Our Mission

The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, business, environmental, and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs. Inspired by the Apollo space program, we promote investments in energy efficiency, clean power, mass transit, next-generation vehicles, and emerging technology, as well as in education and training. Working together, we will reduce carbon emissions and oil imports, spur domestic job growth, and position America to thrive in the 21st century economy.

Background

Apollo was launched in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy to catalyze a clean energy revolution in America, a revolution in the way our country generates and uses energy so profound that it will touch literally every quarter of American life. Harkening back to President Kennedy’s visionary call to restore America’s technological leadership by landing the first man on the Moon within the decade, the Apollo Alliance spoke directly to the core values we share as Americans: our can-do spirit, our inherent optimism, and the pride we feel (or want to feel) about our country’s place in the world. The subtext was clear: we did it before, we can do it again. This is America, the richest, most technologically advanced and industrious country in the world. If anyone can do it, we can. And we will.

Not surprisingly, the Apollo message captured the imagination of people throughout the country. Soon our phone lines were buzzing with calls from political leaders of all stripes wanting to find out what they could do in their states, in their cities, and at the national level to advance Apollo’s clean energy agenda. Apollo responded to the increasing demand for our work by establishing Apollo coalitions in nine states and five cities to promote policy change consistent with our Ten-Point Plan for reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil. We released highly regarded energy analyses that confirmed the economic benefits of converting to a clean energy economy and published guides outlining specific strategies for investing in clean energy, greater energy efficiency, and innovative transit and transportation solutions.

Apollo’s unique role in the climate debate is our ability to mobilize a coalition unprecedented in its strength and diversity by speaking directly to the economic benefits of moving toward a clean energy economy. In 2008, as the economy and energy rose to top Americans’ concerns, we released The New Apollo Program, an update of our original Ten-Point Plan developed for the 2004 elections. The plan identifies priorities for federal action and investment, including a “cap and invest” program to reduce carbon emissions; investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and mass transit; a plan to revitalize the manufacturing sector; and specific strategies to expand opportunities for American workers in the clean energy economy.

The New Apollo Program outlines a comprehensive economic investment strategy to build America’s 21st century clean energy economy. Released at a critical juncture in our nation’s economic future – as Congress and the administration called for a $700 billion rescue package to shore up our unstable financial infrastructure – the Apollo program would generate and invest $500 billion over the next ten years to accelerate the development of our vast clean energy resources, dramatically reduce carbon emissions that are destabilizing our planet, and transform America into the global leader of the new green economy.

In addition to releasing The New Apollo Program, our key accomplishments in 2008 included:

• Publishing The Apollo Economic Recovery Act, Apollo’s proposal for a comprehensive quick start, clean energy economic recovery strategy to immediately create or retain 650,000 direct green-collar jobs and an additional 1.3 million indirect jobs in communities across the country.

• Gaining inclusion of $25 billion in the 2008 federal economic rescue package for low-interest loans to auto manufacturers who retool their factories to make cleaner vehicles. Apollo worked with Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow to secure the loan provisions and funding.

• Securing funding to launch Apollo organizing campaigns in Missouri and North Dakota to build broad state, local and federal support for clean energy, good jobs initiatives.

• Convening a roundtable of policymakers and national business, labor, and environmental leaders to develop recommendations supporting the domestic manufacture of renewable energy systems and components – our “Made in America” manufacturing agenda from The New Apollo Program. We are working with several Midwest senators to incorporate these recommendations into recovery and stimulus packages, and in a broader energy bill expected to be introduced next year.

• Organizing Newark’s Green Future Summit in partnership with Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker and other national and local partners. The September 2008 summit and the year of planning leading up to it were the products of a commitment we made together at the Clinton Global Initiative last fall to help establish Newark as a national model for clean and efficient energy use, green-collar job creation, and green economic development.

• Writing and publishing Imagining Newark’s Green Future, a report documenting our year working in Newark. The report reviews our Newark project in depth and presents it as a model for how other cities and communities can organize green-collar job programs.

• Writing and co-publishing Green-Collar Jobs in America’s Cities, a guide for urban leaders about ways to expand local green-collar jobs. The guide explains how to link job creation and economic development strategies to methods of reducing CO2 emissions and meeting other energy goals. At the same time, we co-wrote (with the Center on Wisconsin Strategy and the Workforce Alliance) a state version of the report, Greener Pathways.

• Co-convening, with Green For All, a roundtable for local green-collar job practitioners (within the Apollo network and beyond) to discuss best practices and identify shared priorities. Like our reports and the summit, the roundtable is a tool for moving the idea of green-collar jobs from a theory to a reality across the country.

2009 Program Priorities

Apollo’s 2009 program priorities are to:

• Promote federal policies, within the framework of The New Apollo Program, to spur national economic recovery through strategic investment in America’s clean energy economy.

• Strengthen and build state and local Apollo coalitions to promote policies, implement programs to speed investment in clean energy and energy efficiency, and put people to work in well-paid, green-collar jobs.

Organization

In late 2007 Apollo spun off from its founding organizations, Campaign for America’s Future and Center for Wisconsin Strategy, formed its own Board of Directors, and expanded its staff and program to better meet the critical challenge of promoting clean energy and good jobs. The Apollo Alliance is a project of the Tides Center, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Clean Energy, Good Jobs – that's what America needs

Your support powers a clean energy revolution in America to reduce our nation's dependence on oil, cut harmful carbon emissions, and expand opportunities for American businesses and workers.

Your gift today helps the Apollo Alliance work with government, business, and community leaders to find and implement innovative energy solutions.