Last month, on Earth Day, the federal government announced the launch of the American Climate Corps (ACC), which aims to connect 20,000 Americans to careers in climate solutions and build the workforce needed for a clean energy economy. After several years of efforts from advocates, elected officials, and other stakeholders, the ACC has come to fruition. The ACC website is live now to connect job seekers with paid opportunities to work in conservation, clean energy, community resilience, and other areas of work that advance solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
GRID has been involved in the Partnership for a Civilian Climate Corps (PCCC), a collection of organizations that was formed in January 2022 to work towards the implementation of a national service corps addressing climate resilience and mitigation. The launch of the ACC is a huge stride towards the vision of the PCCC, and the collective is now working closely with federal agencies and the White House to ensure that the ACC is implemented in an equitable and effective manner.
GRID is a partner organization of the ACC and is excited to be part of this immense, nationwide effort to build the clean energy workforce of the future. GRID already provides job training through several programs, including SolarCorps, through which we have trained more than 300 individuals from diverse communities across the country . We are very excited to host ACC members through our SolarCorps program starting with our next fellowship cohort this September. Our collaborative efforts will meet the moment, preparing more people from under-represented communities with the skills to be active participants in the global combat against climate change.
The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRAand Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) was a pivotal moment in expanding access to clean energy and clean mobility, especially for communities that have historically lacked access to clean energy, while being the most impacted by climate change/.The investments of the IRA and IIJA, paired with efforts like the ACC, are important steps to a comprehensive reshaping of our current fossil fuel-based economy. Developing a well-trained clean energy workforce is essential to achieving the federal government’s goal of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035.
The President's Proposed Budget for 2025 includes $8 billion for the ACC to support 50,000 ACC members annually by 2031. GRID will continue to advocate for expanding, maintaining, and prioritizing the ACC and similar programs. While there is still more work to do, we celebrate this major achievement led by environmental justice, workforce development, and clean energy advocates nationwide.