Summary: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans worked in clean energy than there were school teachers in the country. The once booming sector is now experiencing hundreds of thousands of job losses as a result of the coronavirus recession. What will it take to not only get these jobs back but to grow the clean energy sector beyond where it was at the start of the year, putting the industry at the center of a U.S. economic recovery? In this episode of Political Climate, we speak to Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, former chief economist for the Obama Administration's Department of Commerce, as well as clean energy business leaders from Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania to learn how the clean energy sector has been affected by COVID-19 and what it will take to reboot the industry. This conversation comes as bipartisan clean energy legislation is advancing in both the House and Senate. But prospects for a final bill remain uncertain as Republicans focus on nominating a new Supreme Court Justice following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This is the third episode in our "Relief, Rescue, Rebuild" series supported by the think tank Third Way. The series theme song was created by @AYMusik. Recommended reading: Third Way: How Clean Energy Businesses Can Survive and Thrive After COVID-19PV Tech: Lacklustre job growth leaves 14% of US’ clean energy workforce unemployedE&E News: Clean energy push caught in congressional chaosThe Hill: House passes sweeping clean energy billVerge: Democrats unveil new agenda for economic recovery and climate actionA Green Economic Recovery: Global Trends and Lessons for the United States “Relief, Rescue, Rebuild” episodes will monthly on the Political Climate podcast feed. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you get podcasts! Have a moment? Please leave us a review! You can also chat with us on Twitter @Poli_Climate.
