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Clean Energy Jobs are the Focus in Biden's New Executive Order

Written by Rhoda Shapiro | Jan 28, 2021 10:36:37 AM

Yesterday President Biden signed an Executive Order to, per a statement from the White House, "tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad while creating good-paying union jobs and equitable clean energy future…”

Some key parts of the order include the pausing and reviewing of oil and gas drilling on federal land, switching all government cars and trucks to electric vehicles, and asking federal agencies to get rid of their fossil fuel subsidies. 

"Today it is Climate Day at the White House, which means that today is Jobs Day at the White House," said the President. "We're talking about American innovation, American products, American labor..."

He spoke of America leading the world in a clean energy future.

"We can put millions of Americans to work modernizing our water systems, transportation, our energy infrastructure, to withstand the impacts of extreme climate [change]," said Biden.

President Biden

The government's shift to electric vehicles would create one million new jobs in the U.S. automobile industry. The President also brought up plans to create about a quarter million new jobs to do things like plug abandoned oil and gas wells.

On both sides of the aisle, opinions over the Biden Administration's plans differ. Some are concerned that the halting of drilling will lead to lost wages and jobs.

Others applaud the move...

As part of the order, a new commission would also be created in the coming days to focus on green jobs and environmental justice. The President’s focus on creating clean energy jobs is in line with a move of his from last week, when he announced that Jennifer Jean Kropke would be assuming the newly created position of Director of Energy Jobs at the Department of Energy.