Clean energy projects a boon to union workers making solar panels

A solar and battery storage development operated by Entergy in Searcy, Arkansas. Solar power growth is expected to help some parts of the country meet electric demand this summer. Robert Zullo/ States Newsroom

As a union member for 28 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) Local Union 613, which has been advocating for high safety standards, family-supporting wages, and industry-leading benefits for its members since 1891.

The IBEW is working to protect members’ rights and improve working conditions in the current technological and economic revolution. This Labor Day, I am reflecting on the clean energy investments from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which are creating a new generation of good-paying union jobs that are good for our communities and our planet.

Unfortunately, like everything today, the Biden administration’s clean energy plan has been swept up in political games. Some are even arguing for repealing it, but there isn’t anything controversial about creating more good jobs and giving Americans more energy choices. Even Republican congressman Buddy Carter is pushing his colleagues to protect the clean energy tax credits signed into law by President Biden.

Thanks to the clean energy plan, businesses have already announced more than 300,000 clean energy jobs, and they expect to create millions more over the next decade. Here in Georgia, we have seen the creation of over 32,000 new clean energy jobs and millions in new investments. The law is expected to bring more than a billion to clean power generation and energy storage in Georgia by 2030, which means even more local jobs and opportunities for Georgia residents.

Union jobs are gaining momentum in the growing clean energy economy. The law incentivizes companies to create workforce development and apprenticeship programs that can raise workers’ pay, allowing them to earn $300,000 more in wages and benefits throughout their careers. What’s more, three-fourths of these new jobs won’t require the cost of a four-year degree.

These are good-paying jobs to raise a family on.

Jobs created by the clean energy plan are not only unionized at higher rates than the overall energy workforce, they also have prevailing wage requirements that protect the gains won by unions and help close racial and gender pay gaps.

As an electrician and an IBEW member, I’m proud to go to work every day to build the infrastructure for more renewable energy and a more resilient grid. Renewable energy helps lower harmful emissions that pollute our air and warm our planet.

Investing in renewable energy also helps families like mine save money on our electricity bills, which also go up as summer temperatures hit. We can get tax credits and rebates by installing solar panels and switching to energy-efficient appliances. Often, the labor is done by union workers. It’s a win-win.

Thanks to the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, I know jobs like mine will be around for the next generation in every corner of the country—especially in communities that need good jobs and cheaper energy the most. If we keep investing in renewable energy, solar and wind power are only going to get even cheaper and more accessible. I am proud to play a part in helping America lead the world when it comes to modernizing energy infrastructure.

We will continue to demand a just and pro-union future, and to fight for leaders who are working hard to support this mission. Repealing the Biden administration’s clean energy plan would let America fall behind and would pull the rug out from American workers. We need to move forward, not backward.

And for any young people who want to help save our planet and have a great paying career: consider becoming a union electrician.