Texas Allocates Stimulus Money for Green Jobs

Posted for Morgan Hargrave (Texas Impact)

A study commissioned last year by Texas Governor Rick Perry estimated that 2/3 of new energy sector jobs over the next 10 years would come from renewable energy sector, so it is fitting that among the few small victories for advocates working to ensure Texas gets the most out of its Recovery Act funds involved the creation of the state's first ever green jobs training program.

An amendment directing the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to initiate such a program made it into Article XII of the state's biennial budget, which was finalized by the Legislature on May 30th.  The TWC will use a portion of the state's Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds to prepare workers for success in a greener economy.  The agency is also required to report back to the Legislature later this year about opportunities to build a program that combines WIA dollars with other Recovery Act funding streams, including those allocated for child care, weatherization, and energy efficiency projects.

Companion House and Senate bills that would have created a green jobs training program had been filed by Representative Mark Strama of Austin and Senator Rodney Ellis of Houston, but both bills remained unpassed when the legislative session ended on June 1st, so this budget amendment remained the last chance for creating more green jobs in Texas.  Advocates for strong implementation and accountability strategies for Texas' Recovery Act funds were left largely disappointed this session, but the Legislature's commitment to using the federal funds toward an innovative project like training workers to do tomorrow's green jobs is nonetheless an important milestone.

For more information about the green jobs program or Texas' Recovery Act funds in general, contact Morgan Hargrave of Texas Impact at (512) 472-3903 or morganhargrave(at)texasimpact.org.