SR0190 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College Sustainability Network (ICCSN), an existing structure partnering with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, is an innovative and immediate avenue to create green-collar jobs; and

WHEREAS, The ICCSN is a tested and trusted resource and provides the most efficient means to rapidly address the new energy economy's need for a green-jobs workforce and for the widespread deployment of energy conservation to the community level; and

WHEREAS, With appropriate funding, the current ICCSN is well positioned to expand to serve all 48 public community colleges in this State, and the whole system is committed to preparing a green-collar workforce with both the academic and technical skills needed to stimulate growth in the new energy economy; and

WHEREAS, This State's public community colleges have planned construction projects to convert campus energy systems to more efficient and clean energy sources; it is estimated that 50,000 direct and indirect green-collar jobs could be created by installing geothermal, wind, and solar technologies on community college campuses across this State; and

WHEREAS, The ICCSN has requested a total of $648,600,000 through the federal government's economic recovery initiative in order to do the following:

(1) rapidly accelerate training and development of the green-collar workforce by expanding the ICCSN; and

(2) stimulate the creation of green-collar jobs through community college renewable energy and energy conservation projects that are bid ready and that would train green-collar workers while reducing the carbon usage and energy cost of community college facilities; and

WHEREAS, Each project will serve multiple goals related to developing the green-collar workforce; the projects will create green-job skills, decrease campus energy consumption by 30% to 50%, provide hands-on experience for renewable energy technician training, serve as demonstration sites for business, industry, and homeowners, and be shovel-ready immediately or within 180 days; and

WHEREAS, Accountability for outcomes will occur through independent measuring and verification for carbon reduction strategies; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the U.S. Congress to fund the Illinois Community College Sustainability Network's request for $648,600,000 from the federal government for the training and development of a green-collar workforce and the creation of green-collar jobs through community college renewable energy and energy conservation projects; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each member of the Illinois congressional delegation.