BlueGreen Alliance’s Moreno Helping Pave a Path Toward a Renewable-Energy Future

By Oren Peleg 

At the end of 2025, Fabiola Moreno became co-chairperson of the BlueGreen Alliance, a coalition of labor and environmental organizations that focuses on renewable energy while fighting climate change and protecting the health of community members. Moreno, who is also a Business Representative for IBEW Local 569 in San Diego, follows Micah Mitrosky in the role. We caught up with Moreno to learn more about the Alliance and how she is settling into her role. 

What is the BlueGreen Alliance? 

It’s the bridge between environmental groups, labor unions, and the State Electrical Association. Our relationships with environmental groups are crucial to get bills passed and to get more work in general for IBEW. One of the things that I’ve been seeing through my chairmanship in these last couple of months is that there’s a lot of education that needs to happen within the Alliance. A lot of environmental groups don’t know how unions work. 

So, you’re showing environmental groups how IBEW is essential in achieving their goals? 

Yes, we provide education and engage union members and environmentalists on these key topics. There’s a lot happening when it comes to renewable energy. You have battery manufacturing, and a host of different technologies—hydrogen, geothermal, solar. My North Star is to help people understand that if we want to build an equitable, clean economy, we’re going to do it by creating good union jobs. I believe that through good union jobs, building this new economy will result in a more equitable one. For example, in my home Local 569, a lot of our members were previously farm workers. They transitioned into a union electrician job where they get a shot at retiring with dignity, good wages, and health care benefits for themselves and their families. 

I think the stereotypical view is that labor unions and environmental groups are in opposition to each other. Is the work of the Alliance to bridge that divide?  

Well, it came about with these conversations about, “Hey, we care about the same thing here, but there’s not really a space where we can collaborate.” A lot of people think that we’re always fighting—environmentalism versus labor—and that’s not true. We need to change that perspective and that narrative. The Alliance was created to help achieve that goal.  

That’s such an important point. Are there any achievements you’re proud of so far in your tenure as chairperson? 

Absolutely. AB 1280, which created a funding mechanism to modernize industrial facilities by replacing fossil fuel dependent equipment with cleaner alternatives, like thermal storage. That’s something that showed how both environmentalists and labor can work together and champion something together.  

Has your work with the Alliance translated over in any way to your role as Business Representative for Local 569?  

Overall, it’s been good to just be in the same room and be able to talk to environmental groups when something is contentious and ask them, “Where is this coming from?” Or even, “Why are you advocating for this? Or why is this language important to you?” So, I think the ability to just have that space to talk about these things—because sometimes it doesn’t have to be a fight—is invaluable. 

What are your goals for your tenure? 

I want to champion other bills together. When IBEW pushes for something, we’re pushing all the way through. So, it would be really nice to have people at the Sierra Club or other major players alongside us, to get on the same page with our narrative.   

If anyone wants to be involved with the BlueGreen Alliance, what do you recommend? 

There’s a newsletter they can sign up for—the BlueGreen Alliance newsletter. The State Association also puts out a newsletter every month that has updates on renewable energy and what we’re doing at the Alliance. Read about the issues, and if there’s anything you want to bring up, please let us know. At Local 569, we have an environment organizer. Different unions may have people with similar titles. So, find out who that person is in your region, get to know them, and learn if there are any collaborations that are happening similar to the BlueGreen Alliance. We hope more people will get involved.