ORANGE COUNTY—Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm toured the Orange County Electrical Training Institute (OCETI), a local facility that is training the next generation of unionized clean energy workers. Porter and Granholm also hosted a roundtable with local labor leaders and other government officials on how the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are making our economy more globally competitive through investments in clean energy, green manufacturing, and decarbonization.

“Orange County has consistently been at the forefront of innovation and technology,” said Porter. “Our community understands that whoever dominates clean energy manufacturing today will have the strongest economy tomorrow. I’m proud to have helped secure federal resources that will create good, high-paying clean energy jobs and boost Southern California’s economy for decades to come.”

OCETI provides training programs to develop a high quality workforce for Orange County’s unionized electrical, intelligent traffic systems, and sound telecommunication industries. Students at OCETI earn college credits, receive continuing education units, and enroll in apprenticeship programs.

Prior to the tour of OCETI, Porter and Granholm hosted a roundtable with other government officials and leaders from the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council to discuss the investments in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that boost clean energy manufacturing. The Council represents more than 100,000 unionized skilled workers in 14 trades across 48 local unions and district councils in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

The Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law earlier this month, invests more than $60 billion in domestic clean energy manufacturing across industries. It also provides direct consumer incentives to purchase energy efficient and electric appliances, clean vehicles, and roof-top solar, and as well as incentives for businesses to use energy efficient commercial buildings and boost pay for workers.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law in November 2021, supports clean energy jobs through investments in electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging networks. California is eligible for nearly $57 million through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to build out its electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Porter has consistently advocated for clean energy solutions that grow California’s economy while protecting our environment. Last summer, she hosted U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh for a tour of University of California, Irvine’s electric vehicle infrastructure, during which they learned about the innovative hydrogen research taking place at the school’s National Fuel Cell Research Center. Porter also held a workshop to provide information to Orange County school districts about federal resources to help transition of school bus fleets to low and zero emission. She’s introduced the Hydrogen for Ports Act and the Hydrogen for Trucking Act to help cut down on fossil fuel use in energy-intensive sectors.

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