Green Jobs Act of 2007 – Update
There’s been some movement regarding the Green Jobs Act of 2007.
The passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 became effective on December 20th, 2007.
The law is intended to provided 125 million dollars in annual funding. Green Collar Technologies was organized as a 501(c)(3) in January of 2008 to specifically provide sustainability training in accordance with the provisions of Title Ten of the Act, aka the Green Jobs Act of 2007.
Official titling of the act:
1. H.R.6 : An Act to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers, to increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rahall, Nick J., II [WV-3] (introduced 1/12/2007) Cosponsors (198)
Committees: House Ways and Means; House Natural Resources; House Budget; House Rules; House Transportation and Infrastructure
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 110-140 [GPO: Text, PDF]
Note: Omnibus energy legislation.
We put an unrevised version of Title X of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 in it’s entirety here.
Since our last update we have provided Green Jobs training through our Sustainable Living Educational Series held on each Thursday evening during the month of July. Four different instructors, provided 5 different classes on topics such as permaculture, solar / off-grid power systems, rainwater harvesting, alternative energy power systems and sustainability 101. Class evaluations were very positive. The next series is scheduled for November.
In July 2008, Green Collar Technologies partnered with the Sustainable Living Institute, another Hawai`i-based 501(c)(3) organized in 1994. Daniel Morii, Director of the Sustainable Living Institute has joined our board of advisors.
We have presented for the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Workforce Development Divison and we have met with Goodwill Industries to learn about their possible need for our services. These discussions are on-going.
Next week, we’re providing digital marketing classes to help local business and we continue to expand our efforts to help strengthen Hawai`i’s digital economies by providing monthly classes to our Sustainable Web Community which we founded a couple years ago with the Big island Adobe User Group. This online niche community will be powered online by a green web server, the first of it’s kind at the Natural Energy lab in Kona. We owe special thanks to NELHA and specifically, Mark McGuffie and Judith Fox-Goldstein for making this project possible.
We are currently in discussion with the County Research and Development Department. Three specifc outcomes are targeted.
- Provide our Sustainable Living Educational Series, in Kona and Hilo. These same classes island-wide.
- Conduct research into Green Jobs on Hawai`i Island.
- Organize and produce “RainFest” as part of the County Product Enrichment Program. sponsorship with the Hawai`i Tourism Authoriy. This is particularly interesting as it supports a separate act within the Energy Independence and Security act entitled, “Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Research and Development Act.”
