Stay up to date on how climate jobs coalitions across the country are building a worker-centered, clean energy economy. For press inquiries, please contact press@cjnrc.org.
December 9, 2024
Unions: Green jobs are good paying jobs under new MA climate law
Kathryn Carley, Public News Service
Labor unions in Massachusetts say the state’s new climate law will create good jobs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
November 26, 2024
New England labor unions call for faster offshore wind buildout
Carrie Klein, Canary Media
A new report by unions in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut recommends tripling the region’s 2040 offshore wind goals and centering workers.
November 22, 2024
Connecticut has some of the nation’s high electricity bills. Is wind power the answer?
John Craven, News 12
Trade unions say electric rates will drop if the state doubles-down on offshore wind.
November 21, 2024
Coalition defeats repeal of WA Climate Act to save environment, jobs
Mark Richardson, Public News Service
On Election Day, a broad coalition of conservationists, labor, and others helped defeat a ballot initiative to repeal Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act. The act, passed in 2021, is the state’s state’s primary vehicle for reducing emissions and pollution and a major source of funding for clean energy infrastructure and climate initiatives.
November 21, 2024
Can unions save offshore wind from Trump?
Gautama Mehta, Grist
Organized labor has a plan for how to keep New England’s renewable energy momentum going.
November 21, 2024
Can Labor Save Offshore Wind?
Jael Holzman, Heatmap Plus
Labor’s support is going to be necessary for the [offshore wind[ industry to stand a chance at maintaining growth.
November 21, 2024
Healey says Mass. has ‘secret sauce’ to counter wind energy opposition
Colin A. Young, USA Today
Gov. Maura Healey doubled down Tuesday on the state’s commitment to offshore wind amid signals that the federal government could soon turn far more antagonistic to the growing sector, telling a union hall audience that the partnership of organized labor and the clean energy industry gives Massachusetts “a special sauce” that positions it to continue its energy transition.
November 20, 2024
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey advocates for more offshore wind despite Trump threat
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald
Southern New England labor unions and elected officials are going full speed ahead with trying to develop offshore wind energy despite the looming threat of a crackdown from the incoming Trump administration.
November 19, 2024
Gov. Healey, unions call for major expansion of New England offshore wind
Anastasia E. Lennon, The New Bedford Light
Major labor unions in New England, with the support of Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, are calling for more state and federal investment in offshore wind development. The unions’ new report recommends that Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island together set ambitious goals, including 30 gigawatts of offshore wind in the region by 2040 — enough to power 10 million homes.
November 19, 2024
Southern New England leaders double down on growing offshore wind industry
Kennedy Buck, NBC 10 News
The future of the offshore wind industry is uncertain as a new administration is about to move into the Oval Office. Despite the new leadership, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey continues to share optimism.
November 15, 2024
Trade Unions Urge Southern New England States to Triple Their Offshore Wind Commitments
Jon Hurdle, Inside Climate News
A coalition of trade union groups called Thursday on the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut to sharply increase their goals for developing offshore wind power over the next 15 years to help meet climate goals and boost their economies.
November 15, 2024
Ocean wind power supporters ponder future in Maine after Trump win
Peter McGuire, Maine Public
On the campaign trail, president elect Donald Trump lashed out against ocean wind energy and declared he would stop the industry’s development. But offshore wind power supporters in Maine said while they expect roadblocks ahead, a single presidential administration is unlikely to derail the state’s long-term plans.
November 15, 2024
Trade Unions Urge Southern New England States to Triple Their Offshore Wind Commitments
Jon Hurdle, Inside Climate News
Advocates say buying significantly more offshore wind would help states boost economies, meet climate goals.
October 29, 2024
Two Offshore Wind Developers Wade Into the Gulf of Maine
Emily Pontecorvo, Heatmap
Two developers, Avangrid and Invenergy, purchased four of the eight leases that were up for sale. If turned into wind farms, they have the potential to generate about 6.8 gigawatts, or enough electricity to power about 2.3 million homes, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
October 29, 2024
Maine offshore wind power takes a big step forward with new federal leases
Staff, Maine Beacon
The development of Maine’s offshore wind power industry took a big step forward on Tuesday, as two experienced offshore wind developers won four federal lease areas in the Gulf of Maine.
October 29, 2024
Offshore wind power leases sold for Gulf of Maine waters off Maine, Mass. coasts
Travis Andersen and Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe
The Biden administration on Tuesday leased swaths of Gulf of Maine waters for wind farms, in what officials called “the first commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic Coast” that could power 2.3 million homes with clean energy.
October 14, 2024
Pennsylvania schools turn to solar for a cleaner — cheaper — future
Amena H. Saiyid, Cipher
Pennsylvania’s Solar for Schools Act will cover anywhere from 30% to 50% of the costs to install solar energy. It will also help schools switch to solar energy using both state grants and federal tax breaks from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Biden’s signature climate law.
October 3, 2024
Climate Week wraps: NYC Council passes bill for solar panels on public buildings
Ariama C. Long, Amsterdam News
Councilmember Sandy Nurse was buzzing to push through her climate and renewable energy bill as the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Climate Week, also known as Climate Week NYC, wrapped this Monday.The bill passed with huge support.
October 2, 2024
More WI resumes could soon include climate work history
Mike Moen, Public News Service
Federal data show health care and technology-related jobs are still in high demand but a career in clean energy is now at the top of the list, too, and Wisconsin labor leaders said opportunities are unfolding in the region.
September 25, 2024
Maine Unions Lead on the Green Energy Transition
Prakash Kashwan, Jacobin
For an example of how the labor movement can play a key role in the push for green energy, look to Maine, where unions’ leadership of a red-green coalition has been essential in the state’s push for offshore wind.
September 24, 2024
Local construction workers credit clean energy projects in Maine with job stability
Pearl Small, News Center Maine
The Inflation Reduction Act helped kickstart projects that are employing local construction workers.
September 23, 2024
Federal funds, clean energy projects boost ME union workforce
Kathryn Carley, Public News Service
Union workers in Maine say federal funds are helping fuel the state’s clean energy transition and offering incentives for young people to stick around.
September 20, 2024
Report finds poor working conditions in Texas clean energy industry
Mark Richardson, Public News Service
A new study showed as Texas has emerged as a national leader in wind turbine and solar energy installations, clean energy workers often face dangerous working conditions and unequal pay.
September 9, 2024
A New Roadmap for a Clean Energy that Prioritizes PA Union Workers
Lexi Gonzalez, BCTV
A new report is providing a roadmap for policymakers and industry leaders to shape the future of Pennsylvania’s clean energy landscape.
September 9, 2024
Texas leads in US solar installations
Clare Fieseler, Politico Pro
A new industry report shows an uptick in utility-scale installations, as researchers raise concerns about dangerous working conditions.
September 8, 2024
Students are sweating through class without air conditioning. Districts are facing the heat.
Kayla Jimenez, USA Today
Students in Mindy Neiland’s elementary school complained of headaches, nausea and nosebleeds this week as a potentially record-breaking heat wave struck the West Coast and baked schoolrooms from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
September 6, 2024
A new roadmap for a clean energy that prioritizes PA union workers
Danielle Smith, Public News Service
A new report is providing a roadmap for policymakers and industry leaders to shape the future of Pennsylvania’s clean energy landscape.
September 6, 2024
As Pennsylvania chooses the next president, its unions are choosing clean energy
Gautama Mehta, Grist
A coalition of trade unions have launched a new advocacy group, Union Energy, to ensure that Pennsylvania’s workers get a “just transition” to a fossil-fuel-free economy.
September 5, 2024
Commentary: Inflation Reduction Act creates union jobs
Dean Miller, The Cap Times
As a union member for 37 years, I know the difference a good-paying, pro-worker job can make. I am proud to be a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and, for the last 12 years, business manager of Local Union 388 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
September 2, 2024
82 Wisconsin clean energy projects eligible for IRA incentives, report says
Joe Schulz, Wisconsin Public Radio
National report says Wisconsin projects account for 42K jobs, $18B of investment.
August 29, 2024
Steelton mill hosts kickoff to campaign highlighting climate jobs plan
Ed Gruver, Central Penn Business Journal
Union Energy is a collaboration between the PA AFL-CIO and the PA Building Trades. A report authored by the IRL Climate Jobs Institute at Cornell University and supported by Union Energy detailed a clean energy future for Pennsylvania.
August 28, 2024
Union Energy gets Pa. families to work during green energy transition
American’s Work Force Union Podcast
Angela Ferritto, President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and Union Energy, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss her journey in the labor movement and how that has helped her provide educational opportunities to women in the unions across Pennsylvania.
August 26, 2024
New partnership aims to expand steel industry jobs in Pennsylvania
Jared Weaver, WHTM
Labor groups have formed a new partnership to reshape factories and retain jobs.
August 25, 2024
A review of the Inflation Reduction Act, two years on.
Luis Montoya, Rio Grande Guardian
One of the IRA’s standout features is its commitment to creating good, family-supporting jobs and aggressive incentives tied directly to labor standards, says Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy.
August 22, 2024
Climate Workers Wanted
Austyn Gaffney, The New York Times
A group of federal programs is aimed at helping America’s work force adapt to climate change.
August 21, 2024
High Injury Rate for Clean Energy Workers
Tom D’Agostino, HR Morning
A newly released report indicates a high injury rate for clean energy workers in Texas.
August 20, 2024
IRA’s labor standard requirements could create 3.9M ‘high-quality’ jobs: report
Diana DiGangi, Utility Dive
The Inflation Reduction Act’s tax incentives tied to labor standards could generate around 3.9 million jobs across 6,285 clean energy projects in development, according to a new report from the Climate Jobs National Resource Center.
August 19, 2024
One in four clean energy workers say they have seen or experienced a work-related injury
Patricia Ortiz, Houston Public Media
According to the report, 43% of respondents across all sectors reported experiencing a heat-related illness.
August 16, 2024
Exclusive: Texas clean energy jobs can be dirty business for a precarious workforce, new research shows
Rebekah F. Ward, Houston Chronicle
An exclusive look at new solar and wind jobs research shows that Texas workers face precarity despite Inflation Reduction Act tax breaks tied to labor standards.
August 16, 2024
Republicans tried to repeal this climate bill 42 times. Meanwhile, it has brought $286 billion to their districts
Kristin Toussaint, Fast Company
In two years, the Inflation Reduction Act has created more than 334,000 clean energy jobs.
August 16, 2024
The Inflation Reduction Act at Two
David Dayen, The American Prospect
Challenges remain, but there’s been a lot of progress on restoring an industrial base, creating union jobs, and transforming our energy economy.
August 15, 2024
Inflation Reduction Act’s labor standards could create 170k high-quality union jobs in New York State
Empire Report
A new report takes a first-of-its-kind look at the clean energy boom spurred by federal clean energy tax incentives in our state and nationwide, coming on the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act.
August 15, 2024
Commentary: Texas Unions Lead the Charge in the New Energy Economy
Rick Levy, Rio Grande Guardian
In a guest column, Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy says the Inflation Reduction Act is driving Texas’ clean energy boom, creating jobs, improving the power grid, and positioning the state as a leader in solar energy. He says the legislation ensures Texas workers are central to the clean energy transition.
August 15, 2024
The IRA’s Labor Provisions Look Like They’re Working
Emily Pontecorvo, Heatmap
The Inflation Reduction Act is by far the most important climate law ever passed in the U.S. But it also may go down as one of the most important labor laws of recent history.
August 14, 2024
Offshore Wind Development in Maine Is a Collaborative Effort
Margaret Cooney, CAP
Building off the success of the Inflation Reduction Act, a coalition of labor unions, green nongovernmental organizations, and community leaders came together to advocate for the inclusion of strong labor standards in the build-out of offshore wind in Maine.
August 6, 2024
Commentary: Project labor agreements are good for the state and job growth
Elizabeth Warren and Chrissy Lynch, Boston Globe
PLAs ensure good wages and benefits, safe working conditions, and sustained investment in the local economy and workforce.
July 31, 2024
Offshore Wind Project Receives Unanimous Support From Community, Advocates
Jean Brannum, Queens Ledger
The Ravenswood Generating Station may become a hub for offshore wind power after many members of the community show support at a public meeting.
July 22, 2024
Organized Labor Is Uncovering the Truth About Offshore Wind in Rhode Island
Margaret Cooney and Devon Lespier, CAP
Rhode Island is feeling the benefits of climate investments and labor requirements put forth by the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law.
July 22, 2024
New report details the working conditions of New York’s solar workers
Catherine Wheeler, NCPR
Solar energy development is becoming increasingly important in reaching New York state’s climate goals.
July 18, 2024
‘Unions remain a place of unity and hope’
The Stand
The 2024 Constitutional Convention convened in Wenatchee on Tuesday, July 16, bringing together union members representing the hundreds of unions that make up the WSLC, and more than half a million union workers state-wide.
July 17, 2024
Commentary: Utilities’ pledge to hire union workers is a win-win for Wisconsin
Robb Kahl, WisPolitics
A clean energy economy will diversify our energy resources, bring down utility bills over time, stimulate economic growth in Wisconsin communities, and create thousands of high-quality, family-sustaining careers.
July 15, 2024
The siting of an offshore wind port raises new conflicts in Maine
Annie Ropeik, Grist
Coastal residents concerned for both climate change and ecological preservation are conflicted over the planned location of a facility that advocates say will help launch Maine’s offshore wind industry.
July 15, 2024
Commentary: Rhode Island has consistently shown leadership in enacting laws that address climate change
Patrick Crowley, Boston Globe
Over the last few years, Rhode Island has consistently demonstrated national leadership in addressing the impacts of climate change through legislative action.
July 5, 2024
Commentary: I’m proud to be on the front line of clean energy
Joshua Jones, Beaumont Enterprise
The Texas “solar boom” has given workers like me ample opportunities, and its upward trend isn’t just saving the planet. It’s also creating jobs.
June 27, 2024
US unions, environmentalists join forces to push for green jobs
Carey L. Biron, Context
Across the United States, cities are seeking to tap into billions of dollars in new federal funding and create a “green jobs” industry that backers say holds the promise of creating entirely new local economies.
June 25, 2024
Commentary: N.J. is forging ahead on offshore wind — creating good jobs along the way
Mike Hellstrom, ROI NJ
New Jersey has the most ambitious offshore wind goal on the East Coast: Our state is setting out to build 11 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040. That’s enough to deliver clean, reliable power to over 5 million homes — more than half of our state’s population.
June 21, 2024
Federal clean energy program includes incentives for nonprofits
Erik Gunn, Wisconsin Examiner
Along with new tax breaks for families and businesses in return for investing in clean and more efficient energy, the federal government is for the first time offering support to schools and other nonprofits that make those investments.
June 20, 2024
NY solar workers overworked, underpaid — study
Jack Quinn, E&E News
New York’s rapid expansion in solar energy capacity depends on overworked transient labor, according to a recent study.
May 22, 2024
As New York’s Offshore Wind Work Begins, an Environmental Justice Community Is Waiting to See the Benefits
Nicholas Kusnetz, Inside Climate News
A labor agreement guarantees jobs for unions, but making sure Sunset Park residents are included remains a challenge.
May 19, 2024
Sears Island has staved off industrialization for decades. Now it may become Maine’s wind port.
Stephen Singer, Portland Press Herald
Even environmentalists disagree over whether the state’s largest uninhabited island is an ideal site for Maine to stake a claim in the offshore wind industry. Many say Mack Point’s the better choice.
May 17, 2024
Michigan leaders warn about the health impacts of climate change
Kyle Davidson, Michigan Advance
As climate impacts become increasingly visible throughout Michigan, with heavy rainfall, extreme winter storms and the spread of smoke from Canadian wildfires impacting residents throughout the state, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has set its sights on protecting the environment and public health for future generations.
May 15, 2024
A gust of hope in Searsport with promise of new jobs, economic boost from wind port
Annmarie Hilton, Maine Morning Star
Labor groups talk with residents, who’ve seen industries dry up and leave the midcoast, about opportunities in wind energy.
May 15, 2024
New York’s solar industry is booming, but workers may need more protections
Ellen Abbott, WRVO
The number of solar construction workers is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years in New York as it hopes to meet climate goals. But there are some issues with the jobs that are needed to meet the demand.
May 14, 2024
Community members gather in Searsport to discuss offshore wind possibilities
Sierra Whaley, WABI 5
Community members from the town of Searsport gathered at the community building this evening to hear what offshore wind could do for their community.
May 13, 2024
ME promotes youth apprenticeships to build green economy workforce
Kathryn Carley, Public News Service
State officials in Maine are highlighting apprenticeships as a way to earn a living wage and contribute to the state’s growing green economy.
May 12, 2024
Massachusetts Democrats pitch energy transition to union workers: ‘This is a huge construction project’
Erin Douglas, Boston Globe
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey from Massachusetts joined state politicians and union leaders to rally support for federal and state climate investments that they promise will bring new union jobs and working-class career opportunities to the Commonwealth.
April 26, 2024
NYS solar work: Good for climate, but are they good jobs?
James Dean, Cornell Chronicle
New York state solar construction workers – whose numbers are expected to grow rapidly to meet climate goals – are transient, may not receive benefits and are subject to racial disparities in pay, finds a new report from the ILR School’s Climate Jobs Institute (CJI).
April 26, 2024
Groups say Mills’ veto of energy-labor bill will weaken state efforts to tackle climate change
Evan Popp, Maine Morning Star
Gov. Janet Mills on Friday vetoed a bill that union and climate leaders argued would ensure clean energy projects on state land aren’t disrupted by labor disputes.
April 17, 2024
Climate Jobs Washington hails legislative wins
The Stand
New coalition of unions touts slate of budget and legislative victories that will create high-quality union jobs, accelerate climate action, and advance equity across the state.
April 17, 2024
Legislators push bill to protect union workers during energy transition
Amisha Kumar, Boston Business Journal
Legislators and a labor-led coalition are pushing for the state to bring about a “just transition” to clean energy that will protect union workers, including those in jobs that have traditionally built infrastructure in the fossil fuel industry.
April 17, 2024
Several bills still under consideration as Maine legislative session wraps up
Caroline LeCour, News Center Maine
Several bills are still up for grabs as Maine lawmakers continue to deliberate even as the legislative session heads to a close on Wednesday.
April 16, 2024
Residents speak in favor of wind power in Searsport
Marleigha Clipston, WABI 5
Supporters of offshore wind in Searsport delivered a petition to the Select Board Tuesday night. The petition delivered by a member of the Maine Labor Climate Council was signed by over 100 residents voicing support for wind power.
April 16, 2024
Lawmakers at a crossroads over potential development of Sears Island for offshore wind port
Annmarie Hilton, Maine Morning Star
A sand dune in Penobscot Bay has left the Maine Legislature divided on a bill that’s needed to continue the permitting process for the state’s desired location for an offshore wind port.
April 16, 2024
WI utilities make union jobs a priority for green projects
Mike Moen, WXPR
With the help of federal aid, Wisconsin is catching up to neighboring states in accelerating clean energy construction projects and the Badger State is taking things a step further by giving union workers greater access to these job opportunities.
April 11, 2024
Commentary: It’s time for Albany to lead on climate jobs
Climate Jobs New York, Empire Report
The climate crisis is hammering New York with extreme weather. Inequality is skyrocketing, squeezing working families across our state. But are we doing enough to tackle these issues and meet the moment?
April 10, 2024
WI utilities make union jobs a priority for green projects
Mike Moen, Public News Service
With the help of federal aid, Wisconsin is catching up to neighboring states in accelerating clean energy construction projects and the Badger State is taking things a step further by giving union workers greater access to these job opportunities.
March 30, 2024
Commentary: Unions key in ramp up to the next industrial revolution
Chrissy Lynch, Ed Hawthorne, and Patrick Crowley, CommonWealth Beacon
We are pushing wind farm developers for strong labor standards.
March 28, 2024
Unions and utilities sign labor agreement for renewable projects
Ethan Duran, The Daily Reporter
An agreement between the state’s top utility providers and five construction unions will solidify union labor used for most future utility-scale solar, wind and battery storage projects in Wisconsin.
March 27, 2024
Utility companies commit to hiring local union workers for upcoming clean energy projects
Oliver Willis, The Wisconsin Independent
A coalition of four Wisconsin utility companies announced on March 26 that it had signed a pledge to use union labor in the construction of several renewable energy projects planned for the near future.
March 27, 2024
Wisconsin electric utilities sign on to union labor for clean energy projects
Erik Gunn, Wisconsin Examiner
With a boom in building solar energy and other clean power generation on the horizon in Wisconsin, the state’s major electric power utilities have promised to use union labor for the work, under an agreement with construction unions announced this week.
March 27, 2024
Organized labor is committed to building sustainable offshore wind energy
Gil Netter, People’s World
Labor leaders presented a pro-worker vision for generating sustainable offshore wind energy along the Southern New England coast at a virtual press conference, on Friday, March 15. This effort unites organized labor, the environmental movement, coastal communities, and elected officials. The press conference was moderated by Patrick Crowley, Secretary-Treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO.
March 27, 2024
Tri-state offshore wind pact nets four bidders for Rhode Island. But at what cost?
Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current
Rhode Island Energy names developers but does not share price proposals in submissions.
March 26, 2024
Wisconsin utilities pledge to partner with trade unions to build clean energy infrastructure
Lila Szyryj, WMTV 15 News
Four major utilities and state building trade unions in Wisconsin announced Tuesday a commitment to employ local union workers in dozens of new developments across the state.
March 26, 2024
Utility providers, Wisconsin unions announce plans to boost clean energy infrastructure
Corey Moen, Channel 3000
Wisconsin’s four major utilities and state building trade unions announced they are employing local union workers in the construction of solar, wind, and battery developments in Wisconsin.
March 22, 2024
HyVelocity hub just ‘tip of the iceberg’: Hydrogen industry growth creates demand for jobs, workforce challenges
Jishnu Nair, Houston Business Journal
Local leaders at CERAWeek by S&P Global shared what’s needed to meet future hydrogen workforce demands in the Houston area and beyond.
March 22, 2024
Commentary: Climate action and jobs are a winning combination
Sue AnderBois and Brett P. Smiley, Boston Globe
Mayor Smiley and Councilwoman AnderBois say Providence’s ordinance to mandate net-zero public buildings by 2040 will also create high-quality union jobs.
March 19, 2024
Mayor Brett Smiley signs city ordinance for carbon-neutral city buildings
Maya Kelly, The Brown Daily Herald
New ordinance marks first of many measures outlined by 2023 Climate Jobs City resolution.
March 19, 2024
Commentary: Offshore wind can create good jobs
Yanel Greene, Bangor Daily News
“Maine has to make the transition to green energy, and I believe that it’s going to happen.”
March 18, 2024
Feds’ proposed site for offshore wind gets mixed grades from labor, lobster trade groups
Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management last week said it finalized its designation of an offshore wind energy area in the Gulf of Maine. The area selected avoids a fishing ground known as Lobster Management Area 1, a large swath of nearshore water.
March 17, 2024
New England Unions Push for Pro-Worker Strategy in Wind Energy Industry
Francisco Uranga, CT Examiner
Labor leaders consider offshore wind energy development the beginning of a green industrial revolution in New England, and they want it to be one with fair wages and high labor standards.
March 15, 2024
Illinois lawmakers stand alongside coalition ready for carbon capture expansion
Mike Miletich, WAND
Illinois lawmakers are working with agriculture, business and labor groups to pass a plan this spring to advance carbon capture and storage projects across the state.
March 15, 2024
Organized labor calls for three-state offshore wind agreement in CT, MA and RI
Mary Serreze, Providence Business First
Offshore wind developers must meet “high-road” labor standards, trade union leaders said.
March 15, 2024
Regional labor, energy leaders call for union-powered offshore wind advancements
Jacquelyn Voghel, Providence Business News
Offshore wind and labor advocates on Friday issued a joint call for regional advancements in the offshore wind industry.
March 12, 2024
Providence wants all city buildings to become carbon neutral. It’s not yet clear how much it will cost.
Alexa Gagosz, Boston Globe
Mayor Brett Smiley signed into law an ordinance that would require all city-owned buildings — including schools — go carbon-neutral by 2040.
March 8, 2024
Commentary: Maine’s energy transition must include, respect Wabanaki tribes
Francis Eanes, Bangor Daily News
The Maine Labor Climate Council is committed to advancing an ambitious, pro-worker agenda to combat climate change and reverse inequality. We support the state’s climate plan as a roadmap toward local, reliable, and affordable sources of clean energy while fostering economic opportunities and benefits for all Maine people.
March 7, 2024
Commentary: Offshore wind port can be transformative for working Mainers
Cynthia Phinney and Jason J. Shedlock, Portland Press Herald
Maine took control of the state’s energy and economic future when the Mills administration announced its decision to recommend Sears Island as the site of a new port to support offshore wind.
March 7, 2024
Providence City Council wants carbon-neutral city buildings by 2040. How will it happen?
Amy Russo, Providence Journal
The City Council passed a law Thursday night to require that municipal buildings are carbon-neutral by 2040.
March 7, 2024
City, unions cultivate clean energy effort to power jobs
Richard Khavkine, The Chief
Council, mayor both announce green initiatives.
March 1, 2024
Labor and Climate Must Unite. That’s Easier Said Than Done.
Paul Prescod, Jacobin
The idea that the labor and climate movements must unite for a Green New Deal is more popular than ever. To get it done, we’ll need to take the threat of job loss seriously, finding and uplifting commonalities between climate goals and worker self-interest.
February 14, 2024
Construction Unions Face Fork In The Road: Shrink Or Seize The Moment
Patrick Sisson, Bisnow
The country’s unionized construction workforce, largely consisting of workers whose march toward retirement shrinks the overall construction employment pool, has reached a record low at just 10.7%, according to a release from Associated Builders and Contractors, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data. At the same time, unions in industries from auto manufacturing to Hollywood have notched wins in the past year, and provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Law give unions more favorable terrain to expand membership.
February 8, 2024
Commentary: Powered by union jobs, offshore wind set to take off
Kendall Martin, The Virginian-Pilot
The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, which just last month received the green light to begin construction, underscores what we’ve known for some time: The future of energy is here, and it’s here in Virginia.
February 6, 2024
Maine unions and industry groups at odds over proposed labor reforms
Evan Popp, Maine Morning Star
The Labor and Housing Committee held public hearings on bills that would enhance enforcement of wage theft and deter anti-union campaigns in publicly-funded projects
February 5, 2024
Advocates push for better mass transit in Connecticut
Kent Pierce, News 8 WTNH
Mass transit advocates celebrated the legacy of Rosa Parks Monday morning at the state capitol in Hartford.
February 5, 2024
CT bus riders and drivers call for free fares for K-12 students, safer bus stops
Emily DiSalvo, Stamford Advocate
Bus drivers and riders in Connecticut are calling for safe, accessible, and affordable transportation this legislative session. And on Monday, the birthday of Rosa Parks, they continued those calls in the civil rights pioneer’s name.
January 30, 2024
Offshore wind leaders urge development as climate change threatens Maine’s coastal communities
Jason Nappi, News Center Maine
The early stages of wind energy in Maine are moving forward.
January 26, 2024
State representative announces $80 million in funding to plug orphaned oil wells: ‘Creating thousands of good-paying jobs in our state’
Jeremiah Budin, The Cool Down
The state of Texas will receive $80 million in federal funding to plug orphaned oil wells, United States Congressperson Henry Cuellar and the Department of the Interior have announced.
January 18, 2024
Labor group gets DOE backing in fight for say on green jobs
Emma Cordover, Politico Pro
AFL-CIO sought support after union representatives complained of being frozen out of planning for Texas hydrogen hub.
January 5, 2024
The Wind Workers of West Texas
Will Kubzansky, Heatmap
If one were to go looking for a Permian Basin of wind — a wind energy superregion waiting to be born — the actual Permian Basin wouldn’t be a bad place to start.
December 7, 2023
Floating in the same direction
Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect
New York’s success in linking climate goals, industrial policy, and good-paying union jobs is the emblem of a long-sought political and policy alliance.
November 27, 2023
Apprenticeships can drive inclusive clean energy economy
Mary Catt, Cornell Chronicle
The ILR School’s Climate Jobs Institute will share its new report, “Building an Equitable, Diverse and Unionized Clean Energy Economy: What We Can Learn from Apprenticeship Readiness,” at an in-person and online event on Nov. 30 from 8:30 to 11 a.m at the Cornell ILR Conference Center in midtown Manhattan.
November 24, 2023
Strong support for Maine-based offshore wind port
The Republican Journal
A unique coalition of organized labor and environmental groups that successfully passed a landmark offshore wind bill earlier this year is now signaling its unequivocal support for the responsible development of an offshore wind port on Maine’s coast.
November 15, 2023
Climate, labor groups rally behind new port as next step to bring offshore wind to Maine
Annmarie Hilton, Maine Morning Star
Proponents for offshore wind in Maine are rallying behind efforts to build a new port to help bring the clean energy source online as soon as possible.
November 9, 2023
Houston’s HyVelocity hydrogen hub should ‘resolve differences’ with labor groups, Texas Dems say
Amanda Drane, Houston Chronicle
More than two dozen Texas lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to pressure the HyVelocity hydrogen hub in Houston to ensure workers aren’t left behind in the push to advance the clean energy project.
November 3, 2023
Unions see Healey as ally on clean energy jobs
Sam Drysdale, State House News Service
The state’s transition to renewable power does not have to threaten workers who rely on the fossil fuel industry for their livelihood, Gov. Maura Healey said Thursday, joining advocates at a labor-led event centered on bills designed to bring about a “just transition” to clean energy.
November 1, 2023
Commentary: We finally have the tools to create better schools – let’s do it
Patrick Crowley and Vennicia Kingston, The Valley Breeze
Our public schools are in dire need of repairs and upgrades and the students and school workers of Rhode Island deserve better. Investing in healthy and sustainable school facilities is not only a matter of quality education, it’s a matter of quality of life.
November 1, 2023
Here’s how HyVelocity could build out its Houston-area hydrogen hub projects
Jishnu Nair, Houston Business Journal
A few weeks after the Department of Energy picked the HyVelocity Hub bid for a potential Gulf Coast hydrogen hub, officials with the consortium revealed more details about the proposed project.
October 20, 2023
Proposed offshore wind map protects a key Maine lobster fishing ground
Annmarie Hilton, Maine Morning Star
A newly proposed map for offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine included a victory for fishing groups, labor unions and environmental organizations.
October 16, 2023
Houston selected for hydrogen hub, to get $1.2 billion in federal money
Shafaq Patel and Ben Geman, Axios Houston
The Department of Energy unveiled plans to provide $7 billion to spur seven regional hubs for producing climate-friendly hydrogen, and the HyVelocity Gulf Coast hub is expected to be one of the largest.
October 13, 2023
Houston consortium picked as hydrogen hub by Department of Energy
Rebecca Noel, Houston Public Media
The Texas Gulf Coast hydrogen hub is expected to be the largest of the seven in regard to clean hydrogen production as the bulk of the country’s hydrogen infrastructure is already located in the region.
October 12, 2023
Providence pledges to be America’s first ‘climate jobs city’
Sarah Wray, Cities Today
Providence, Rhode Island has adopted a resolution to establish itself as “America’s first climate jobs city.” The council said that it is committed to “enacting bold climate policy goals” and “aggressive programmes” to ensure resilience and a just transition.
October 11, 2023
Commentary: New York needs renewable energy
Gary LaBarbera, Daily News
We readily and rightfully invest in schools, hospitals, and roads — because we agree that health, education, and transit infrastructure are necessary. It’s time we view investments in energy infrastructure the same way — essential, because they are.
October 2, 2023
Proposed bill puts solar on NYC public building roofs
Edwin J. Viera, Public News Service
A proposed bill aims to have solar panels placed on the roofs of all public buildings in New York City.
September 29, 2023
Carbon neutral city buildings? New Providence City Council ordinance could mandate the transition.
Amy Russo, Providence Journal
A proposed ordinance awaits the Providence City Council, aimed at making all municipal buildings carbon neutral by 2050, with significant progress by 2030.
September 20, 2023
Unions Fight in the States to Make Biden’s Climate Agenda Work for Workers
Jim Tankersley, The New York Times
In states like Maine, unions and environmental groups have teamed up in an attempt to make a central promise of President Biden’s green agenda come true for workers.
September 20, 2023
BK Council Member Sandy Nurse Introduces New Solar Energy Bill Ahead of Climate Week
Staff, BK Reader
Brooklyn Council Member Sandy Nurse, along with several other elected officials, introduced a new solar power bill this week. The newly announced legislation would require New York City to accelerate solar energy installations on city-owned buildings and public properties.
September 20, 2023
Climate Jobs Honored With NYC Council Proclamation
Stephanie West, Labor Press
On September 19, 2023, Climate Jobs NY received a proclamation from New York City (NYC) Council in recognition of their work to advance good union jobs within the renewable energy economy.
September 10, 2023
Washington unions join in support of climate-friendly jobs
R. Hans Miller, Basin Business Journal
Six Washington-based unions are teaming up to take advantage of Washington’s legislative environment and the need for workers to fill environmentally-friendly positions created by that environment.
September 2, 2023
OP-ED: Labor Day celebrates American workers’ victories. WA unions are fighting for more
April Sims, Mark Riker, and Jon Holden, The News Tribune
A wide group of labor unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers across Washington have formed the Climate Jobs Washington coalition to advance a plan to build a strong clean energy economy that prioritizes the needs of workers and their families. As we celebrate Labor Day, our state’s labor movement is confident that we can tackle both climate breakdown and inequality.
August 30, 2023
Commentary: Marking a year of strong gains for unions
George Nee and Patrick Crowley, The Boston Globe
The Rhode Island labor movement has much to celebrate this Labor Day.
September 10, 2023
Washington unions join in support of climate-friendly jobs
R. Hans Miller, Basin Business Journal
Six Washington-based unions are teaming up to take advantage of Washington’s legislative environment and the need for workers to fill environmentally-friendly positions created by that environment.
September 2, 2023
Commentary: Labor Day celebrates American workers’ victories. WA unions are fighting for more
April Sims, Mark Riker, and Jon Holden, The News Tribune
A wide group of labor unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers across Washington have formed the Climate Jobs Washington coalition to advance a plan to build a strong clean energy economy that prioritizes the needs of workers and their families. As we celebrate Labor Day, our state’s labor movement is confident that we can tackle both climate breakdown and inequality.
August 30, 2023
Commentary: Marking a year of strong gains for unions
George Nee and Patrick Crowley, The Boston Globe
The Rhode Island labor movement has much to celebrate this Labor Day.
August 21, 2023
‘I live to die’: Lawsuit shows continued dangers of working in Texas’s energy industry
Amal Ahmed, Facing South
The South contains more than a third of the nation’s oil and gas workforce. Eleven percent of all energy workers are in Texas. Worker protections across the South are weak: The region has the worst wages and worker safety laws, as well as few protections for collective bargaining and organizing.
August 17, 2023
How Texans Are Coping with the ‘Death Star’ Bill
Neel Dhanesha, Heatmap
Here’s how workers feel about the elimination of mandatory water breaks amid unrelenting summer heat.
August 17, 2023
How has Wisconsin changed since the Inflation Reduction Act?
Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio
The landmark legislation, signed Aug. 16, 2022, invests in climate, clean energy and regenerative agriculture. The law provides clean energy tax credits for energy efficient commercial buildings, homes and electric vehicles.
August 10, 2023
R.I. Workforce Plans for Offshore Wind, Anticipating Solid Union-Supported Jobs
Mary Lhowe, ecoRI News
The offshore wind industry has a solid foothold on land in Rhode Island, in workplaces thick with concrete, steel, wrenches, and hard hats. The industry’s land bases in the Ocean State also include busy places where people are training to work in the nascent industry.
August 7, 2023
Can Unions Save Workers from the Heat?
Neel Dhanesha, Heatmap
As the world heats up, working conditions will get worse. And unions are starting to become essential to climate adaptation.
August 1, 2023
ME Labor Groups Applaud New Offshore Wind Energy Industry Standards
Kathryn Carley, Public News Service
Labor advocates are hailing Maine Governor Janet Mill’s signing of a landmark bill creating a new offshore wind energy industry in the state, with strong protections for workers. The bill was negotiated by lawmakers, advocates for Maine’s fishing industry and organized labor, who say it will create thousands of union jobs and apprenticeship opportunities for years to come.
August 1, 2023
Washington labor unions launch coalition for climate jobs
A. Smith, KGMI
Labor unions from across the state launched a new coalition on Monday, July 31st, to address climate change in the workforce.
July 31, 2023
Unions launch Climate Jobs Washington
David Groves, The Stand
Unions across Washington launched Climate Jobs Washington, a new coalition of labor unions coming together to address both climate change and racial and economic inequality by creating high-quality union jobs to sustain Washington’s families and communities.
July 31, 2023
Labor’s plan for fighting climate change and creating jobs in Washington
Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard
A coalition of unions released a report laying out an ambitious “worker-centered climate roadmap” to create more than 800,000 jobs across Washington in the building, transportation, energy, and low-carbon manufacturing sectors
July 28, 2023
Commentary: Jobs in offshore wind require strong labor standards
Jayme Skelton, Portland Press Herald
I am an apprentice with the Operating Engineers Local 4. Joining the union is the best decision I’ve made when it comes to my career. For the work that I do, I know that I am receiving the best training and making the best wages and benefits there is in the industry.
July 24, 2023
Maine governor reaches offshore wind deal with labor unions
Maxine Joselow, Washington Post
Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) has reached a compromise with labor unions on legislation to boost the state’s offshore wind industry, overcoming past disagreements that threatened to tank the measure.
July 19, 2023
Commentary: Employ vulnerable communities to build New York’s clean energy transition
Davon Lomax, City and State
In order to right deep-rooted environmental inequities, the state’s clean energy transition should provide communities of color with access to quality job opportunities in the new green economy.
July 5, 2023
Commentary: Michigan students deserve to learn in a healthy environment
David Hecker, Michigan Advance
The chair of the union-led Michigan Green and Health Schools Coalition discusses how we can make Michigan schools greener and healthier.
June 28, 2023
‘No one’s tougher than the sun’: How a construction worker is staying safe during Texas’ heat wave
Scott Tong, WBUR
Here & Now’s Scott Tong speaks with a construction worker there about how they’re handling the extreme heat on the job.
June 19, 2023
Wind turbine ports run by union labor could help Maine be leader in climate, industry
Dan Neumann, Maine Beacon
A bill introduced by Gov. Janet Mills that would create visual impact standards for future offshore wind projects has passed the Maine Legislature and is on its way to her desk.
June 6, 2023
Commentary: Bills call for responsible development of Maine’s offshore wind industry
Maureen Drouin and Francis Eanes, Portland Press Herald
L.D. 1818 and L.D. 1895 will put our priorities and our ideals into law and ensure that offshore wind is implemented in a way that doesn’t compromise our state’s values.
June 1, 2023
EPA’s methane proposal would create 19,000 Texas jobs — report
Carlos Anchondo, E&E News
An analysis from the University of Texas, Austin, and a workers’ group found that plugging methane leaks in oil and gas infrastructure would create both short-term and long-term jobs.
June 1, 2023
Bills Aim to Create ‘Responsible’ Offshore Wind Industry in ME
Kathryn Carley, Public News Service
Maine lawmakers are considering two pieces of legislation which supporters said are needed to ensure “responsible” development of offshore wind projects.
May 26, 2023
New report finds cutting methane emissions could bring thousands of jobs to Texas oil fields
Marfa Public Radio
A new report from researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Climate Jobs Project concluded tens of thousands of jobs may be created in Texas as a result of new methane regulations.
May 26, 2023
Is CT’s largest offshore wind project headed for the shoals?
Jan Ellen Spiegel, CT Mirror
Connecticut could be in danger of losing its biggest offshore wind project — the more than 800 megawatt plan known as Park City Wind.
May 18, 2023
Plan to cut methane emissions could yield 35,000 new union jobs in Texas, study finds
Brandon Rodriguez, SA Current
Reducing methane emissions in Texas could create 35,000 union jobs in the state, according to a new study by the Texas Climate Jobs Project and the Ray Marshall Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
May 17, 2023
Capping Emissions Could Create 35,000 Jobs in Texas (If Lawmakers Would Only Listen)
Molly Taft, Gizmodo
Texas could add tens of thousands of jobs if the state seriously commits itself to driving down its methane emissions, finds a report from the Texas Climate Jobs Project released Wednesday. But state leadership has thus far refused funding from the federal government for anti-methane measures.
May 17, 2023
New Report Finds Methane Mitigation in Texas Could Create Thousands of Jobs
Martha Pskowski, Inside Climate News
Texas officials have vowed to oppose federal regulations aimed at reducing methane emissions from oil and gas operations. But the report says plugging leaks and upgrading wells is poised to be a big business in the Lone Star State.
May 10, 2023
Workers want to ensure Maine’s budding offshore wind industry will create good-paying jobs
Dan Neumann, Maine Beacon
As officials and business leaders are setting their sights on making Maine a hub for the offshore wind industry, workers and environmentalists insist that any green infrastructure produced here should be built through good-paying, union jobs.
May 9, 2023
Commentary: Maine can build offshore wind that protects our people and environment
Chip Curry, Bangor Daily News
Senator Curry discuss the need to balance a move towards for offshore wind the concerns of the lobster industry and protecting and supporting Mainers and the environment.
April 21, 2023
NHPR’s 2023 By Degrees Climate Summit
Emily Quirk and Daniela Allee, NHPR
NHPR, in collaboration with NHPBS, held the first ever By Degrees Climate Summit at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on April 13. One of the panelist is Aziz Dehkan, executive director of CT Roundtable on Climate and Jobs.
April 20, 2023
Lobstering Union (IAM 207), Maine Building Trades unions, Maine AFL-CIO Back Proposal to Protect Fishing Jobs & Create Union Jobs in Offshore Wind
Andy O’ Brien, Maine AFL-CIO
The Maine Lobstering Union (IAM 207) and the Maine AFL-CIO Executive Board have voted to support a proposal that would protect fishing grounds while also allowing offshore wind development in a way that creates good union jobs.
April 12, 2023
Environmentalists, unions back latest push for offshore wind on Lake Michigan
Andrew Adams, WGLT
A coalition of Democratic politicians, labor unions and environmental groups is advocating for a plan that would put an offshore wind farm off the coast of Lake Michigan on Chicago’s South Side.
March 31, 2023
Local Unions Call for Safe Jobs in Offshore Wind Energy Industry
Faith Bugenhagen, Houston Press
Offshore wind jobs are coming to the Gulf of Mexico. Union members like Zachary Zahn and Charles Vaughn are advocating to ensure those jobs are good, union jobs with high wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions.
March 28, 2023
A Green Economy For Rhode Island
Autumn Guillotte, Labor Vision RI
Labor Vision host, Autumn Guillotte, sits down with Climate Jobs RI staff to talk about victories in 2022 and upcoming 2023 priorities.
March 21, 2023
Unions, environmentalists call for ‘decarbonizing’ R.I. public schools
Edward Fitzpatrick, Boston Globe
Climate Jobs Rhode Island renewed its “Green and Healthy Schools” campaign, urging the General Assembly to pass legislation that would spur investments in “net-zero” school buildings and decarbonize all its public school buildings by 2035.
March 28, 2023
Training ex-offenders for green jobs is essential for economic equity
Tim Drea and Chynna Hampton, Chicago Sun Times
Under the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, work force hubs will work with local nonprofits to identify and train candidates, including returning residents, for training in clean energy jobs.
March 27, 2023
Texas Unions Want Offshore Wind to Provide Well-Paid, Safe Jobs
Roz Brown, Public News Service
Offshore wind development is coming to Texas under the Biden administration’s plan to grow America’s clean-energy economy, and union members want the jobs to include proper safety and worker protections.
March 21, 2023
Unions, environmentalists call for ‘decarbonizing’ R.I. public schools
Edward Fitzpatrick, Boston Globe
Climate Jobs Rhode Island renewed its “Green and Healthy Schools” campaign, urging the General Assembly to pass legislation that would spur investments in “net-zero” school buildings and decarbonize all its public school buildings by 2035.
March 15, 2023
Interview with Gary Menzel, President of Roofers & Waterproofers Local 11
Joan Esposito, WCPT 820
Gary Menzel and Joan Esposito discuss the importance of workforce development through union-registered appreciation and pre-apprenticeship programs (52:00 – 1:12:30).
February 28, 2023
Combining Decarbonization, Good Jobs, and Climate Justice
Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect
Gina Raimondo released guidelines on how applications for manufacturing subsidies under the $53 billion CHIPS and Science Act will be evaluated. These could include whether applicants will get extra points for provisions long sought by the labor movement, such as project labor agreements and prevailing-wage commitments, which pave the way for union contracts.
February 22, 2023
New Climate Jobs Institute Allows for Research Addressing Climate Change, Aims to Create More Jobs
Gabriella Pacitto, The Cornell Daily Sun
The Industrial and Labor Relations School launched their Climate Jobs Institute on Jan. 25. The Institute will help New York state transition to a stronger clean energy economy by addressing the climate crisis and creating more jobs through continued cutting-edge research.
February 8, 2023
Biden is coming to Wisconsin to tout job creation, support for union labor. Here’s how a clean energy program helps meet those goals.
Karl Ebert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
President Biden visits an union apprentice training center near Madison as his first stop the day after a State of the Union address in which he spoke about his administration’s work on job creation, clean energy and the economy.
February 1, 2023
In Maine, coalition works to make sure organized labor has role in offshore wind
Sarah Shemkus, Energy News Network
A group of environmental and labor organizations want a state offshore wind advisory committee in its final plan to include more specific language recommending project labor and labor peace agreements.
January 27, 2023
Why unions are excited about these provisions hidden deep in the Inflation Reduction Act
Kristin Toussaint, Fast Company
The Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law last summer, is the U.S.’s largest-ever investment in clean and renewable energy. But it’s also a landmark policy for labor, tying $270 billion in tax incentives (of the bill’s $369 billion clean energy investment) to labor standards that will boost working conditions for those in clean energy jobs.
January 25, 2023
Proposal calls for expansion of Maine’s offshore wind power
AP News
Conservation and labor groups are making a big push for offshore wind power in Maine via a proposed law that would boost the state’s energy production.
January 25, 2023
Commentary: At least one of the answers is blowing in the wind
The Editorial Board, Portland Press Herald
A new bill that promises to stimulate the development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine strikes all the right notes.
January 24, 2023
Maine would buy offshore wind power in huge quantities under proposed law
Tuk Turkel, Portland Press Herald
Proposed legislation unveiled Tuesday would call for the purchase of offshore wind-generated electricity in amounts that could supply every home in the state, and then some.
January 19, 2023
Radio interview with Robb Kahl and Mike Fishman
Joe Zepecki, Steve Scaffidi Show on WTMJ
Robb and Mike talk about the importance of the IRA and the strong labor standards that it will help implement on clean energy projects.
January 18, 2023
Labor leads efforts to turn federal climate policy into good jobs
Mike Fishman, Cipher
Voices article from Mike Fishman, President and Executive Director of the Climate Jobs National Resource Center.
December 26, 2022
An offshore wind project being built with union labor could be exactly what energy workers need
Jeremy Gantz, Fortune
The South Fork Wind project, New York’s first offshore wind farm, is notable for being built almost entirely with union labor.
December 15, 2022
Large-scale solar farms are spreading, sparking debate over labor practices and land use
WKOW
Strong labor standards and local hiring will ensure a better solar industry for all.
December 7, 2022
Workers on Solar’s Front Lines
Lee Harris, The American Prospect
Unions are fighting to ensure solar workers are skilled tradesmen, not just exploited temps.
December 2, 2022
What kinds of jobs will be created by offshore wind farms?
H.J. Mai, NPR
When President Biden talks about America’s clean energy transition, he often mentions good paying union jobs. We examine what jobs the offshore wind industry could offer.
November 25, 2022
Big, Contentious Austin Energy Rate Hike Finally Arrives at Council
Lina Fisher, The Austin Chronicle
Austin City Council is set to vote on the Austin Energy proposed base rate increase on December 1.
November 5, 2022
The existential stakes of the midterm election for our climate and working people
Kilton Webb, Beacon
As you prepare to cast your ballot in this midterm election, remember what’s at stake this election season: the future of our climate, a fair economy, and good, union jobs in Maine.
October 14, 2022
Will offshore wind bring ‘good-paying, union jobs’? Texas workers aren’t so sure.
Emily Pontecorvo, Grist
The Biden administration is gearing up to turn the Gulf of Mexico, long a hub for offshore oil and gas drilling, into a new city of skyscraping offshore wind turbines.
October 3, 2022
Austin ISD school board approves protections for construction workers ahead of bond election
Becky Fogel, Austin Monitor
The Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees has signed off on a resolution to improve labor standards for any construction projects on district property. The board approved the measure at a meeting Thursday.
September 30, 2022
Planning for the future: Officials tout potential of new health center complex
Ryan Patterson, The Journal Times
Standing between a school and a community center, local officials outlined how a new complex could transform the area by aiding the economy and the environment and reducing health care and education barriers for residents.
September 30, 2022
A new health clinic will create jobs, offers promise for the uninsured in Racine
Jessica Rodriguez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The city of Racine will save $2 million on its new health center project because its construction will meet provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act that are aimed at reducing the community’s carbon footprint.
September 28, 2022
Inflation Reduction Act benefits: Good paying jobs and revitalized U.S. manufacturing
Sarah Spengeman, Forbes
The Inflation Reduction Act is not just historic climate policy, its historic jobs policy, capable of creating an estimated 9 million jobs over the next ten years according to the Blue Green Alliance. But what kind of jobs will they be?
September 27, 2022
Biden promised “good-paying union jobs,” but it will take organizing to get them
Leanna First-Arai, Truthout
Since the historic and controversial Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law in August, the economy has begun showing early signs of shifting and recalibrating beneath our feet… The IRA set aside $369 billion in climate and energy spending, which researchers estimate will translate to 9 million jobs over the next decade.
September 27, 2022
Workers demand labor protections at Austin Energy base rate rally
Kali Bramble, Austin Monitor
It was an unusually lively morning outside Austin Energy Headquarters last Saturday, as a coalition of workers, environmentalists and community leaders gathered to air their grievances with the publicly owned utility.
September 25, 2022
Rally held at Austin Energy HQ amid proposed rate increase
Julianna Russ, KXAN
On Saturday, Texas Unions and Austinites gathered outside the Austin Energy headquarters to rally and deliver a petition.
September 24, 2022
Groups demand action on rising energy rates, worker conditions in rally outside Austin Energy HQ
KVUE Staff, KVUE
Residents rallied outside of the Austin Energy headquarters on Saturday, demanding the electric utility company address certain issues.
September 2, 2022
Commentary: Strong unions make the economy — and R.I. — work better
George Nee and Patrick Crowley, Boston Globe
Marking Labor Day, Rhode Island AFL-CIO leaders say passing legislation to make wage theft a felony, and addressing water infrastructure to replace lead pipes, are priorities going forward.
September 2, 2022
Commentary: The Inflation Reduction Act will create climate jobs for Wisconsin workers
Pam Fendt, Wisconsin Examiner
Wisconsin is entering a boom cycle in renewable energy development. From utility-scale solar projects that will replace aging infrastructure to plans for the manufacturing of the needed component parts here, progress is now a question of “when?’”and “how?” instead of ”‘if?”
August 29, 2022
Commentary: What the Inflation Reduction Act means for Maine workers
Cynthia Phinney and Jason J. Shedlock, Bangor Daily News
The IRA will give us a fighting chance to address climate change while at the same time providing Mainers much-needed relief via the development of an abundant and diverse energy portfolio.
August 24, 2022
Commentary: In climate jobs era, here’s what Inflation Reduction Act means for Illinois workers
Pat Devaney, Chicago Sun Times
The $379 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the biggest climate bill the U.S. has enacted, will give us a fighting chance to slash harmful pollution and secure a better future for our kids and future generations. But this isn’t just a climate win. It’s a climate jobs win. That’s what makes it such a big deal for Illinois.
August 20, 2022
Commentary: Federal climate jobs act a boon to RI workers
Priscilla De La Cruz and Patrick Crowley, The Providence Journal
The $379-billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the biggest climate bill to pass Congress, will give us a fighting chance to slash harmful pollution and secure a better future for our kids.
August 19, 2022
Federal electric bus program leaves Chicago, other school districts behind
Kari Lydersen, Energy News Network
The state’s largest school district doesn’t qualify for funding under a federal electric school bus program despite serving tens of thousands of low-income students in polluted areas. Critics are pressing for changes to the program.
August 16, 2022
Maine weatherization contractors race to hire and expand as demand booms
Sarah Shemkus, Energy News Network
Contractors registered with Efficiency Maine are on pace to insulate twice as many houses this year as last, with wait times now close to three months. State incentives and soaring oil prices are driving the surge in demand.
August 12, 2022
Wind capital in the Gulf
Delger Erdenesanaa, Texas Observer
Upcoming offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico could bring jobs as well as clean energy to Texas communities.
August 11, 2022
Poll suggests support for unions and sustainability in AISD
Willow Higgins, Austin Monitor
A recent poll of AISD voters concluded that there is broad support for making the school district more sustainable and creating career pathways for union work.
August 2, 2022
Commentary: Bridgeport must act on clean buses
Mustafa Salahuddin, Connecticut Post
Last month, in New Haven, Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law the Connecticut Clean Air Act. This legislation requires Connecticut’s school districts to transition to 100 percent zero-emissions (fully electric) school buses in districts that serve environmental justice communities by 2030, and requires all school districts in the state to phase out diesel buses by 2035.
July 29, 2022
Commentary: Biden, don’t let offshore wind energy leave workers behind
Rick Levy and Dave Cortez, Houston Chronicle
The federal government announced last week that offshore wind is coming to the Gulf of Mexico — and it could be a game changer not just for energy, but for workers and communities across the region.
July 28, 2022
NYS announces third offshore wind solicitation
Adina Genn, Long Island Business News
New York State is launching its third offshore wind solicitation. Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Wednesday that the state seeks to procure 2,000 megawatts of clean, renewable energy that would power at least 1.5 million New York homes.
July 28, 2022
Commentary: In R.I., labor and environmental groups working together on dual crises of climate and inequality
Priscilla De La Cruz and Patrick Crowley, Boston Globe
Nearly two years ago, we formed a coalition of our respective movements uniting around the idea that the climate crisis and inequality must be solved together.
July 12, 2022
Commentary: Union labor will help lead New York’s transition to clean energy
Joseph Azzopardi, AMNY
As extreme weather patterns become a common occurrence, and sea levels and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise alarmingly, New York State has rightly acknowledged the urgency of the climate crisis during its latest legislative session.
July 12, 2022
Unions vie to get in on ground floor of offshore wind industry
Paige Smith and Stephen Lee, Bloomberg Law
Unions are positioning themselves as a key part of the Biden administration’s goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, pushing for worker-focused mandates while fielding questions about how it can be done, particularly in the waters off less union-friendly states.
July 8, 2022
Meet the groups bringing people of color into New England’s energy industry
Hadley Barndollar, The Providence Journal
In the move towards renewable energy, people of color cannot be left behind.
June 24, 2022
Offshore wind energy bills passed by Rhode Island legislature
Zach Bright, Bloomberg Law
Bills to advance plans for offshore wind energy and stronger labor standards are among environmental bills approved by the Rhode Island Legislature.
June 20, 2022
Updating aging NYC school buildings will reduce the city’s carbon emissions
Michael Elsen-Rooney, Daily News
The city’s aging school buildings, which spew out the same volume of carbon dioxide emissions as 154,000 cars each year, will be a key battleground in efforts to reduce air pollution and boost clean energy across city, advocates say.
June 15, 2022
R.I. on track to be first state to require 100% of its electricity come from renewable energy sources
Edward Fitzpatrick, Boston Globe
Rhode Island is on its way to requiring that 100 percent of electricity sold in the state comes from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2033 — sooner than any other state in the country.
June 14, 2022
Rhode Island advances bill for 100% renewable electric by 2033
Zach Bright, Bloomberg Law
The smallest state is on track to adopt the country’s strongest renewable standard, supporters say, following a Tuesday vote in Rhode Island’s state House of Representatives.
June 14, 2022
Commentary: Toward building carbon free schools
, The Pantagraph
As the school calendar winds down for summer break, students and families will be making plans for vacations, camp, and trips to the beach. Back on campus, administrators and educators will be preparing for the year ahead, including piecing together a plan to keep their aging buildings operational.
June 7, 2022
Commentary: A road map for making inroads into climate change in New York
Anita Raman, Crain’s New York Business
A new Cornell University report, Climate for Change: A Complete Climate Jobs Roadmap for New York City, a provides policy recommendations that will lead to net-zero emissions, create more than one million family-sustaining jobs, and reduce inequality in the city.
June 7, 2022
Commentary: Workers have a plan to kickstart NYC’s stalled climate response
Gary LaBarbera and Vincent Alvarez, PoliticsNY
As leaders of Climate Jobs NY, a coalition of unions representing millions of working New Yorkers, we stand behind this climate jobs vision for our city. Workers are already on the frontlines of climate change. We rebuilt after Sandy, cleaned up flooded public schools after Ida, and are working hard to build renewable energy infrastructure.
June 3, 2022
Texas Democrats want unionized wind work
Michaela Ross, Bloomberg Law
Eight Texas House Democrats called on the Interior Department on Thursday to require all new offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Mexico to be built with union labor. The lawmakers also want the economic and social benefits of the projects to be sent to marginalized communities.
June 2, 2022
For a living wage and a habitable planet, we need climate jobs programs
Paul Prescod, Jacobin
Climate and labor activists are coming together to hammer out ambitious but realistic plans for massively expanding the clean-energy sector in a way that also creates good union jobs. For both paychecks and the planet, it’s the only path forward.
June 2, 2022
Texas Dems look to offshore wind
Matthew Choi, Kelsey Tamborrino, and Alex Guillén, Politico
Texas Democratic Reps. Sylvia Garcia, Marc Veasey, Al Green, Lloyd Doggett, Vicente Gonzalez, Veronica Escobar, Sheila Jackson Lee and Joaquin Castro sent a letter this morning to the Interior Department to ensure the administration’s offshore wind plans in the Gulf of Mexico include strong protections for organized labor.
June 2, 2022
Texas Democrats, unions call on Interior to protect workers’ rights in offshore wind leasing
Zack Budryk, The Hill
A coalition of Texas unions and members of Congress is calling on the Biden administration to ensure workers’ rights are protected in the buildout of offshore wind infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico.
June 1, 2022
Hard to breathe: Report finds most NYC public schools with worst ventilation woes are in areas lacking green technology
Isabel Song Beer, AMNY
“We have billions of federal dollars available right now that our city can invest in repairing and retrofitting school buildings to create healthier classrooms for students and educators, slash carbon emissions and pollution, create good union jobs, and save our city millions of dollars in energy costs. Healthy school buildings mean healthy kids, educators, and communities.” said Dave Hancock, Interim Executive Director, Climate Jobs NY.
May 30, 2022
America’s next wind powerhouse: The Gulf of Mexico?
Kelsey Tamborrino, Politico
The Gulf of Mexico has spent eight decades as one of the nation’s prime petroleum hubs, home to thousands of rigs, platforms and other structures that drill, store and ship fossil fuels. Now the Biden administration is reviewing 30 million acres of Gulf waters near Texas and Louisiana for potential wind turbines — a development that could dovetail with proposals to generate other clean energy sources, such as hydrogen.
May 29, 2022
Commentary: Bridgeport schools face challenging climate future
Michael Testani, CTPost
The superintendent of Bridgeport public schools urges Bridgeport community to help address the climate crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial inequity by joining the Bridgeport Carbon Free and Healthy Schools campaign.
May 24, 2022
CPS welcomes guests to school sites
Staff, Cranston Herald
Climate Jobs Rhode Island, along with unions and climate organizations, visited several public schools with the Cranston superintendent to discuss the importance of designing sustainable schools that meet the needs of the local community.
May 23, 2022
Report: Google Fiber subcontractors’ record shows value of union labor
Gus Bova, Texas Observer
A new report seeks to draw Texans’ attention to an often-overlooked component of broadband expansion: the workers whose sweat will connect the country, who excavate and bore and trench and install and repair this increasingly taxpayer-funded and essential infrastructure.
May 22, 2022
The NY Bight could write the book on how we build offshore wind farms in the future
Nikita Amir, PopSci
Along the Atlantic coast, off New York and New Jersey, a stretch of ocean that’s 2.5 times the size of New York City was just leased by the US government to six energy companies. Those developers have one goal: to turn the 488,000 acres of water into offshore wind farms to power the two states with renewable energy.
May 19, 2022
Labor unions’ climate agenda for City Hall includes cutting school emissions, adding bike lanes
Danielle Dunn, Politico Pro
Major labor leaders are throwing their support behind an array of climate initiatives they say will create good union jobs as state and city leaders race to meet their mandates for cutting emissions.
May 13, 2022
Clean energy is the future—but to get the most out of it, Wisconsin workers should build the infrastructure
Robb Kahl, Up North News
Solar energy is coming to Wisconsin in a huge way, but in order for Wisconsin communities to enjoy the full benefits of this booming industry, solar energy production jobs needs to go to local workers and have high labor standards.
May 12, 2022
Cost savings for ComEd customers
Pat Devaney, Chicago Sun Times
ComEd customers are set to receive cost savings on their energy bills due to a provision in the state’s recently enacted Climate and Equity Jobs Act called the Carbon Mitigation Credit Program.
May 9, 2022
Commentary: NYC students deserve carbon-free and healthy schools
Carmen De La Rosa and Rita Joseph, City Limits
The Carbon Free and Healthy Schools plan would be transformational: it would institute energy audits and retrofits of each school, repair and replace HVAC systems, invest in climate resiliency upgrades, and electrify our fleet of school buses. It would make use of schools’ large rooftops to generate solar power and increase school buildings’ overall energy efficiency.
April 29, 2022
Maine labor coalition scores major legislative win creating renewable energy jobs
Dan Neumann, Maine Beacon
The Maine Labor Climate Council won its first major victory in the Maine Legislature this week: LD 1969. This law will require prevailing wages and equity standards on all large, utility-scale renewable energy projects including solar, wind, tidal, geothermal and hydropower.
April 28, 2022
Commentary: Labor taking lead on green economy
Renee Hamel and Dan McInerney, CTPost
The American economy is driven by American workers. In Connecticut, many areas of employment have organized labor and fill our unions with bright, hardworking individuals dedicated to moving the state forward and securing a better future for all residents.
April 26, 2022
New law could boost labor union presence in Maine renewable energy projects
Fred Bever, Maine Public
As Maine continues to expand its investments in renewable energy infrastructure, organized labor is notching some policy victories aimed at boosting union workers’ presence in the green economy.
April 18, 2022
Commentary: Our city can repair NYC schools and create thousands of union jobs
Vincent Alvarez, AMNY
The p discusses the urgent need for updating aging public schools buildings.
April 13, 2022
Maine labor organizers, state lawmakers call out federal inaction on climate, health care
Dan Neumann, Beacon
Grassroots activists joined labor and State House leaders on Wednesday in Augusta to call on Maine’s congressional delegation to jump start talks on President Joe Biden’s stalled social spending package that called for much-needed investments in the country’s social safety net and addressed the escalating threat of climate change.
April 8, 2022
Green light for state’s largest solar project in Dane County
Erik Gunn, Wisconsin Examiner
State regulators gave the all clear Thursday to the largest Wisconsin solar array yet, to be built on 4,600 acres of land in Dane County. The proposed Koshkonong Solar Energy Center will generate 300 megawatts of power and include storage battery capacity for 165 megawatts.
April 8, 2022
Illinois prioritizes equitable access to green jobs on its path to 100% clean energy
Laura Aka, Working Nation
The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) aims to get the state to 100% clean energy by 2050 by focusing significant workforce development components, including an emphasis on building a more diverse workforce with equitable access to the skills needed to get green jobs.
April 5, 2022
Environmental group strives to create 20,000 union jobs in renewables
Ed “Flash” Ferenc, America’s Work Force Podcast
Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney spoke about the creation of the Maine Labor Climate Council, a coalition of more than a dozen unions who strive to address climate change in Maine.
April 4, 2022
Bills would track, reduce greenhouse gas emissions coming from large buildings
Rob Smith, EcoRI News
A set of bills up for consideration in the General Assembly would benchmark emissions from large buildings (H7850) and expand the Green Buildings Act to set Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards for more state-owned and state-used buildings (H7278)
April 4, 2022
Organized labor leads employment of the future
Ann Donch, AMNY
We have to tackle crises together, and New York can get it done by building an equitable renewable energy economy powered by good-paying union jobs with training, family-sustaining benefits, and retirement security. That’s exactly why labor is leading on climate.
March 29, 2022
New advisory group to study port development for offshore wind
Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz
The Mills administration has expressed its official view of offshore wind as an “unprecedented economic and investment opportunity for Maine” and plans are underway to study options for possible uses of the renewable energy at the state’s commercial ports as part of Maine’s Offshore Wind Roadmap, a strategic planning process coordinated by the Governor’s Energy Office.
March 24, 2022
Advocates call on Mayor Adams and City Council to retrofit public schools with green infrastructure
Isabel Song Beer, AMNY
Elected officials, environmentalists, union leaders and other advocates gathered on the steps of City Hall Thursday to demand Mayor Eric Adams and the NYC city council retrofit public schools with climate friendly infrastructure.
March 24, 2022
Wisconsin’s clean energy goal’s could grow state’s economy by $21 billion, but state lags Midwest counterparts
Corrinne Hess, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
If Wisconsin meets its goal of transitioning to 100% clean energy over the next 30 years, it could grow the state’s economy by $21 billion and create more than 34,000 jobs, according to a new study.
March 22, 2022
Change in the air as wind ushers in New Energy era for Long Island
Claude Solnik, Long Island Press
The winds of change blew through East Hampton on Feb. 11, as construction symbolically started on the South Fork Wind project. In a TV studio, local, state and national officials lifted a shovel of dirt while cameras rolled.
March 18, 2022
Commentary: Here’s how we can improve our classrooms and our climate
David Hecker, Michigan Advance
Right now, the climate crisis is one of the biggest threats to public health, and we cannot ignore the impact it has on our communities. To ensure a bright future for our students, we also need to do our part to promote sustainability and protect the health of our environment.
March 9, 2021
Commentary: Workers have a climate plan for region
Cynthia Phinney, Patrick Crowley, and Joe Toner, The Providence Journal
Our states are flush with extra cash, thanks in part to relief money, federal infrastructure funding, and tax revenue that held steady during the pandemic. What to do with this money is the question. As labor leaders and advocates who represent the millions of working New Englanders who keep our region running, our answer is simple: invest in a pro-worker, climate-safe future.
March 2, 2021
Maine labor unions create climate council
AJ Douglas, Fox 22 WFVX Bangor
Unions across the state of Maine joined forces to create the Maine Labor Climate Council. The council’s goal is to advance quality employment standards while creating more climate-related job opportunities.
March 2, 2021
Report recommends slew of climate, labor policies for Maine
Lily Bohlke, Public News Service
A new report outlines steps Maine could take to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and pollution, create new jobs and build more equitable and resilient communities. It comes on the heels of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change finding that the window to reverse the impacts of climate change is closing.
March 2, 2021
Voice of Maine interview with Matt Shlobohm
Ric Tyler, Voice of Maine
Matt Shlobohm, Executive Director of the Maine AFL-CIO, about the launch of the Maine Labor Climate Council and the release of the “Maine Climate Jobs Report.”
March 2, 2021
Maine unions launch platform to create thousands of good jobs, take on climate crisis
Evan Popp, Beacon
Maine unions on Tuesday launched a new coalition to push for pro-labor environmental initiatives and unveiled a report detailing the bold climate jobs action plan the organization will advocate for. The coalition, called the Maine Labor Climate Council, is made up of a dozen unions from across the state representing a variety of different industries and workplaces.
March 2, 2021
Commentary: Rhode Island’s route to an equitable, worker-centered, green economy
George Nee and Sheila Dormody, The Boston Globe
With a state budget surplus of $618 million and more than $2.5 billion in federal infrastructure money in our public coffers, Rhode Island is in a strong position to tackle the climate crisis, rebuild our infrastructure, and invest in an equitable economy that works for all. A new report, authored by experts at Cornell University, shows how our state leaders can seize the moment and get it done.
March 1, 2021
Labor unions form new group to combat climate change in Maine
Nicole Ogrysko, Maine Public
More than a dozen unions have created a new Maine Labor Climate Council, which they officially launched Tuesday. The unions say Maine has an opportunity to tackle climate change, the economic fallout from the pandemic and income inequality all at once.
March 1, 2021
Commentary: It’s time for climate policies that put working people first
By Cynthia Phinney, President of the Maine AFL-CIO, a federation of 160 unions representing 40,000 workers in Maine, Bangor Daily News
The overlapping crises of climate change, widening inequality and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic present huge challenges for communities and working families throughout Maine. As the earth continues to warm we’re experiencing more intense nor’easters, worsening heat waves, rising sea levels and the ever-increasing threats to our livelihoods in our fishing-, forest- and tourism-related economies. At the same time, four decades of stagnant wages and the economic fallout from the pandemic have left a growing number of Mainers unable to keep up with skyrocketing costs of housing, food, gas and other basic necessities.
February 24, 2021
Unions testify during City Council civil service and labor hearing for improved workers’ rights
Isabel Song Beer, AMNY
Climate Jobs NY (CJNY) Executive Director Jeff Vockrodt and 32BJ (the union representing after school cleaners and handypersons) union member and NYC public school cleaner Angel Ocasio and testified on the urgent need for school infrastructure investments during a New York City Council hearing on Civil Service and Labor.
February 15, 2021
Talking solar on the Steve Scaffidi show
Robb Kahl, WTMJ
Robb Kahl, Executive Director of the Construction Business Group, talks about the benefit of hiring Wisconsin workers for utility-scale solar projects on the Steve Scaffidi show.
February 14, 2021
NYC unions rally behind ambitious new climate action plans
Isabel Song Beer, AMNY
The Climate Jobs New York (CJNY) union in conjunction with Cornell University released a report outlining recommendations to Mayor Eric Adams’ administration as well as examining the impact of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on NYC workers and schools.
February 8, 2021
With its first offshore wind project approved and more in the pipeline, New York’s labor movement is ready to go
By Elana Knopp, Edison Energy
In this first of a two-part series, Edison Energy sat down with Mariah Dignan, Regional Director, Long Island, at Climate Jobs New York (CJNY), to discuss the booming offshore wind sector in New York State and the thousands of green jobs it will create in the region.
February 3, 2021
Labor and environmental coalition calls for R.I. to transition to a clean energy economy
Boston Globe
A report by Cornell University researchers details crises involving climate change, the pandemic, and inequality, recommends major public projects involving wind energy, schools, and electrical grid.
January 25, 2021
Climate Jobs Rhode Island’s Green & Healthy Schools Initiative
Autumn Guillotte, LaborVision RI
Green and Healthy Schools Show host Autumn Guillotte sits down with Erica Hammond and Mike Roles from Climate Jobs RI, Priscilla De La Cruz from the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, and Justin Kelly from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, District Council 11, to discuss the push to de-carbonize public school buildings.
February 11, 2021
Construction begins on South Fork Wind project
David Winzelberg, Long Island Business News
The project from Ørsted and Eversource is the state’s first offshore wind installation and will put a dozen wind turbines about 35 miles east of Montauk Point. The turbines will generate about 130 megawatts of power, enough to power more than 70,000 homes. South Fork Wind is expected to eliminate 6 million tons of carbon emissions over 25 years, which is the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road.
February 10, 2021
Wisconsin can maximize the economic impact of renewable energy development if local workers build the projects
Robb Kahl, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The boom in solar energy generation will reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels and has the potential to help local Wisconsin communities where they are built. But whether solar energy generates real benefits for Wisconsinites will depend largely on how many local residents are put to work in good jobs building these projects.
February 10, 2021
Ready, willing, and able: Long Island poised to build major supply chain as New York ramps offshore wind procurements
Elana Knopp, Edison Energy
In this second of a two-part series, Edison Energy sat down with Mariah Dignan, Regional Director, Long Island, at Climate Jobs New York (CJNY), to discuss upcoming offshore wind procurements in New York and the region’s growing supply chain.
December 9, 2021
Unions, climate groups call for ‘decarbonizing’ R.I. public school buildings
Edward Fitzpatrick, Boston Globe
A coalition of labor unions and environmental groups is calling for Rhode Island to tap federal and state funds to “decarbonize” public school buildings by shifting them from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
December 8, 2021
Environmental and labor groups call on RI to invest in greener schools
Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal
Rhode Island environmental and organized labor organizations are calling on state government to use an influx of federal funds to ensure that any plans to rebuild public schools also include the incorporation of solar power and other clean energy measures.
October 13, 2021
Climate activists promote new Connecticut job creation law
Clare Secrist, WSHU
A Connecticut climate advocacy group believes a law it helped pass this summer will help strengthen the labor movement and address climate change. This comes as advocates struggle to get the state to join the Transportation and Climate Initiative, which could fund more green energy projects.
September 28, 2021
Labor and environmentalist movements team up and win big in Illinois
Michael Sainato, The Real News
Labor unions, environmental groups, and elected officials have finally pushed through a landmark bill in Illinois that will expand decarbonization efforts across the state while providing equitable job opportunities, training, and labor standards for workers.
September 21, 2021
Illinois just won a big green jobs victory
Liza Featherstone, Jacobin
In Illinois last week, a coalition of unions and environmentalists scored a major victory with a law providing for a miniature Green New Deal: billions invested in clean energy, a commitment to decarbonizing, solid labor standards, and embrace of nuclear power.
September 20, 2021
How the US labor movement is getting to grips with the climate crisis
Michael Sainato, The Guardian
In Texas and West Virginia, unions are having tough conversations about the future of fossil fuels – and finding new ways to support workers transitioning from oil and coal to cleaner jobs.
September 10, 2021
House passes ‘historic’ clean-energy bill
Shia Kapos, POLITICO
House lawmakers passed sweeping legislation to eliminate Illinois carbon emissions by 2050, with a compromise allowing two coal-fired plants to stay open until 2045 with the caveat that they cut emissions by nearly half by 2035.
August 18, 2021
‘Everyone wants a good job’: The Texas unions fighting for a green new deal
Dharna Noor, Grist
The myth that climate action kills jobs is dying. Study after study shows that serious environmental policy spurs job creation. Most recently, a July report found that meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals could create 8 million positions globally by 2050.
July 30, 2021
Why Texas fossil fuel unions signed onto a climate plan
Emily Pontecorvo, Grist
On Wednesday, dozens of unions attending the Texas AFL-CIO’s annual convention, including those with members employed in the oil and gas industry, voted to endorse a series of recommendations for Texas to reduce emissions while creating good-paying jobs and ensuring fossil fuel workers aren’t left behind.
July 12, 2021
Commentary: New prevailing wage legislation a win for solar industry workers
Aziz Dehkan and Heather Burns, Hartford Business Journal
SB 999 will ensure that Connecticut’s efforts to combat climate change will create jobs that pay family-sustaining wages and increase training opportunities for Connecticut’s marginalized residents.
March 19, 2021
Commentary: We support the Public Service Commission’s approval of the South Fork wind cable landing
Staff, Workers World Today
Climate Jobs New York and allies issued a statement on the PSC’s approval of the South Fork Wind Project’s cable landing.
March 18, 2021
Commentary: Make green jobs good jobs
John Harrity and Samantha Dynowski, The CT Mirror
Connecticut is passing climate policy to reduce greenhouse gases and transition from fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy. It is also critical that Connecticut ensure a technically advanced, sustainable labor force, and provides good jobs for workers and communities in clean and renewable energy development.
March 18, 2021
State approves offshore wind farm cable landing
Christopher Walsh, The Easthampton Star
In a major step forward for the proposed South Fork Wind farm, the New York State Public Service Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to issue a conditional Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need, a requirement in order for the project to move ahead.
February 12, 2021
Pascrell, Rice lead NJ, NY members demanding federal action on offshore wind development
Staff, Inside NJ
Lawmakers urge Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to issue long-overdue wind development area designations, hold new lease auctions
November 19, 2020
North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and ØRSTED signed landmark MOU for U.S. offshore wind workforce transition
Energy Central
A partnership between Ørsted and the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) will create a national agreement designed to transition U.S. union construction workers into the offshore wind industry in collaboration with the leadership of the 14 U.S. NABTU affiliates and the AFL-CIO.
November 18, 2020
Powering Chicago member joins Climate Jobs Illinois coalition
PRNewswire
Powering Chicago, the voice of Chicago’s unionized electrical industry, announced today that member Bob Hattier has been appointed to Climate Jobs Illinois, a coalition of labor organizations advocating for a pro-worker, pro-climate agenda in Illinois.