The latest news from unions and climate jobs coalitions leading on climate
Wisconsin approves first wind project in 14 years
Following Climate Jobs advocacy, Wisconsin approved a pair of clean energy projects, including the first utility-scale wind project in over a decade, to boost domestic energy supply and bring hundreds of good union jobs to the state ahead of the expiration of federal tax credits for wind and solar. Local union members mobilized in support of Badger Hollow, a 118-megawatt wind energy project in Grant and Iowa counties. The project will create up to 200 local construction jobs, thanks to a first-of-its-kind pledgefrom the four largest utilities in Wisconsin to hire local union workers to build clean energy projects across the state.
Unions rally around new plan to boost clean energy jobs in Massachusetts
Massachusetts unions are pushing the state to lead on climate with an energy audit bill that would bring union jobs opportunities to communities across the state. The bill would require energy and air quality audits of public schools, universities, and colleges, and create a new Healthy and Sustainable Schools Office to implement recommended upgrades to buildings.
Read more as covered by WWLP-22.
“We do not have a worker shortage in our energy unions. We have a high-quality job site shortage. This bill would put energy workers back to work and allow training centers to take in more apprentices,”said Chrissy Lynch, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO
“Let’s identify the oldest boilers, the worst air ducts and crumbling insulation, and let’s fix them with highly-trained workers and responsible contractors that are going to do a clean job and keep costs down… More efficient heating systems, combined with generation and heat transfer solutions like solar and geothermal, mean lower bills for schools and less demand on our grid,” said Ryan Murphy, President of Climate Jobs Massachusetts
“Our members want this program back up and running”
The Rhode Island AFL-CIO is leading the charge on a lawsuit to reverse the termination of Solar for All, a $7 billion grant program intended to save money for working people while creating good union jobs installing solar on homes.
Rhode Island AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley said that following a recent order to halt construction of Revolution Wind, cancelling the Solar for All program puts even more of Rhode Island’s working families at risk:
“Now that the program is on hold, potentially hundreds of job opportunities are lost. It’s not just a one-two punch to the work force that I represent. It really is a one-two punch to the entire state of Rhode Island because our energy costs need to be controlled, and renewable energy sources like solar and wind are a key component of that.”
Read more as covered by the New York Times. Read Climate Jobs Rhode Island’s full statement here.
In other news:
- Listen: Pennsylvania labor leaders Angela Ferritto and Robert Bair interviewed on the Energy Policy Nowpodcast “With federal funding being pulled back, leaders of Pennsylvania’s top labor unions push state policy to deliver clean energy jobs.”
Climate Jobs National Resource Center
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