It is no surprise that every state in the Midwest cares about job creation. The region has a tremendous manufacturing base that was hit hard by the recession. But many of these policy makers are ignoring how the Midwest can lead again—the clean energy economy.
Over the summer, the Midwest Chapter has been busy reinforcing how to add to the already half a million people employed in the region’s clean energy job force – better state policy.
In May, the Kansas City Star ran an op-ed by Joe Spease of WindSoHy trumpeting the potential to put people to work in Kansas and Missouri in clean energy.
In June, Indiana’s South Bend Tribune ran an op-ed written by E2 emphasizing that the state needs to do more to protect the vibrant clean energy workforce. Later that month, the paper editorialized in favor of the state incorporating more renewable energy in their state’s energy mix.
In July, E2 held a business networking event in Des Moines that featured a state lawmaker and representatives from the energy efficiency, solar and wind industries promoting the need for strong policy at both the local and national level.
Building on the sustained press attention throughout the region, E2 will be working with in-state partners to develop fact sheets with in-district clean energy jobs numbers for state legislators in several Midwestern states. We will delivering some of these fact sheets in person as state legislatures in Ohio, Illinois and Michigan are all debating clean energy standards this fall.