves the chances that the money will have a big impact when it starts flowing, without wasteful mistakes or false starts."
