Iowa Blue Green Alliance Hosts First Summit
By Katie Rock
Our Beyond Coal campaign has focused on building coalition partners during these last two years of COVID-19. Now that people are gathering in person, the whole month of April is packed with events rolling out this work.
First, members of the Iowa Blue Green Alliance held the first Iowa Labor and Climate Justice Summit in Iowa City on Apr 9, 2022 after a year of meeting virtually. The Blue Green Alliance is a national organization that unites labor unions and environmental organizations to solve today’s environmental challenges in ways that create and maintain quality jobs and build a clean, thriving, and equitable economy. About 80 people from environmental and labor organizations met at the University of Iowa campus to learn more about the alliance and how the clean energy transition builds good jobs.
Sessions covered a range of topics focused on working and learning together to build a clean energy economy: apprenticeships for green construction jobs, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a just transition for fossil fuel workers, water infrastructure, energy efficiency, utility scale solar, climate change 101, unions 101, and more. The day wrapped with a moving first-hand account of wage theft for migrant workers in the aftermath of the 2020 derecho in Cedar Rapids, covered by NBC News.
The group also reflected on the changing dynamics that led to the formation of this new Iowa BGA chapter. Early conversations a decade prior fell apart over disagreements on the developing Bakken pipeline through Iowa. The groups still disagree over pipelines, but pledged to focus on topics where there is a unanimous agreement. That list is long, and was reflected in the wide range of topics covered at the summit.
While still in its early stages, the Iowa BGA notched a victory last winter in securing a local labor agreement for both utility scale solar projects set to replace the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Linn County. The effort was highlighted in a speaking panel.
“Unfortunately there was a lot of misinformation floating around about solar and problems with solar. We need to do a better job pitching the values and benefits of solar,” said Iowa Chapter director Pam Mackey-Taylor. “What this project showed is that it takes a huge effort to move a project into a more acceptable project – for labor and the environment. The Linn County planning department and Board of Supervisors were willing to take the time to listen to the public and all of our concerns. It takes all of us to speak out, to show up, and to work together. Democracy does work. This experience also shows that with 21st century projects, labor and environmentalists can work together.”
And the work continues. Many opportunities await for the Iowa BGA to drive local projects and community investment through the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Is your community looking to apply for federal infrastructure funding? Let us know if the Iowa BGA can help advocate for your community projects by reaching out to the Sierra Club.
Photo below, Left to Right: John Zakrasek with the Linn Clean Energy District, Pam Mackey-Taylor with the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker, and Bill Gerhard with the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council speaking on the panel “The Struggle for Good Jobs and Utility-Scale Solar in Linn County”.
