IN SUPPORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY POLICY

WHEREAS, the U.S. lacks a comprehensive energy policy focused on investing in our nation’s future, creating jobs and addressing the threat of climate change; and

WHEREAS, leaders and policy-makers in both U.S. political parties recognize the critical importance of a comprehensive energy policy to protect the U.S. economy and expand growth. According to Henry Paulson, former secretary of the treasury, “a tax on carbon emissions will unleash a wave of innovation to develop technologies, lower the costs of clean energy and create jobs as we and other nations develop new energy products and infrastructure”; and

WHEREAS, a preponderance of experts recommend an energy policy that facilitates transition from old to new sources of energy; those experts recognize that the country will be reliant on traditional sources like coal, oil and natural gas, while newer sources like wind, solar and nuclear are developed. Any serious effort to tackle climate change must begin with ensuring we use a range of tools, including policy incentives and technology, to make our economy more energy efficient and by doing so to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from all of these sources; and

WHEREAS, a key part of this challenge relates to the systems by which we transport energy. These systems—our transmission lines and pipelines, freight rail and waterways—are vital parts of our nation’s infrastructure. As with our roads and bridges, they have deteriorated and cannot meet current demand; and

WHEREAS, much of the debate on oil transportation has focused too narrowly on construction of the Keystone XL. The national conversation must take into account the more pressing energy issue –how we will address the condition of the existing gas and oil infrastructure. Transition to more sustainable energy sources will require several years. While we remain reliant on natural gas and oil, properly designed and safe infrastructure must be repaired and built to transport that energy to market. Pipelines—when properly designed, manufactured, installed and maintained by skilled workers—are a low carbon emissions method of transporting oil and natural gas; and

WHEREAS, when energy infrastructure is allowed to decay, it becomes a threat—a public safety threat as shown by natural gas explosions in California and Kansas City, an environmental threat both in terms of toxic leaks and the release of methane and other powerful agents of global warming, and an economic threat as the efficiency of our domestic energy production is diminished:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers advocate with the AFL-CIO, the Building and Construction Trades Department, other unions and our partners in the Blue Green Alliance for an accelerated approach to the repair of our more than 2.5 million miles of existing pipelines. There are promising initiatives where business, labor and the environmental communities can unite around improvements to our nation’s energy infrastructure that make business more efficient; create good, skilled jobs; and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT support federal legislation for a comprehensive national energy policy—one that will expand investments in new energy technologies that create jobs to provide a just transition for workers and communities that may be harmed due to changing energy sources; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT educate and inform leaders and members on the elements of an effective national energy policy that will ensure environmental sustainability for our country and create green jobs and good jobs.