MEDIA ADVISORY
April 28, 2010

CONTACT:
Kathleen Shea-Porter, (703) 276-2772, Ext. 14

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator John Kerry, Interior Secretary Salazar, Labor Secretary Solis, Energy Secretary Chu to Address 2010 Green Jobs Conference

2010 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference, May 4-6 at the Hilton Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator John Kerry, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis, and Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu will address 2010 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference, joining union members, environmentalists, community and business leaders, and elected and administration officials for the leading forum in 2010 for transforming ideas into action and building a clean energy economy that creates good jobs and preserves America’s economic and environmental security.

Workshop Session V: Wednesday, May 5, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Ballroom East

Americans are demanding the millions of jobs, energy independence, and clean air and water good comprehensive legislation can deliver. Inaction is too costly, and the challenge is too urgent. Last Summer, the U.S. House of Representatives acted and passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman forged a bipartisan process with the hope to have the Senate pass comprehensive climate change legislation in the coming months. Properly crafted legislation is expected create millions of clean energy jobs, put America on the path to energy independence, and cut global warming pollution. It will strengthen our economy by making America the world leader in new clean energy and energy efficiency technologies. Hear from senior staff at the White House, the Senate, and stakeholders on the importance of action on climate change and clean energy. They will also address the provisions that are necessary to include in legislation in order to ensure that is does, in fact, create good quality jobs in manufacturing, services and construction for all workers while also combating climate change and our energy security needs.

Moderator:
Yvette Pena Lopes, BlueGreen Alliance, Director of Legislation and Intergovernmental Affairs

Presenters:
Heather Zichal, White House, Senior Climate Change Advisor
Kathleen Frangione, U.S. Senator John Kerry, Senior Climate Staff (Invited)
Chris Miller, Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senior Policy Advisor on Energy and Climate Change
Joseph Schultz, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Senior Advisor on Energy and Climate Change
Chris Adamo, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senior Advisor on Energy and Climate Change
Tom Conway, United Steelworkers, International Vice President
John Coequyt, Sierra Club, Senior Representative on Climate and Energy
Bevin Albertani, Laborers’ International Union of North America, Director of Legislation and Political Action
David Doniger, Natural Resources Defense Council, Climate Center Policy Director
Hector Sanchez, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Executive Director

Workshop Session IV: Wednesday, May 5, at 10:00
Ballroom West

In the wake of the Copenhagen conference last December, a broad range of developed and developing countries, including China and India, have put forward specific pledges to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. While not sufficient to put the world on a path to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, these pledges do represent a step forward.

Several negotiating sessions are scheduled this year in the run-up to the next climate summit in Cancun, Mexico this December. Climate and energy issues are also on the agenda at the G-20 leaders' meetings in June and December, meetings of the Major Economies Forum, and the Energy Ministers' Summit being hosted by Energy Secretary Steven Chu in Washington in July.

An array of issues are up for discussion, including expanded financing for adaptation, clean energy technology deployment, and reducing deforestation; measurement, reporting, and verification of national efforts to limit emissions; just transition strategies for workers; and protection of the rights of communities and indigenous peoples. Progress on all these fronts is essential as the U.S. and the world seek to address the most pressing global environmental issue of our time, while taking full advantage of the job creation potential of the clean energy revolution that is needed to confront the challenge of climate change.

Hear from experts about what to expect out of the international climate negotiations and other key meetings this year, and the importance of Senate action on domestic climate and energy legislation to international progress on this issue.
 
Moderator:
Alden Meyer, Director of Policy and Strategy, Union of Concerned Scientists

Panelists:

Rick Duke, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy at the Department of Energy
Jake Schmidt, International Climate Policy Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
Abraham Breehey, Director of Legislative Affairs, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
Angela Anderson, Program Director, US Climate Action Network

Workshop Session II: Tuesday, May 4, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Concentration: Efficiency and Renewables
Ballroom West

Energy efficiency is the indispensable climate solution. The cheapest, cleanest, and fastest emission reductions will come from the energy we never have to use at all. Cutting energy use also saves money on homeowners’ electricity bills and reduces costs for business. Over the past year, energy efficiency has emerged centrally on the national policy stage as a tool for economic recovery as well as climate protection. Today bills are being debated in Congress to drive a new energy retrofit industry, including: Home STAR, Building STAR, Energy Efficiency Resource Standards, Federal Building Codes, and policies for Industrial Efficiency and Manufactured Housing. This discussion will begin with recognition that the Recovery Act made unprecedented investments in government energy efficiency programs, and will take a closer look at identifying the next steps that will be needed to build a national market for energy efficiency and take this work to scale across the whole economy.

Moderator:
Bracken Hendricks, Center for American Progress, Senior Fellow

Presenters:
Nancy Sutley, White House Council on Environmental Quality, Chair
Reid Detchon, Energy Future Coalition, Executive Director
Chris Chafe, Clean Economy Development Center, Executive Director
Mark Norberg, Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association, Assistant to the President
Jeremy Hayes, Green For All, Director of Special Projects

Workshop Session I: May 4, 2010 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Concentration: State and Local Initiatives/Other

Congress and the Obama Administration have made significant strides toward reinvesting in our domestic manufacturing sector.  But the greatest innovation is occurring at the state level, particularly in those states hit hardest by the economic downturn.  This workshop brings together a panel of experts from the states to share innovative examples of policies and programs aimed at revitalizing the manufacturing sector by retooling to make clean energy products and components, and improving energy efficiency.

Moderator:
Elena Foshay, Apollo Alliance, Research Associate, Apollo Alliance

Presenters
Amanda Woodrum, Policy Matters Ohio, Researcher
Steve Herzenberg, Keystone Research Center, Executive Director
Fred Hoffman, Office of Governor Granholm, Special Advisor for Economic Development

Workshop Session II: Tuesday, May 4, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Concentration: Efficiency and Renewables

The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA) has been developing nationally and internationally recognized ANSI accredited technical standards for the industry to use in the design, manufacturing, construction and operation of energy-efficient sustainable HVAC&R, Architectural, Power Generation and, Pollution Control projects for residential, commercial, institutional and industrial applications. The Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA) has over 120 years of experience training the professionals employed to perform the specialized work on these projects. Together through the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI), they have collaboratively established means to certify only the most advanced technicians in specific industry disciplines for sustainable green technologies.

Presenters:
Davor Novosel, National Energy Management Institute (NEMI), Chief Technology Officer
Eli Howard, SMACNA, Technical Services, Executive Director

Workshop Session I: Tuesday, May 4, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Concentration: State and Local Initiatives/Other

The labor movement’s State Federations, Central Labor Councils, local affiliate unions and community partners are strategic entities within geographic regions to drive the transition to a clean energy economy in a cross-sectoral way as well as to help reduce carbon emissions. Central Labor Councils and State Federations are essentially the electoral, policy and legislative voice of the labor movement at the county level are well-positioned to become key players in the development and advancement of a clean energy policy agenda. These policies include renewable energy standards, climate action plans, building codes that drive energy efficiency, mas trasnit plans, industrial recycling, etc.  Come hear from labor and community representatives who are helping build the clean energy economy from bottom up.

Moderator:
Lisa Hoyos, California Apollo Alliance; UC Berkeley Labor Center

Presenters:
Joe Uehlein, Labor Network for Sustainability, Executive Director
Peter Cooper, California Labor Federation, Senior Program Manager

Workshop Session III: Tuesday, May 4, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Concentration: State and Local Initiatives/Other

This workshop explore the planning and implementation of Tribal community scale projects on the distribution level and utility scale wind projects interconnected to the federal hydropower transmission systems (WAPA and BPA), where integrating wind power with hydro power provides a renewable energy dynamo for clean energy generation, reduces CO2 emissions, and conserves water in a drought stricken West; and the Intertribal COUP SAFE Homes Initiative brings appropriate technologies for reservation housing and employment in construction of sustainable, affordable, future-proof and energy-efficient tribal homes with transfer of best practices for Tribal community straw bale construction through Tribal College program development.

Presenters:
Bob Gough, Intertribal COUP, Secretary
William Schumacher, Intertribal COUP, Treasurer
Patrick Spears, Intertribal COUP, President

Workshop Session VI: Wednesday, May 5, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Concentration: State and Local Initiatives/Other

This workshop will present views on the benefits of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)  Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and activities that accelerate the growth of the green economy and the creation of clean energy jobs. Speakers will address program's background, and the panel will also feature an entrepreneur and grant recipient who is now providing green jobs as a result, and an environmental advocate describing policy benefits and prospects for expansion.

Moderator:
Tony Crooks, USDA Rural Development, Renewable Energy Policy Specialist

Presenters:
Kelley Oehler, USDA Rural Development, Loan Analyst
Dan Sharrer, Soy Energy, Inc., President; Agricultural Commodities, Inc., Co-Owner
Andy Olsen, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Senior Policy Advocate

Workshop Session VI: Wednesday, May 5, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Concentration: State and Local Initiatives/Other

The weatherization industry holds great promise for DC’s hardest hit communities. Installer positions have few barriers to entry, and this field has a career ladder of growth and opportunity. We will discuss how the nonprofit, labor, and business entities involved in the WeatherizeDC program formed strategic partnerships in order to meet the needs of both the workforce development and the business community. We will then lead an in-depth volunteer training to educate participants on how to execute our cutting-edge door-to-door weatherization canvass and effectively communicate the benefits of residential weatherization to homeowners and track canvass results in an actionable manner.

Moderator:
John Lauer, The DC Project, Program Director

Presenters:
Max Harper, The DC Project, Innovation Director
Valarie Ashley, Southeast Ministry, Executive Director
Bob Weatherwax, Ardently Green, Co-Founder and CEO
Hugo Carballo, LIUNA Local 11, Business Manager
Sam Witherbee, The DC Project, Field Director
Heather Deal, The DC Project, Field Organizer
Terrance Laney, The DC Project, Field Organizer
Winston Lofton, The DC Project, Field Organizer
San SunOwen, The DC Project, Field Organizer