The NY Bight could write the book on how we build offshore wind farms in the future
The record-breaking ocean lease will power close to 2 million homes. But it also has the potential to improve supply and labor chains in the US. Click here for more
Change In the Air As Wind Ushers In New Energy Era for Long Island
By Claude Solnik, Long Island Press
The winds of change blew through East Hampton on Feb. 11, as construction, at least 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. Why a TV studio? Much of the real work will be done at the bottom of the ocean 35 miles off Montauk Point.
Although solar energy has grown incrementally one panel at a time, wind power is arriving almost suddenly on a massive scale off Long Island at a time when talk of energy independence has accelerated. Click here to read more.
Op-Ed | Our city can repair NYC schools and create thousands of union jobs
By Vincent Alvarez, president of the NYC Central Labor Council
A majority of our nation’s school buildings are at least 50 years old. Think about that: the classrooms and other school facilities where our kids spend hours on end, five days a week, are in desperate need of renovations to deal with issues like leaking roofs, broken air-conditioning, mold or mildew issues, and poor air quality. Click here to read more.
NY Offshore Wind Transmission Project Draws No Residential Comment
NY Offshore Wind Transmission Project Draws No Residential Comment
By Michael Kuser
Click here for article.
White House Announces School Building Action Plan as Unions Call for Carbon-Free and Healthy Schools
Labor leaders, Vice President Kamala Harris unveil national action plan to invest in carbon-free and healthy schools, including $500 million for energy efficiency upgrades, as union-led movement for carbon-free and healthy schools surges. Click here for press release.
Organized Labor Leads Employment of the Future
By Anna Donch, AMNY
On March 24, Climate Jobs NY held a press conference at New York City Hall to raise awareness for their Carbon-Free and Healthy Schools campaign, which advocates updating New York City public schools with renewable sources of energy such as solar. The campaign envisions a future in which these public schools are made healthier and safer for students, and represent a model of green infrastructure Click here to read more.
Unions, enviro groups, electeds call on Mayor, City Council to advance plan to retrofit public schools with green infrastructure
A powerful coalition of union workers, parents, and environmental activists stood alongside elected officials and students on the steps of City Hall on Thursday to call for the City Council and Mayor to fund the Carbon-Free and Healthy Schools (CFHS) initiative in this year’s City Fiscal Year 2023 budget. Click here to Read more
Change In the Air As Wind Ushers In New Energy Era for Long Island
By Claude Solnik, Long Island Press: The winds of change blew through East Hampton on Feb. 11, as construction, at least 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. Why a TV studio? Much of the real work will be done at the bottom of the ocean 35 miles off Montauk Point. Click here for full article.
Part I: With its first offshore wind project approved and more in the pipeline, New York’s labor movement is ready to go
By Elana Knopp, Senior Content Writer, Edison Energy. In December, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the completion of its environmental review of potential impacts from offshore wind leasing activities in the New York Bight, a portion of the Atlantic Ocean located offshore New York and New Jersey. The final Environmental Assessment (EA) assesses potential impacts from the issuance of leases within nearly 800,000 acres of wind energy areas in the New York Bight. Based on the analysis in the EA, BOEM issued a finding of no significant impact (FONSI). Click here for the full interview.
“We’ve really been engaged in the fight to get the New York Bight developed for quite some time, and it’s great to see the Biden administration’s prioritization of this area and the opportunity it creates for good union jobs,” Dignan said. “And you see that concretely because included in the proposed Sale of Notice is a lease stipulation that the work and construction in these lease areas would be covered by project labor agreements. That’s a great start. BOEM and Director Lefton have really prioritized good union jobs, so that’s the forum on how we can get this started, making sure that we have project labor agreements on construction, and then we take it from there.”
Part II: Ready, willing, and able: Long Island poised to build major supply chain as New York ramps offshore wind procurements
By Elana Knopp, Senior Content Writer, Edison Energy. In this last 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. Click here to read the first part in the series.
In December, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the completion of its environmental review of potential impacts from offshore wind leasing activities in the New York Bight, a portion of the Atlantic Ocean located offshore New York and New Jersey. The final Environmental Assessment (EA) assesses potential impacts from the issuance of leases within nearly 800,000 acres of wind energy areas in the New York Bight. Based on the analysis in the EA, BOEM issued a finding of no significant impact (FONSI).
NYC unions rally behind ambitious new climate action plans
By Isabel Song Beer, AM NY: 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. Read article
Construction begins on South Fork Wind project
By: David Winzelberg
Federal, state and local officials announced the start of construction of the South Fork Wind project at a press event in Wainscott Friday.
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. Its transmission system will deliver energy directly to the electric grid in the Town of East Hampton and is expected to be operational in late 2023. Click here to read more.
Climate Jobs NY Statement Applauding Climate Action That Creates Good Union Jobs Signaled In Governor Hochul’s State Of The State Address
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 5, 2022
CONTACT: Jeff Vockrodt, Executive Director, jvockrodt@climatejobsny.org, 917-818-3143
CLIMATE JOBS NY STATEMENT APPLAUDING CLIMATE ACTION THAT CREATES GOOD
UNION JOBS SIGNALED IN GOVERNOR HOCHUL’S STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
In her State of the State address today, Governor Hochul signaled important steps forward on climate action that creates good union jobs, including significant investment in the offshore wind supply chain, movement toward necessary transmission upgrades, and much-needed investments in schools. We applaud these important steps forward and look forward to working with the Hochul administration in the budget process and beyond to ensure that these investments in climate action both reduce emissions and create good union jobs and careers for New Yorkers and their communities.
Commitments announced in conjunction with Governor Hochul’s address included:
Offshore wind
· Investing $500 million in critical offshore wind infrastructure, including ports, manufacturing, and supply chain infrastructure, projected to leverage more than $2 billion in private investments and create 2,000 jobs
· Moving forward on planning to upgrade the transmission grid to accommodate New York’s nation-leading goal of 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind power, bringing 6,000 megawatts of electricity into New York City, enough to power 4 million homes
· Launching the next solicitation for offshore wind power, expected to procure an additional 2,000 megawatts in new projects, enough to power 1.5 million homes
· Initiating a new Offshore Wind Master Plan 2.0 to continue building the offshore wind industry in New York
Investing in schools
· Expanding New York State’s Clean, Green Schools program to bring retrofits like geothermal heating and cooling, solar power, and upgrades to improve air quality and ventilation to more schools
Green Hydrogen
· Directing the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), New York Power Authority (NYPA), and Empire State Development to take steps to make New York a hub for green hydrogen, including competing for billions of dollars in federal funding to support green hydrogen research and development made available under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and releasing $27 million in NYSERDA Hydrogen Innovation
These announcements build on other recent steps taken by the Hochul administration, such as building out distributed solar power in New York with prevailing wage requirements on all projects above 1 megawatt, an important step toward building a high-road solar industry in New York.
Gary LaBarbera, President of the New York State Building & Construction Trades Council and Climate Jobs NY Director, said, “We applaud Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to creating good, middle-class careers in the sustainable economy. Her vision outlined today signals important investments in climate and jobs, from moving aggressively to secure New York’s place in the offshore wind industry to investing in green hydrogen research and development. We look forward to working with the Hochul administration to ensure all of these investments move forward successfully and create good union jobs and careers.”
Vincent Alvarez, President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and Climate Jobs NY Director, said, “We are encouraged to see today’s announcements on climate and jobs from Governor Hochul, which signal that the Governor is serious about meeting the State’s emissions-reduction goals, upgrading our infrastructure, and creating a clean-energy economy that works for everyone. We look forward to working with the Governor and her team to make sure the State’s investments in clean energy include strong labor standards and create the kind of good union jobs New Yorkers and our communities need.”
Michael Fishman, former Secretary-Treasurer of SEIU, President of the Climate Jobs National Resource Center, and Climate Jobs NY Director, said, “Governor Hochul’s commitment to increasing funding for upgrading school facilities is another step toward making much-needed investments in New York’s schools. The Climate Jobs National Resource Center is prioritizing Carbon Free and Healthy Schools in states across the country in order to address long-standing health and safety issues in schools, take on a major source of carbon emissions, create hundreds of thousands of good union jobs, and save schools millions in energy costs. Now is the time to take care of our children.”
Dennis Trainor, Vice President for CWA District One and Climate Jobs NY Executive Committee member, said, “We are encouraged to see Governor Hochul’s commitment to invest $500 million in offshore wind infrastructure. This is a smart investment for the State and will help secure New York’s role in the offshore wind supply chain while advancing our emissions-reduction goals. We look forward to working with the Hochul administration to ensure that these investments include labor standards and create good union jobs for New Yorkers.”
Henry Garrido, Executive Director of District Council 37, AFSCME, and Climate Jobs NY Educative Committee member, said, “We are glad to see Governor Hochul recognize the importance of investing in schools, and we look forward to building on the announcement today, which is a step forward. Our schools are in desperate need of upgrades. Outdated heating and cooling systems, for example, are contributing to overheated kitchens and making it harder to teach and learn. As we rebuild the economy and invest in infrastructure, now is the time to invest in our schools.”
Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers, said, “We applaud Gov. Hochul's plan to invest in green schools and help create a cleaner, greener state. Our Carbon Free and Healthy Schools campaign has shown that we can build safer, healthier schools for students while at the same time reducing carbon admissions, creating high-paying union jobs and saving schools millions in energy costs.”
Jeff Vockrodt, Executive Director of Climate Jobs NY, said, “We are encouraged to see serious commitments to both climate action and good jobs in Governor Hochul’s announcements today. We look forward to working with the Governor and her administration in the budget process and beyond to make sure the State’s investments in climate action include strong labor standards and create good union jobs for New Yorkers. We also look forward to building on the State’s commitment to increase investments in school facilities, a step in the right direction toward making our schools healthy and carbon-free.”
ABOUT CLIMATE JOBS NY
Climate Jobs NY (CJNY) is a growing coalition of labor unions—representing more than 2.6 million working New Yorkers—united to combat climate change and reverse inequality. CJNY’s mission is to advocate for a clean energy economy at the scale climate science demands, create good union jobs, and support more equitable communities and a more resilient New York. CJNY’s members include the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council, the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the New York State AFL-CIO, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, the Long Island Federation of Labor, CWA District One, Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 30, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Third District, the United Association Plumbers and Pipefitters in New York State, 32BJ SEIU, the New York State Nurses Association, Laborers International Union Local 79, AFSCME District Council 37, the Transport Workers Union of America, Transport Workers Union Local 100, District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the New York City District Council of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.
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CWA Union President Chris Shelton takes GE to task
OP-ED: In a new Fortune Magazine op-ed, CWA Union President Chris Shelton takes GE to task for decades of rampant offshoring that gutted our communities, endangered our national security, skyrocketed carbon emissions, and put workers’ livelihoods on the line. Click here to read the OP-ED.
OP-ED: Spurred by unions, states make strides on climate action
OP-ED: Spurred by unions, states make strides on climate action
Vincent Alvarez, President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO and Pat Devaney, Secretary-Treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO
With Washington still negotiating critical climate provisions in the reconciliation bill, you’d be forgiven for feeling impatient. The dual crises of climate change and extreme inequality are a threat to our society, and every one of us has a stake in pushing our elected leaders to build a climate-safe and equitable future.
Fortunately, workers and their unions are making tremendous progress in advancing bold legislation at the state level to address these two existential crises. Just last week, labor unions united under the Climate Jobs Illinois coalition scored a massive victory for workers and the planet when Illinois enacted a landmark climate bill that sets the state on a path to a carbon-free power sector by 2045 with the strongest-in-the-nation labor and equity standards.
Thanks to the labor movement’s leadership on climate change, the Illinois bill will slash emissions, create thousands of new clean energy union jobs, expand union apprenticeships for Black and Latinx communities, increase energy efficiency for public schools, and safeguard thousands of union workers at the state’s nuclear plants that currently generate the bulk of Illinois’ zero-emissions energy. It also contains a transition program for families and communities currently reliant on jobs in the fossil fuel industry. This win shows what’s possible when workers and their unions lead on pursuing bold climate action at the scale that science demands.
Illinois isn’t alone. This summer, unions and environmental groups in Connecticut organized to pass strong labor and equity standards for renewable energy projects through the state legislature. The legislation they won includes prevailing wage and project labor agreement provisions and requires energy developers to partner with in-state apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, which will expand access to good union jobs, specifically in communities of color that have seen generations of underinvestment and underemployment.
Earlier this year, unions in New York built on the historic climate bill passed in 2018, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, by winning labor standards that will ensure the state’s investments in renewable energy yield good jobs through strong worker protections and prevailing wage requirements, as well as post-construction labor standards and supply chain incentives.
And in Maine, unions pushed lawmakers to require a project labor agreement on the state’s first offshore wind project, which means that the Mainers constructing massive turbines to supply clean energy throughout the state will be paid family-sustaining wages with strong labor protections.
As longtime labor leaders, we know there’s a narrative out there that says we have to choose between creating good jobs and tackling the climate crisis. Our recent victory in Illinois proves just how false that logic is. If we act now, we can slash emissions, create millions of good union jobs in the clean energy economy, and address economic inequality. It’s a winning formula and unions across the country are leading the way.
In our union-led coalitions—Climate Jobs New York and Climate Jobs Illinois—we’re working to fuel and harness this momentum. And across the country, new states are following suit. From Rhode Island to Texas, unions are coming together in coalition to advocate for green, renewable energy jobs with strong labor standards, convinced that we can and must combat climate change while reversing rampant income inequality.
We’ve found broad agreement that our nation is at an inflection point when it comes to our climate and our economy. Working people understand the urgency of the climate crisis; they see that hurricanes are growing in intensity in the South and the East and that wildfires are exploding in the West—and that all too often, lower-income communities are hit first and worst.
At the same time, many of the jobs already created in the renewable industry are minimum or low-wage ones—not family-sustaining, union careers. We will only succeed in addressing climate change and building an equitable clean energy economy with good jobs at its core if unions lead in the fight for climate action.
This year alone, unions in four states have already demonstrated the power of a worker-led transition to a renewable energy future. We’re hopeful that more states—and Congress—will follow suit. Our future depends on it.
Vincent Alvarez is President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, a Principal Officer of Climate Jobs NY, and a Board Member of the Climate Jobs National Resource Center.
Pat Devaney is Secretary Treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO, which is a leading member of Climate Jobs Illinois, a coalition of labor unions advancing a pro-worker, pro-climate agenda in Illinois.
Governor Hochul Announces $59 Million "Clean Green Schools" Initiative To Improve Air Quality And Reduce Carbon Emissions In Pre-K-12 Schools
FROM NYSERDA:
Education Leaders to Convene in Fall to Discuss Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency and Healthy Solutions for More Than 500 Schools in Disadvantaged Communities.
Governor Kathy Hochul today allocated $59 million for the new Clean Green Schools initiative, which aims to advance clean energy and energy efficiency solutions that will improve indoor air quality and reduce emissions for more than 500 public and private Pre-K-12 schools in disadvantaged communities across the state. As part of the program, the State will convene education leaders this fall, including school superintendents, administrators, and educators, to inform the initiative launching in early 2022 to address climate justice issues and create improved, healthier learning environments for students. Today's announcement supports New York's nation-leading goal of an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act).
Jeff Vockrodt, Executive Director, Climate Jobs NY, said, "We are happy to see this important step by NYSERDA to advance school retrofits and solar power, prioritizing disadvantaged communities, and we look forward to working with the Hochul administration to ensure these projects create community-supporting, family-sustaining union jobs and careers. NYSERDA's initiative can model best-practices for energy audits, whole-building retrofits, and solar power, and investing in schools presents such an opportunity. If we retrofit all the school buildings in New York City, for example, as our Carbon Free and Healthy Schools campaign advocates, we can save schools $70 million each year in energy costs, make schools healthier and safer for kids and the school community, and create thousands of good union jobs. It's an effort that everyone -- unions, parents, teachers, students, community leaders -- can get behind."
Climate Jobs NY Comments On the Proposed Sale Notice for the eight lease areas in the NY Bight
August 13, 2021
Amanda Lefton, Director
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Department of the Interior
45600 Woodland Road,
VAM-OREP Sterling, VA 20166
Re: [Docket No. BOEM–2021–0033] Atlantic Wind Lease Sale 8 (ATLW–8) for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf in the New York Bight—Proposed Sale Notice
Dear Director Lefton:
Climate Jobs NY (CJNY) is a growing coalition of labor unions—representing 2.6 million working New Yorkers—united to combat climate change and reverse inequality. We are educating our fellow workers, building alliances, and advocating for policy solutions—demonstrating that we do not have to choose between a healthy planet and good jobs.
We appreciate the opportunity to submit comments on the Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) for the eight lease areas in the New York Bight and thank the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for doing the necessary work to propel the United States’ offshore wind industry forward.
As a country, we are facing several related crises, and offshore wind development will play an important role in rebuilding our economy, advancing environmental justice, combatting climate change, and addressing the crisis of extreme inequality. At a moment when we must take decisive action to move our economy forward, we need to make sure that our actions and investments are driving clean-energy development at the scale we know we need to in order to take on climate change, and doing it with good union jobs. BOEM can take a crucial step toward building a clean-energy future and creating good union jobs by having a timely and competitive lease sale for the eight designated areas in the NY Bight.
The NY Bight and BOEM’s Engagement
BOEM continues to demonstrate its commitment to responsibly developing the offshore wind industry by identifying the areas that are most suitable for offshore wind and prioritizing coexistence among ocean users. Through thoughtful stakeholder engagement, the original call areas identified were winnowed down from 1,700,000 acres to 800,000 acres to account for potential conflicts in commercial and recreational fishing, maritime navigation, marine and avian species, etc. As a result of further feedback, BOEM has removed two wind energy areas, Fairways North and South, from consideration in this proposed lease sale. We encourage BOEM to continue to engage with stakeholders and work with the Department of Defense, the U.S. Coast Guard, mariners, fishermen, and ecologists to continue to evaluate ways to mitigate conflicts and the viability of lease areas not included in this proposed notice.
To date, BOEM has held eight competitive lease sales and issued seventeen active commercial leases along the east coast. By completing another lease sale by the end of 2021, we can maximize the economic development and job opportunities in offshore wind and provide the industry and its future workforce confidence that the market is moving forward. With regional offshore wind commitments totaling over 30 gigawatts (GW) and New York’s goal of procuring 9,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2035, the region is dependent on the proposed lease sales to meet clean energy targets, as highlighted in BOEM’s March 26, 2021 memorandum.1 At the same time, offshore wind presents a substantial opportunity for economic development. With respect to the New York region, the New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) forecasts that the state’s five awarded offshore wind projects will create 6,800 family- sustaining jobs, power 2.4 million homes, and have over $12 billion in economic impact across the state. To achieve the goals of New York’s nation-leading climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, we need to move projects forward expeditiously and provide the necessary lease areas for future projects. We urge BOEM to maintain at least 7,600 MW of generating capacity and the eight lease areas identified to ensure competitiveness in the market and the region’s ability to meet its offshore wind targets.
The Creation of Family-Supporting Union Jobs in the Offshore Wind Industry
As we are building this industry, we must ensure the jobs created are good family-supporting union jobs, not only in the construction and installation of projects but across the supply chain and the operations and maintenance (O&M) of offshore wind farms. A 2020 Wood Mackenzie study estimated that the NY Bight alone would account for more than 32,000 construction jobs from 2025 to 2030 and an estimated 5,800 annual operations and maintenance jobs from 2025- 2055.2 These are tangible, community-sustaining, clean-energy career pipelines for New Yorkers. The study also noted that $183 million in state tax revenue could be raised, $828 million in revenue for the federal treasury, and almost $50 billion in general economic activity. While the study used areas outside the scope of this proposed sale notice, it highlights the industry’s vast potential and the job opportunities it can create for New Yorkers.
1 United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Offshore Energy Management, Memorandum from James F Bennett, March 26, 2021, Page 8. https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/renewable- energy/Memorandum%20for%20Area%20ID%20in%20the%20NY%20Bight.pdf
2 Economic Impact Study of New Offshore Wind Lease Auctions by BOEM, Wood Mackenzie, August 2020. https://www.noia.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Offshore-wind-economic-impact-analysis-white-paper-final- 1.pdf
CJNY is encouraged to see proposed project labor agreement (PLA) requirements for construction work in the PSN’s Revised Lease Stipulations (Section VII b.). PLAs provide structure and stability for large projects, help bring projects in on budget and on time, and ensure access to high-quality skilled labor.
There are also other opportunities for including strong labor standards for offshore wind projects through additional lease conditions under consideration in Section IV that would directly benefit underserved communities and train the future workforce. As the Biden Administration’s Executive Order 14008, “Executive Order on Tackling Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad” argues, we must create a clean energy economy that puts working people first. As stated in the Executive Order, despite the clear perils of climate change, “there is promise in the solutions— opportunities to create well-paying union jobs to build a modern and sustainable infrastructure, deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050.”3 We can only create family-supporting jobs and address inequities in our communities by requiring strong labor standards, like PLAs and prevailing wage, for projects in the eight lease areas. This is a profound proprietary interest for the federal government as the U.S. Department of Treasury is slated to received hundreds of millions in revenue from offshore wind projects. CJNY proposes that the following be included in the lease stipulations:
Require Project Labor Agreements for Construction Work performed pursuant to the lease agreements.
BOEM should stipulate in its lease terms that developers must enter into Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) covering their contractors and subcontractors for the duration of the construction project, including work at dedicated staging and layout areas that may be remote from the actual construction site. PLAs generate cost savings, ensure timely, stable, and efficient project delivery, and provide unparalleled access to the highest quality skilled labor.
Require Labor Peace Agreements for all Operations & Maintenance performed pursuant to the lease agreements.
The lease stipulations should require Labor Peace Agreements (LPAs) for the operations and maintenance work performed in conjunction with the leased area as an ongoing condition of the lease and operating fee payments. LPAs require that government contractors and permittees have binding agreements with labor organizations that either represent their employees or are seeking to represent their employees that prohibit strikes, work stoppages, and lockouts.
Support for Requiring PLA’s and LPA’s
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) “vests the federal government with a proprietary interest in the Outer Continental Shelf and
3 Executive Order 14008, “Executive Order on Tackling Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad
establishes a regulatory scheme governing leasing and operations there.”4 Because the federal government is acting as both landlord of the leased Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) area and as an investor, it has a significant proprietary interest in ensuring that the project is constructed safely, expeditiously, and efficiently, and that the operations on the leased area both maximize a fair return to the public and protect the affected human and natural environment.5 To this end, the government has an interest in avoiding strikes, work stoppages, or other forms of labor unrest that might delay or interfere with either the construction or the operations phase of the project, as both would be costly interruptions to its anticipated return on investment.
BOEM can look to Executive Order 13502 for an explanation of how PLAs advance the government’s interest in achieving “economy and efficiency,” “producing labor-management stability,” and “ensuring compliance with laws and regulations governing safety and health, equal employment opportunity, labor and employment standards.”6 While the contemplated NY Bight projects may not fall under EO 13502, it is useful to look at the FAR regulations for guidance.7
Prevailing Wage (PW) Requirements for Construction, Operations & Maintenance Workers
BOEM should require that workers employed in the construction, operations and maintenance of offshore wind projects be paid no less than the prevailing wage rate applicable to the classification in the state where the power is being delivered. Prevailing wages ensure that the workforce is well paid, thereby reducing employee turnover and increasing productivity and the likelihood of reliable performance.
In New York State, the Public Service Commission has included prevailing wage requirements for construction workers in offshore wind and large- scale renewables solicitations. This standard should be echoed in the NY Bight lease areas.
Apprenticeship and Labor-Management Training Partnership Utilization Requirement
BOEM should require all construction contractors and subcontractors on all projects to participate in registered apprenticeship programs in the trades in which they are performing work. Apprenticeship utilization requirements ensure a skilled and safe workforce and provide increased employment opportunities for women, minorities, and members of disadvantaged communities. Where there are no DOL-approved or state- approved apprenticeship programs, such as operations and maintenance,
4 Laredo Offshore Constructors, Inc. v. Hunt Oil Co., 754 F.2d 1223 (5th Cir. 1985) (emphasis added)
5 See 43 U.S.C. § 1332(5)
6 48 CFR 22.503(b)(1)
7 See 48 CFR 22.504(b)
BOEM should require the utilization of labor-management training partnerships. Labor-management training partnerships have strong records of producing high-quality training that leads to a good union job.
The OCSLA acknowledges the dangers involved in the work of constructing offshore wind platforms and turbines, and therefore requires that these operations “shall be conducted in a safe manner by well-trained personnel using technology, precautions, and techniques sufficient to prevent or minimize...occurrences which may cause damage to the environment or to property, or endanger life or health.”8 Lease holders are required to maintain all places of employment within the lease area “in compliance with occupational safety and health standards,” and “free from recognized hazards to employees of the lease holder...or of any contractor or subcontractor operating within such lease area or within the area covered by such permit on the outer Continental Shelf.”9 Industry best practices include ensuring that all personnel are highly trained through an apprenticeship program that is registered with the state or DOL. Because the requirements extend to all contractors and subcontractors involved in the lease, it is essential that BOEM’s lease stipulations regarding these registered training programs apply to all employees performing work in connection with the lease, including those working offsite to manufacture or transport materials or supplies.
Providing Opportunity and Investment in Disadvantaged Communities
To maximize the number of good jobs for disadvantaged communities, BOEM should require its lessees to enter into Community Workforce Agreements that would include community hiring goals for underserved communities, historically underrepresented groups, workers displaced by the transition to renewables, and environmental justice communities. These agreements would also include investments in established workforce training programs such as registered apprenticeship programs and pre-apprenticeship programs.
Through such a partnership, BOEM and its lessees could access state-approved direct-entry pre- apprenticeship programs to recruit, train and place residents from disadvantaged communities into union apprenticeship programs and onto offshore wind projects. State-approved pre- apprenticeship programs provide their graduates direct entry access to union apprenticeship programs to prioritize opportunity for traditionally disadvantaged populations.
On Long Island, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties has a successful partnership with Opportunities Long Island, a direct-entry pre-apprenticeship program that connects Long Island community members directly to union apprenticeships and middle-class career opportunities in the union building trades. In New York City, the four direct- entry pre-apprenticeship programs working with NYC Building and Construction Trades Council affiliated apprentice programs formed the first Apprentice Readiness Collective (“ARC”) in the country. These four programs are the Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills, Non-
8 43 U.S.C. § 1332(6)
9 43 U.S.C. § 1348(e)(i)(1)
Traditional Employment for Women (NEW), Helmets to Hardhats, and Pathways to Apprenticeship. ARC is a collaborative effort of these four pre-apprentice programs preparing individuals for success in building trades apprentice programs. The success of these programs is evidenced by the data: 81% of those entering the pre-apprentice programs are placed in NYS registered apprentice programs; 76% are NYC residents; 77% are minorities; and 35% are women.10
The federal government is required to hold the OCS in “the national interest,” including promoting the “social and economic components” of the development’s impact on those affected by activities occurring on the OCS.11 One significant consideration is the impact of transitioning to renewable energy on communities most disproportionately affected by climate change. Lease stipulations should set targeted hiring and training goals for historically marginalized groups, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, LGBTQ, veterans, and persons with disabilities. This is also consistent with the spirit of the OCSLA nondiscrimination provisions requiring the government to “assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, creed, color, national origin, or sex, be excluded from receiving or participating in any activity, sale, or employment, conducted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.”12
Creating the Domestic Offshore Wind Supply Chain with Good Union Jobs
CJNY believes BOEM and the Department of the Interior can advance the national interest and create thousands of good-paying jobs by modifying lease stipulations to encourage offshore wind developers to purchase American-made components. It is in the national interest to develop a domestic offshore wind supply chain, not only to revitalize American manufacturing but strengthen energy security. Currently, the U.S. is heavily reliant on foreign-made components to support offshore wind. Establishing domestic manufacturing bases for offshore wind components will be critical in meeting the Biden Administration’s goal of 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030. Domestic content provisions for the offshore wind supply chain are consistent with BOEM’s mission to manage the OCS resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way, and also fulfills the Secretary of the Interior’s responsibility to manage public lands in a manner consistent with the national interest.
For these reasons, BOEM should use lease stipulations to require its lessees to maximize their use of American goods, products, components, and material to ensure the most efficient and sustainable development of the OCS. Lease stipulations that require use of domestic content are allowable under the OCSLA. The OCSLA requires development to be both efficient and to use “the best available and safest technologies.”13 Promoting the nascent supply chain for domestic wind turbine production supports both of these goals, as it ensures that parts will be readily available to the OCS projects without navigating the time-consuming international shipping process and assures the government that the production will be done according to U.S. safety standards. These lease stipulations would in turn promote offshore wind production, which advances the agency’s goals of utilizing the OCS for the benefit of the national economy.
10 Apprentice Readiness Collective (“ARC”)
11 43 U.S.C. § 1332
12 43 U.S.C. § 1863
13 43 U.S.C. § 1347(b)
BOEM should also coordinate its leasing activities with Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office to incentivize suppliers through grants or loans in connection with the planned projects, as well as issue credits toward operating fee revenues for developers that use responsible sources. Using rental credits, grants, or other financial incentives to support a domestic supply chain is consistent with White House recommendations regarding leveraging the Defense Production Act (DPA) and similar authorities to support the domestic supply chain for renewables.
As a recent White House report concluded in reference to mining materials for renewables, for example, “When the Federal Government is responsible for incentivizing domestic production,” it should “requir[e] strong labor protections, including prevailing wage requirements, use of Project Labor Agreements and community hire on construction projects, [and] union neutrality policies for employers....” These terms support creating good union jobs, consistent with the goals of Executive Order 14008.
To truly build back better, it is crucial to ensure the jobs created in a domestic supply chain are good-paying union jobs. BOEM should incentivize high-road labor standards in the offshore wind supply chain. Promoting a domestic supply chain with strong labor standards will maximize the economic benefits of the development, including maximizing union career opportunities for underserved communities, and ensuring safer production, high-quality products, and an uninterrupted flow of materials.
The “Best Value” Model
CJNY encourages BOEM to use a “best value” bidding model when determining lease recipients. In the “best value” model, leases would be awarded to developers that demonstrate the best economic, environmental and community value, rather than the lowest bidder. Along with the factors it currently uses to evaluate bids, we encourage BOEM to adopt criteria in its bidding formula that encourage domestic manufacturing and promote strong labor standards at offshore wind facilities. Some criteria could include:
labor conditions among suppliers (i.e., paying prevailing wages and benefits, labor peace or neutrality agreements).
diversity and workforce training programs among suppliers targeting underserved communities (such as through Registered Apprenticeship programs, community workforce or --community benefits agreements, and targeted hire agreements), and the use of domestically manufactured component parts, such as iron, steel, and concrete.
We have seen the success of this type of model in New York. After discussion with labor and climate groups, NYSERDA indicated that it would review labor standards as one of the factors when awarding offshore wind solicitations. In the 2019 solicitation, one of the two winning developers, Equinor Wind US, included stipulations for a PLA with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The other developer, Orsted/Eversource, included an investment of $10 million in a National Offshore Wind Training Center that will coordinate Long Island’s union apprenticeship programs to train the future offshore wind workforce. These commitments to local labor unions were a win for workers and for the state’s energy portfolio, helping demonstrate the overall value projects can bring to our communities.
The OCSLA authorizes BOEM to grant each lease to the “highest responsible qualified bidder.”14 When making the “responsibility” determination, BOEM must ensure that the planned development effectively manages the impacts on the immediate jobsite and lease area, as well as the broader “human environment,” including “the physical, social, and economic components, conditions, and factors which interactively determine the state, condition, and quality of living conditions, employment, and health of those affected, directly or indirectly, by activities occurring on the outer Continental Shelf.”15 Thereby, the statute requires the government to look at the far-reaching impacts of the production it oversees. A “best value” or similar points-based bidding model is an effective and comprehensive way to assess the many factors affecting the human impact of the proposed project. BOEM should include factors in its responsibility determination that evaluate the living conditions, working conditions, and health impacts of workers down the supply chain.
By incentivizing high-road labor standards and domestic manufacturing during the bidding process, BOEM can establish a preference for developers that pay good wages and support American manufacturers—all of which has the benefit of kickstarting the green economic recovery.
Offshore Wind Transmission Coordination
As we continue to put the United States on the path to harnessing offshore wind energy, we need to address our transmission infrastructure needs. It is clear that robust transmission upgrades are crucial not only for New York’s long-term energy future, but for the country. Over the next few years, New York will see retrofits to our substation transformers, voltage upgrades, and reconductoring lines to higher capacities, which must move swiftly. As noted in the Initial Report on the New York Power Grid Study, “proposed Phase 1 local transmission projects would unbottle the delivery of an estimated 6.6 GW of renewable generation,” and local distribution upgrades would unbottle 2 GW of renewables.16 In order to reduce the frequency of congestion, constraints, and curtailments of the electrical grid, we must be sure that this work moves forward as expeditiously as possible and coordination among states, utilities, independent system operators and the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC) is realized for necessary offshore wind transmission and distribution infrastructure, like an offshore meshed system. Updating the grid in a safe and reliable way also requires qualified workers. We must ensure that those who complete the transmission and distribution work are properly qualified, including graduating from a state registered apprenticeship program.
14 43 U.S.C. § 1337a)(1)
15 43 U.S.C. § 1331(i)
16 Initial Report on the New York Power Grid Study, 21
Moving Offshore Wind Forward
We urge BOEM to complete the Environmental Assessment, issue a Final Sales Notice and hold an auction by the end of 2021. The only way to achieve 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035—New York State's goal, codified into law in July 2019—is to advance permitting and lease sales in a timely manner and develop safe and fair conditions with community stakeholders.
We also support BOEM’s efforts to discover creative and new ways to engage with offshore wind stakeholders while also creating processes that mitigate stakeholder fatigue. Robust stakeholder engagement is crucial to moving this nascent industry forward. We encourage BOEM to coordinate with stakeholders, developers/suppliers, states, DOI, DOE, and other federal entities to create a public engagement process that includes direct outreach to communities, especially those affected by climate the most.
In this time of bold transformation, smart investments in a clean-energy future can simultaneously put people back to work, build infrastructure to address climate change, and spur economic development in our communities.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Vockrodt
Executive Director Climate Jobs NY
Climate Jobs NY Labor leaders meet with Energy Sec. Granholm to discuss clean energy economy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Contact: Jennifer Johnson
jennifer.johnson@cjnrc.org
646-603-8532
Labor leaders meet with Energy Sec. Granholm to discuss clean energy economy
Labor leaders from Climate Jobs New York (CJNY) participated in Building America’s Future roundtable with Secretary Jennifer Granholm to discuss building a worker-centered clean energy economy
NEW YORK—Today, labor leaders and union members from the Climate Jobs New York (CJNY) coalition met with Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm for a roundtable discussion about building a clean energy future to combat climate change while creating millions of good, union jobs.
Sec. Granholm opened the event with remarks about the importance of creating high-quality, high-paying union jobs through public investments in climate infrastructure, highlighting the Biden administration’s infrastructure plan. Participants in the roundtable talked about the value of having labor driving bold climate action while ensuring that the new clean energy economy is built with good union jobs, noting that New York is leading the way by investing in large-scale offshore wind infrastructure with high-road labor standards. They highlighted the opportunity to make schools carbon-free, healthier, and safer while creating good union jobs and saving schools millions in energy costs, one of CJNY’s active campaigns. And they emphasized the importance of a just transition for communities that currently rely on fossil fuel industries, as well as promoting access to good jobs and careers for frontline and disadvantaged communities.
“It was an honor and privilege to meet with Secretary Jennifer Granholm today at the Building America's Future Roundtable. The Secretary’s commitment to building a clean energy economy with good union jobs is evident and greatly appreciated. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build back better, and our work at Climate Jobs New York is about driving bold climate action while making sure that the trillions in economic development that can come from taking on climate change create good union jobs that will help rebuild the middle class,” said
Gary LaBarbera, President of New York State Building and Construction Trades Council and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.
“We were honored to meet with Sec. Jennifer Granholm today to discuss Climate Jobs New York’s vision for a worker-centered, renewable energy economy for our state and beyond. Climate breakdown, income inequality, and racial injustice are urgent issues, and the labor movement in New York is coming together to advance concrete plans to tackle these interrelated crises. Our roundtable discussion today demonstrates the transformational potential that working people and their unions wield when we lead on climate policy, and we look forward to the New York labor movement's participation with Sec. Granholm to build back better by creating millions of family-sustaining climate jobs with strong labor standards in communities that need them most,” said Vincent Alvarez, President of the NYC Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Principal Officer of CJNY, and Board Member of the Climate Jobs National Resource Center.
“The path to building back better must start and end with organized labor,” said Henry Garrido, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME. “Union workers built this country and its union jobs we should be creating with the infrastructure bill. I want to thank Secretary Granholm for sitting down with us and having a productive conversation. I hope we continue to work together to prepare New York City and the nation for the impacts of climate change.”
Watch a recording of the discussion online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKtPOUR2ma4
Participants in today’s roundtable included:
● Gary LaBarbera, President, New York State Building and Construction Trades Council and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York
● Vinny Alvarez, President, NYC Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
● Henry Garrido, Executive Director, AFSCME District Council 37
● Jim Slevin, President, Utility Workers Union of America
● Lenore Friedlaender, Assistant to the President, 32BJ SEIU
● Richard Mantell, VP of Middle Schools, United Federation of Teachers
● Justin Savignano, Member, IBEW Local 3
● Bob Master, Political Director, Communication Workers of America District One
● Seanelle Leesang, Science Teacher and Sustainability Coordinator, IS 68 in Brooklyn
About Climate Jobs New York Climate Jobs New York (CJNY) is a growing coalition of labor unions representing 2.6 million working people at the center of New York’s economy. We are united around a shared goal of combating climate change while reversing income inequality. CJNY’s mission is to advocate for a clean energy economy at the scale climate science demands, create good union jobs, and support more equitable communities and a more resilient New York. CJNY is a member of the Climate Jobs National Resource Center’s network of state-level, labor-led climate jobs coalitions.
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Press Release: Climate Jobs NY Applauds Biden-Harris Administration’s Prioritization of Good Union Jobs in Offshore Wind Lease Sale
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2021
Climate Jobs NY Applauds Biden-Harris Administration’s Prioritization of Good Union Jobs in Offshore Wind Lease Sale
Please see the announcement from the Department of Interior below:
“Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Competitive Lease Sale for Offshore Wind Development for New York and New Jersey Innovative Proposed Lease Stipulations for New York Bight Lease Sale Would Prioritize Union Jobs and Ocean User Engagement
Washington, D.C. — In support of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the Department of the Interior today announced a proposed sale for offshore wind development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the New York Bight – an area of shallow waters between Long Island and the New Jersey coast. This would be the first competitive offshore wind lease sale for the Biden-Harris administration. The proposed lease areas have the potential to unlock over 7 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, powering more than 2.6 million homes and supporting thousands of new jobs.”
For more information from the Department of Interior, please visit:
"Building on the recent offshore wind milestones, the Biden-Harris administration is sending a clear signal that we have a once in a generation opportunity to address climate change and create thousands of good union jobs, '' said Mariah Dignan, Long Island Organizer for Climate Jobs NY. “We are eager to see a competitive lease sale that includes potential stipulations like PLAs on construction in the lease area. This is yet another step forward in launching New York's offshore wind industry and creating family-sustaining career opportunities for Long Islanders."