Apollo and Brown Push for Manufacturing Green

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Joining with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was Apollo Alliance chairman Phil Angelides, among others, to introduce the “Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act of 2009.”

The bill is aimed at aiding America’s manufacturing sector toward recovery by facilitating development of domestic clean energy manufacturing and production. Through stimulus and other policies that are part of the bill, the hope is to generate unprecedented demand for clean energy parts and systems. Currently 70% of the country’s clean and efficient energy systems are produced abroad, including half of America’s existing wind turbines and all transformers for the electrical grid.

“We can revive American manufacturing through investment in clean energy,” said Senator Brown. “This bill will help our manufacturers retool, put our auto suppliers back to work, and produce clean energy technologies.”

The Act would provide resources for small- and medium-sized manufacturers through a 2-year, $30 billion manufacturing revolving loan fund. It will provide liquidity for domestic manufacturers to improve their processes, to retool and expand production of clean energy products.

In support of the bill, Angelides claims, “Without a program to support our own domestic manufacturers, policies that create new demand for clean energy will just lead to more imports. It is critical that Congress enact legislation that provides direct and substantial investment in clean energy component manufacturing to ensure that jobs are created in the U.S., and to wean us from our dependence on other nations to meet our energy needs.”

The Apollo Alliance describes itself as a coalition of labor, business, environmental and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs.