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MAY 2004
A new vision for our energy future
by Rick S. Bender, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Nearly 50 years ago, President John F. Kennedy inspired the nation with a vision to land a man on the moon.  Less than a decade later, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface saying, “One small step for man….”

Now it’s time to take a bold step forward for our country to achieve a future of energy independence. 

Organized labor is joining with business and environmentalists to support a new Apollo Project to achieve energy independence. The new Apollo Project has the potential to create three million family wage jobs for Americans. We need the jobs because we’ve lost 2.8 million manufacturing jobs in the past three years. In just the last year in our state, we’ve suffered the loss of 11,700 family-wage manufacturing jobs.

The Apollo Project offers a bold, clear plan to reinvigorate our economy and restart real job growth.   For example, building operating systems are major users of energy. The International President of the Sheet Metal Workers Union, Michael Sullivan, advises us that if energy-efficient environmental building systems are installed, maintained and operated by skilled workers, the savings on energy costs in this country would add up to $25 billion a year. That is a huge savings.

High performance buildings are just one way we can create energy independence by the year 2015.  Here are several other achievable steps:

• Expand renewable energy development, such as wind power.

• Improve our transportation options to increase job access and efficient freight mobility.

• Promote advanced technology and hybrid cars, transitioning to American-made advanced technology vehicles.

• Invest in long term research and development of hydrogen fuel cell technology and create a “hydrogen highway” to support hydrogen powered vehicles.

• Modernize our electrical infrastructure using new technology to improve transmission and cleaner power production.

Our region is especially well positioned for this 21st Century Apollo Project. We have the workforce available with well-trained men and women ready to take every advantage of the technologies of clean, renewable energy development. From the Machinists to the Ironworkers to the Operating Engineers, we have the highly skilled labor force. We also have a tremendous apprenticeship and training system already in place so we can ramp up to match a growing clean energy industry.

In addition, we are fortunate to have developed strong Public Utility Districts and public agencies such as City Light, the BPA, and Pacific Northwest Labs that are experienced, successful energy pioneers. Finally, we have a smart, strong environmental community that is actively committed to achieving clean energy programs.

The new Apollo Project promises a future of energy independence that will make our country less dependent on the troubled, volatile Middle East. Given the critical national security issues before us, I believe we should immediately undertake the effort to achieve energy independence

But we have international challenges here. Japan alone controls 43% of the solar power market, an industry invented in this country. European countries control 90% of wind turbine productions, and we are now importing fuel cells from Canada rather than manufacturing them ourselves. U.S. firms, employing U.S. workers, should fill these markets. We must put in place the policies to make the Apollo Project initiatives benefit American workers and communities.

We have the leadership to achieve these goals. We have political leadership from the Governor’s Sustainable Washington panel. We have a strong private sector with a solid base of business in energy production and technologies. We have the academic research institutions that have the ingenuity and creativity to devise improvements and inventions for our energy future.

Organized labor -- and the Washington State Labor Council -- stand ready to work with all parties at the table to achieve the next American domestic scientific achievement: The 21st Century Apollo Project.

Rick Bender is President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO,
the largest labor organization in the state.

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Copyright © 2004  Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO