I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4148 

To require the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of 

Energy and Secretary of Education, to submit a report on current 

and future trends and shortages in the clean energy technology industry 

to achieve a clean energy economy, and to provide grants to establish 

and enhance training programs for any occupation or field of work 

for which a shortage is identified, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 2, 2019 

Mr. DELGADO (for himself, Mr. POCAN, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New 

York, Ms. WILD, Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. 

MENG, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. COHEN, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Ms. 

CLARKE of New York, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. RYAN, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. 

CARBAJAL, Ms. OMAR, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, 

Mr. SIRES, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. TONKO, Mr. 

SUOZZI, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. ESPAILLAT, 

Ms. SPANBERGER, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Ms. 

BROWNLEY of California, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mrs. 

TRAHAN, and Mr. ROUDA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the 

Secretary of Energy and Secretary of Education, to submit a report on current and future trends and shortages 

in the clean energy technology industry to achieve a 

clean energy economy, and to provide grants to establish 

and enhance training programs for any occupation or 


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field of work for which a shortage is identified, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Green Jobs and Oppor5 tunity Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The 21st century has some of the highest 

9 recorded temperatures in known history. 

10 (2) Scientists have high confidence that global 

11 temperatures will continue to rise for decades to 

12 come, largely due to greenhouse gases produced by 

13 human activities. 

14 (3) According to the Intergovernmental Panel 

15 on Climate Change (IPCC), which includes more 

16 than 1,300 scientists from the United States and 

17 other countries, there will likely be a temperature 

18 rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next 

19 century. 

20 (4) With only around 4.4 percent of the Earth’s 

21 population, World Bank studies have found that the 

22 United States is the second largest contributor of 

23 carbon dioxide emissions at 14.6 metric tons of CO2

24 per capita. 


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1 (5) When the world gets hotter, it can fuel the 

2 proliferation of drought, typhoons, hurricanes, wild3 fires, and general habitat change, and can affect the 

4 availability of food and water, among other issues. 

5 (6) IPCC findings have revealed that the 

6 United States is projected to lose more than 

7 $500,000,000,000 in annual economic output by the 

8 year 2100 from global warming. 

9 (7) Additionally, the IPCC discovered that to 

10 avoid the most severe impacts of a changing climate, 

11 net-zero global emissions by 2050 will be required. 

12 (8) According to the Brookings Institution, a 

13 clean economy would encompass a vast array of in14 dustries and jobs directly involved in producing 

15 goods and providing services with an environmental 

16 benefit. 

17 (9) Under the 2019 Clean Jobs America report 

18 by E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs), it is esti19 mated that 3.26 million workers are currently em20 ployed in, or are engaged in closely related activities, 

21 to the clean economy. 

22 (10) According to the International Labor Or23 ganization, by 2030, it is projected that over 24 mil24 lion new clean energy jobs will be needed globally to 

25 transition to a clean economy. 


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1 (11) To meet this clean energy agenda, invest2 ing in job training will be crucial to ensuring the 

3 United States has a readied workforce. 

4 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to ensure 

5 the current United States workforce is prepared to transi6 tion to a clean energy economy. 

7 SEC. 3. 21ST CENTURY WORKFORCE TRENDS AND SHORT8 AGES. 

9 (a) MONITORING.—The Secretary of Labor, in con10 sultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall collect data 

11 to monitor current and future trends and shortages within 

12 the clean energy technology industry, which includes 

13 skilled technical personnel, electric power engineers, trans14 mission engineers, and other occupations or fields of work 

15 under— 

16 (1) the agriculture and forestry industry; 

17 (2) the electric utility industry; 

18 (3) the manufacturing industry; 

19 (4) the wholesale trade industry; 

20 (5) the professional and business services indus21 try; and 

22 (6) the manufacturing and operation and main23 tenance industries for component parts of clean en24 ergy technologies. 


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1 (b) REPORT ON CURRENT TRENDS AND SHORT2 AGES.—Not later than 120 days after the date of enact3 ment of this Act, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, the 

4 Secretary shall submit to Congress, based on the data col5 lected under subsection (a), a report on— 

6 (1) trends and shortages as of the date of such 

7 report, and recommendations to prepare the work8 force to address such trends and shortages to meet 

9 the demands of a clean energy economy; and 

10 (2) other recommendations the Secretary deter11 mines appropriate. 

12 (c) REPORT ON FUTURE TRENDS AND SHORT13 AGES.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

14 of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, based 

15 on the data collected under subsection (a), a report on— 

16 (1) trends and shortages projected in the next 

17 10 years, and recommendations to address such 

18 trends and shortages to prepare the workforce to 

19 meet the demands of a clean energy economy; and 

20 (2) other recommendations the Secretary deter21 mines appropriate. 

22 SEC. 4. TRAINEESHIP GRANTS. 

23 (a) GRANTS.—The Secretary, in consultation with 

24 the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Education, 

25 shall provide grants to eligible entities described in subVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:11 Aug 16, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4148.IH H4148

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1 section (b) to establish training programs (including dis2 tance learning) for any occupation or field of work for 

3 which a workforce shortage is identified or projected under 

4 subsection (b) or (c) of section 3. 

5 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—To be eligible to receive a 

6 grant under this subsection, an entity shall be— 

7 (1) an institution of higher education (as such 

8 term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Edu9 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), including 

10 a junior or community college (as such term is de11 fined in section 312(f) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 

12 1058(f))); 

13 (2) a postsecondary vocational institution (as 

14 such term is defined in section 102(c) of the Higher 

15 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c))); 

16 (3) an elementary school (as such term is de17 fined in section 8101 of the Elementary Education 

18 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); 

19 (4) a secondary school (as such term is defined 

20 in section 8101 of the Elementary Education Act of 

21 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); 

22 (5) a Bureau-funded school (as such term is de23 fined in section 1141 of the Education Amendments 

24 of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 2021)); 

25 (6) a labor organization; 


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1 (7) an entity that is registered under the Act of 

2 August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the ‘‘National 

3 Apprenticeship Act’’; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 

4 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) that pays all participants of an 

5 apprenticeship or on-the-job-training program com6 pensation at least the higher of $15 an hour or the 

7 applicable Federal, State, or local minimum wage in 

8 the location of the program; or 

9 (8) an education and training provider that is 

10 listed as an eligible provider of training services for 

11 a program under section 122(d) of the Workforce 

12 Innovation Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3152 (d)) 

13 that pays all participants of an apprenticeship or on14 the-job-training program compensation at least the 

15 higher of $15 an hour or the applicable Federal, 

16 State, or local minimum wage in the location of the 

17 program. 

18 (c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

19 from the Secretary under this section, an entity shall sub20 mit an application to the Secretary containing such infor21 mation as the Secretary may require, including but not 

22 limited to— 

23 (1) a description of the training the entity 

24 would provide with funds from such a grant, how 

25 such training fulfills the workforce needs described 


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1 in subsection (b) or (c) of section 3, and that the 

2 workforce need being met is in an industry or occu3 pation in the region in which the training is con4 ducted; 

5 (2) evidence of experience in conducting worker 

6 training programs in the clean energy technology 

7 sector; 

8 (3) evidence that the program funded by such 

9 a grant will aid a participating individual in finding 

10 new or more advanced employment or training op11 portunities in the clean energy technology sector and 

12 that such employment or training will help the indi13 vidual achieve economic self-sufficiency; and 

14 (4) information about the entity and any rel15 evant partnerships with the Federal Government, 

16 other worker training entities, employers or em17 ployer-sponsored organizations, State or local agen18 cies, labor unions, educational institutions, commu19 nity organizations, or faith-based organizations. 

20 (d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec21 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 

22 that, in carrying out training programs under this section, 

23 give priority to the following: 

24 (1) Displaced workers (particularly workers 

25 from the fossil fuel industry). 


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1 (2) Individuals with a barrier to employment 

2 (as such term is defined in section 3 of the Work3 force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 

4 3102)). 

5 (3) Veterans, members of the reserve compo6 nents of the Armed Forces, or former members of 

7 such reserve components. 

8 (4) Members of underrepresented populations. 

9 (5) Frontline and vulnerable communities. 

10 (6) Any other identified group the Secretary de11 termines appropriate. 

12 (e) GRANT PERIOD AND AMOUNT.—A grant awarded 

13 under this section shall be awarded for a one year period 

14 and may not exceed $2,500,000. 

15 (f) REPORTING.—Not later than two years after the 

16 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

17 a report to Congress on the grant program carried out 

18 under this section, which shall include— 

19 (1) a description of each eligible entity awarded 

20 a grant under this section; 

21 (2) the amount of each such grant; 

22 (3) the activities for which such grant was used; 

23 (4) policy recommendations; and 

24 (5) any other information the Secretary deter25 mines appropriate. 


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1 SEC. 5. SECRETARY’S NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

2 The Secretary shall establish a National Advisory 

3 Committee on the Clean Energy Technology workforce, re4 ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Advisory Committee’’, to 

5 meet the objectives of this Act. 

6 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Advisory Committee 

7 shall have— 

8 (A) 24 voting members appointed by the 

9 Secretary, composed of— 

10 (i) 6 representatives of employers who 

11 participate in the clean energy technology 

12 industry, including employers who partici13 pate in a registered apprenticeship pro14 gram in the clean energy technology indus15 try sponsored by a joint labor-management 

16 partnership; 

17 (ii) 6 representatives of labor organi18 zations who represent workers in the clean 

19 energy technology industry; 

20 (iii) 6 representatives of institutions 

21 of higher education, postsecondary voca22 tional institutions, public high schools, an 

23 entity that carries out programs registered 

24 under the Act of August 16, 1937, and 

25 other education and training providers that 

26 are listed as an eligible provider of training 


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1 services for a program under section 

2 122(d) of the Workforce Innovation Oppor3 tunity Act; and 

4 (iv) 6 representatives of environmental 

5 and clean energy community organizations; 

6 and 

7 (B) members who are ex officio nonvoting 

8 representatives from the Departments of Labor, 

9 Education, and Energy. 

10 (2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The members shall be 

11 selected upon the basis of their experience and com12 petence concerning workforce development and train13 ing in the clean energy technology industry. 

14 (3) TERMS.—The Secretary shall appoint the 

15 members for terms of 3 years. 

16 (4) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary shall des17 ignate one of the members of the Advisory Com18 mittee to serve as Chairperson of the Advisory Com19 mittee. 

20 (5) MEETINGS.—The Advisory Committee shall 

21 hold not fewer than 2 meetings during each calendar 

22 year. All meetings of the Advisory Committee shall 

23 be open to the public. A transcript shall be kept of 

24 each meeting and made available for public inspec25 tion. 


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1 (6) DUTIES.—The Advisory Committee shall 

2 advise, consult with, and make recommendations to 

3 the Secretary on matters relating to the administra4 tion of this Act. 

5 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

6 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

7 this Act, $260,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 

8 through 2022. 

9 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

10 In this Act: 

11 (1) CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY.—The term 

12 ‘‘clean energy economy’’ means United States energy 

13 production resulting in net-zero carbon emissions in 

14 accordance with the timeline described in the IPCC 

15 Report to limit global warming to 1.5 °C above pre16 industrialized levels. 

17 (2) CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY.— 

18 The term ‘‘clean energy technology industry’’ in19 cludes— 

20 (A) the renewable, clean, and low-carbon 

21 electric power energy generation sector; 

22 (B) the electric transmission sector; 

23 (C) the energy storage sector; and 

24 (D) the energy efficiency sector. 


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1 (3) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 

2 means the Department of Labor. 

3 (4) DISTANCE LEARNING.—The term ‘‘distance 

4 learning’’ means the transmission of educational or 

5 instructional programming to geographically dis6 persed individuals and groups via telecommuni7 cations. 

8 (5) FRONTLINE AND VULNERABLE COMMU9 NITIES.—The term ‘‘frontline and vulnerable com10 munities’’ means deindustrialized communities, de11 populated rural communities, and communities 

12 where indigenous people, people of color, migrants, 

13 low-income workers, women, the elderly, people with 

14 disabilities, and the youth are disproportionately im15 pacted. 

16 (6) HIGH SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘high school’’ 

17 has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of 

18 the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

19 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

20 (7) IPCC REPORT.—The term ‘‘IPCC Report’’ 

21 means the report entitled ‘‘IPCC, 2018: Global 

22 warming of 1.5 °C. An IPCC Special Report on the 

23 impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-indus24 trial levels and related global greenhouse gas emis25 sion pathways, in the context of strengthening the 


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1 global response to the threat of climate change, sus2 tainable development, and efforts to eradicate pov3 erty’’ published by the Intergovernmental Panel on 

4 Climate Change on October 8, 2018. 

5 (8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

6 the Secretary of Labor. 

7 (9) SHORTAGES.—The term ‘‘shortages’’ refers 

8 to when workforce demand outweighs supply within 

9 an occupation or field of work. 

10 (10) SKILLED TECHNICAL PERSONNEL.—The 

11 term ‘‘skilled technical personnel’’ means— 

12 (A) journey- and apprentice-level workers 

13 (including such workers who work in full supply 

14 chain and manufacturing, and operation and 

15 maintenance), who are enrolled in, or have com16 pleted, a registered apprenticeship program 

17 under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly 

18 known as the ‘‘National Apprenticeship Act’’; 

19 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et 

20 seq.); and 

21 (B) other skilled workers in the clean en22 ergy technology industry, as determined by the 

23 Secretary. 

24 (11) TREND.—The term ‘‘trend’’ refers to jobs 

25 being created, jobs being eliminated, lifespan of jobs, 


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1 required competencies of jobs, skill gaps of jobs, geo2 graphical locations of jobs, ongoing training for jobs, 

3 cleanliness of jobs (based on greenhouse gas reduc4 tions), current job openings, projected job openings, 

5 current wages of jobs, projected wages of jobs, 

6 unionization rates of jobs, and other information the 

7 Secretary determines appropriate. 

8 (12) UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS.— 

9 The term ‘‘underrepresented populations’’ is a group 

10 that comprises less than 25 percent of the individ11 uals employed in each occupation or field of work 

12 within the clean-energy technology industry. 

Æ 


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