Nov 13 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Rory Sweeney The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.


By creating a comprehensive package of legislation, manufacturing support, purchasing incentives and worker training, the U.S. can create a self-sustaining industry around alternative-energy development that creates nearly 2 million middle-class jobs, according to a coalition of worker unions and environmental organizations.

A Blue-Green Alliance representative, two local union leaders and a state legislator spoke on Thursday about the alliance's new report that links a revitalization of American manufacturing with an increase in alternative energy.

"We focus a lot on the products, but we don't necessarily focus on the manufacturing," said Jason Brady, who works for the Sierra Club and the alliance to increase its presence in Pennsylvania.

To do so, the alliance is calling for comprehensive climate-change and clean-energy legislation that would mandate 25 percent of energy come from renewable sources by 2025. Such a goal would create 850,000 jobs overall and 42,000 in Pennsylvania, according to the alliance's report.

He said the locating of wind giant Gamesa's North American headquarters in the Philadelphia region is a good example because it made the decision after it "saw that Pennsylvania as a state was making a commitment" to clean energy.

American consumers "have the wherewithal to make the improvements" for energy conservation, as opposed to residents in less prosperous countries where many of the products are produced, said state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre.

"If we're going to buy it, it should be made here," he said. "It's time that American companies have to decide whether they're Americans or not. Their main holdings should be in the country, where the majority of the jobs should stay." He suggested that 75 percent of their operations should stay on American soil.

Joe Padavan, the president of the local steelworkers union, reiterated that, arguing that the country needs to initiate trade regulations that factor in a product's environmental impact during its production so that American manufacturing isn't punished for its higher standards.

"The trade has to be fair, and it's not fair," he said. "We're looking for jobs that are going to be here for the long term."

His union believes solar energy and geothermal are "going to be big" regionally. "What we can do is make sure our men are trained ... We can be ahead of the game, so when it comes, we have the men to put on the job," he said.

Mike Mazza, the vice president and business manager for the local union of operating engineers, said companies are already indicating their willingness to use local workers.

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