Dr. Ruiz Announces The Renewable Energy Jobs Act to Spur Job Creation, On-The-Job Training in Renewable Energy Industry

PALM SPRINGS, CA – Today, Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert), joined by experts in the renewable energy industry, announced the Renewable Energy Job Act (H.R. 4648). This legislation establishes a grant program to train individuals for employment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries through public-private partnerships and on-the-job and educational training.

"The renewable energy sector employs hundreds of thousands of people here in the Coachella Valley and across the country and as the industry continues to grow, our workforce must have the skills to grow with it," said Dr. Ruiz. "Our communities need these jobs and we have access to the wind and solar resources that will allow us to lead the country in renewable energy job creation. That's our goal and this bill is a step in the right direction. This is a business friendly, public-private opportunity to put our unemployed and students to work with on-site job training opportunities in our local renewable energy industry."

The Renewable Energy Jobs Act creates a grant program to fund education and on-the-job training opportunities in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. The Secretary of Labor will award competitive grants to states with the highest installed alternative energy power capacity. Renewable energy and energy efficiency employers, labor, educational and non-profit institutions are eligible for the grant.

There are 679 megawatts of wind power in CA-36 alone, including some of the first wind turbines ever installed in the U.S. Additionally, there are 21 solar companies in our region.

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