[House Hearing, 116 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
CREATING THE CLEAN ENERGY WORKFORCE
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INNOVATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
UNITED STATES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
HEARING HELD
OCTOBER 29, 2019
__________
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Small Business Committee Document Number 116-055
Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
38-121 WASHINGTON : 2020
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
NYDIA VELAZQUEZ, New York, Chairwoman
ABBY FINKENAUER, Iowa
JARED GOLDEN, Maine
ANDY KIM, New Jersey
JASON CROW, Colorado
SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas
JUDY CHU, California
MARC VEASEY, Texas
DWIGHT EVANS, Pennsylvania
BRAD SCHNEIDER, Illinois
ADRIANO ESPAILLAT, New York
ANTONIO DELGADO, New York
CHRISSY HOULAHAN, Pennsylvania
ANGIE CRAIG, Minnesota
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio, Ranking Member
AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, American Samoa, Vice Ranking Member
TROY BALDERSON, Ohio
KEVIN HERN, Oklahoma
JIM HAGEDORN, Minnesota
PETE STAUBER, Minnesota
TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee
ROSS SPANO, Florida
JOHN JOYCE, Pennsylvania
DAN BISHOP, North Carolina
Adam Minehardt, Majority Staff Director
Melissa Jung, Majority Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Kevin Fitzpatrick, Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
OPENING STATEMENTS
Page
Hon. Jason Crow.................................................. 1
Hon. Troy Balderson.............................................. 3
WITNESSES
Mr. Mark Farrar Jackson, Vice President, Community Housing
Partners dba CHP Energy Solutions, Christiansburg, VA.......... 5
Mr. Jason L. Wardrip, Business Manager, Colorado Building and
Construction Trades Council, Denver, CO........................ 7
Mr. Neil James, Vice President, Operations and Maintenance, Apex
Clean Energy, Charlottesville, VA.............................. 8
Mr. Ed Gilliland, CEcD, AICP, PMP, Senior Director, The Solar
Foundation, Washington, DC..................................... 10
APPENDIX
Prepared Statements:
Mr. Mark Farrar Jackson, Vice President, Community Housing
Partners dba CHP Energy Solutions, Christiansburg, VA...... 22
Mr. Jason L. Wardrip, Business Manager, Colorado Building and
Construction Trades Council, Denver, CO.................... 25
Mr. Neil James, Vice President, Operations and Maintenance,
Apex Clean Energy, Charlottesville, VA..................... 27
Mr. Ed Gilliland, CEcD, AICP, PMP, Senior Director, The Solar
Foundation, Washington, DC................................. 30
Questions for the Record:
None.
Answers for the Record:
None.
Additional Material for the Record:
None.
CREATING THE CLEAN ENERGY WORKFORCE
----------
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019
House of Representatives,
Committee on Small Business,
Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce
Development
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:03 a.m., in
Room 2360, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Jason Crow
[chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Crow, Finkenauer, Kim, Davids,
Schneider, Balderson, Chabot, and Hern.
Chairman CROW. The Committee will come to order.
First, I want to thank everyone for joining us this
morning. I want to especially thank the witnesses for being
here today. You are all taking time out of your very busy
schedules to talk about this important topic. Mr. Balderson and
I appreciate that.
As you notice, there are a number of Committee hearings
going on concurrently right now so members will be coming and
going, so do not be deterred as you are making your statements
and answering questions.
As the congressman for Colorado's 6th District, I
understand the importance of clean and renewable energy for our
environment and our economy. We know that climate change is
impacting towns and communities across the country--from more
intense and frequent wildfires and tropical storms, from the
west to east coast in rising sea levels and coastal levels like
Miami, to nonstop rain damaging crops and farms across rural
America. In my home state, we know the impact on the summer and
winter recreation economy very well.
Protecting our environment and public health was not always
a partisan issue, and it should not be today. Not only does
climate change pose a risk to our economy and the health and
well-being of all Americans, but as a former Army Ranger, I
also understand that this is an acute national security threat.
For these reasons, it is critical we move to more clean
energy and away from fossil fuels by producing products and
providing services supporting bold and practical environmental
and energy policy for America's future.
Doing so will not only be good environmental policy but
also help transform our economy to be more resilient in the
future. Through innovation and entrepreneurship, we can address
the harmful impacts of climate change while also creating
millions of good paying jobs here in the U.S. that will lead to
sustained economic growth.
And like they do in many other sectors, the clean energy
economy presents an opportunity for small firms to lead the way
by reducing emissions, supporting renewable energy, creating
clean energy jobs, increasing efficiencies, and reducing their
overall environmental footprint.
From producing biofuels and installing energy efficient
equipment to manufacturing components and auditing buildings,
clean energy businesses can be found across Colorado. In my
home state, we now have over 65,000 jobs in the clean energy
sector, creating a cleaner energy supply while growing the jobs
of the future. In fact, Denver, neighboring my district, ranks
8th out of 75 large U.S. cities in clean energy. Across the
country, there are over 3 million clean energy jobs and I
believe renewable sources of energy such as geothermal, wind,
and solar power, is the technology of the future.
And since many of the businesses in the clean energy
economy take advantage of their local natural resources and do
not require massive capital investment like traditional fossil
fuels, this sector of the economy is ripe for innovators,
entrepreneurs, and small businesses.
Of the nearly 360,000 energy efficiency businesses in the
United States, roughly 45 percent of them have between one and
five workers. The same goes for the solar industry, where 70
percent of businesses have fewer than 50 employees. But while
clean energy jobs outnumber fossil fuel jobs nearly 3-to-1,
clean energy still provides only 16 percent of the country's
overall energy needs. Clearly, there is plenty more work to be
done and room for these companies to grow and expand.
But that ability to expand is hindered by the ongoing
problems we hear from many small businesses who are unable to
find qualified workers to meet their needs. An aging workforce
combined with a growing skills gap among our current workforce
is keeping small and large firms from reaching their full
potential.
So, while demand for clean and renewable energy has
continued to grow--due to falling prices of wind and solar,
better incentives and tax credits, and widespread support for
environmental responsibility from individuals and
corporations--businesses are having a harder time hiring the
staff necessary to meet this demand.
This is why we are here today. To support the rapid
transition of our energy sources and create a forward-looking
economy, a massive workforce mobilization effort will be
required. And to do that, we need to train Americans of all
ages to do these jobs. This should include transitioning the
current fossil fuel workforce to ensure that they continue to
receive a paycheck, health care, pensions, and other
necessities that comes from an energy job.
This can be done through targeted apprenticeships and job
training programs supported by the Department of Labor and
partnerships between local businesses, governments, and
academia. It can also be accomplished with the support of labor
unions that already have apprenticeship and certification
programs in place to train current workers transitioning out of
the fossil fuel industry and the next generation of workers for
high paying jobs with high quality health care and retirement
benefits.
We know that small businesses in a variety of industries,
such as construction, manufacturing, architecture, and the STEM
fields all contribute to the clean energy economy. This is a
result of Federal support for renewables, as well as tax
incentives for clean energy and energy efficiency.
But to reach its full potential, workforce development and
training are essential components to creating and sustaining
the clean energy of the 21st century.
I look forward to hearing from our expert witnesses today
on how we can best train the next generation of clean energy
workers and empower small businesses so the U.S. can once again
be the world leader in energy development, innovation, and
environmental protection.
And I would now like to yield to my Ranking Member, Mr.
Balderson, for an opening statement.
Mr. BALDERSON. Chairman Crow, thank you very much. And
thank you for your opening statement. I would like to also
thank all of you as Chairman Crow said for the opportunity that
you all are here and taking time out of your busy schedule. I,
unfortunately, am one of those members that has a markup going
on in another Committee, so I will be leaving. I apologize for
that. But we are really grateful for your time and what it
takes to be here. So thank you very much for your effort. Thank
you, Mr. Chairman.
Today, our Subcommittee will explore the employment
opportunities generated by the clean energy economy and examine
the readiness of our Nation's workforce to meet industry needs.
Energy modernization has stimulated innovation and revitalized
core industries. Its economic impact is felt nationwide.
Last month, the Subcommittee on rural development,
agricultural trade, and entrepreneurship held a hearing on
small business participation in the clean energy economy.
Witnesses emphasized the impact of public policies on clean
energy industries and business opportunities. Increased
financial incentives for energy efficient technologies and
systems has increased demand for contractor that specialize in
selling and installing and certifying these systems to homes
and businesses. Yet, according to the 2016 Energy Efficiency
Jobs in America, 70 percent of energy efficiency firms have
only 10 employees or fewer. We can do more to drive skilled
workers towards this emerging industry.
Building up that foundation laid in September, today, we
will focus on how we can ensure that our country's workforce is
meeting the diverse needs of clean energy employers. Clean
energy small businesses are involved throughout the technology
value change from research and development to manufacturing and
installation. While tech startups need highly educated
engineers, local contractors need construction tradesmen.
Unfortunately, our workforce has not yet caught up with this
rapidly expanding employer demand.
The Brookings Institution found that workers with no more
than a high school diploma fill nearly half of clean energy
production. Occupations earn higher median pay when compared to
their peers in other industries.
The clean energy sector offers opportunities that are
exceedingly rare in our economy, jobs with low educational
entry barriers and high-yielded pay. Filling said jobs would
make a significant difference in low-income communities across
Ohio, including my home state of Ohio.
A lively and dynamic workforce pipeline is critical to the
future of growth of clean energy firms. To make this
significant investment, firms need policy consistency and
regulatory clarity. In that regard, I would also like to
mention that I am co-sponsor of related legislation, the Blue
Collar and Green Collar Jobs Development Act of 2019, which
directs the Department of Energy to establish and carry out a
comprehensive, nationwide, energy-related industry jobs
program. I believe we can employ this same innovation thinking
in today's hearing.
Thank you to our witnesses for introducing us to the clean
energy workforce and strategies to meet the needs of small
employers.
I yield back, Chairman.
Chairman CROW. Thank you, Mr. Balderson. The gentleman
yields back.
And if Committee members have an opening statement
prepared, we will ask that they be submitted for the record.
I would like to just take a minute to explain the timing
rules. Each witness gets 5 minutes to testify and each member
get 5 minutes for questioning. There is a lighting system to
assist you so you know how much time you have left. The green
light will be on when you begin, and the yellow light will come
on when you have 1 minute remaining. The red light will come on
when you are out of time, and we ask that you stay within that
timeframe to the best of your ability.
I would now like to introduce our only witness.
Our first witness is Mr. Mark Jackson, the vice president
of Energy Solutions at the Community Housing Partners, a
nonprofit that provides weatherization assistance to low-income
housing. He oversees the operations of the internationally
renowned Weatherization Assistance Program Research and
Training Center in utility energy efficiency programs. These
programs have delivered weatherization services to more than
40,000 households and trained over 38,000 participants in
building science and energy conservation techniques. Thank you,
Mr. Jackson, for being here today.
Our second witness is Mr. Jason Wardrip, the business
manager for the Colorado Building and Construction Trades
Council in my district of Aurora, Colorado. The council is
comprised of 24 craft local unions who represent 14 national
and international unions and represent roughly 30,000 skilled
working men and women in Colorado. Mr. Wardrip serves the
building trades to promote pre-apprenticeships,
apprenticeships, develop labor standards and procurement
policies at all levels of government. He has decades of
experience as a sheet metal worker before representing the
Colorado AFL-CIO as president and the Building Trades Council
as vice president. Thank you for joining us today, Mr. Wardrip.
Our third witness today is Mr. Neil James. Mr. James brings
38 years of experience in electrical utilities, alternative
energy, and high-voltage operations. He has a long career
working for BP Wind, NextEra Energy, and Texas New Mexico
Power. He has held various roles in both construction
operations and maintenance providing good perspectives to the
challenges of the industry. Welcome, Mr. James.
I would now like to yield to our Ranking Member, who will
introduce our final witness.
Mr. HERN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Our final witness is Ed Gilliland, senior director for the
Solar Foundation. In this role, he oversees multiple projects,
including Solar Ready Vets, a national program to connect
transitioning military personnel with solar training and
employment opportunities. He was principal author for the 2015-
2018 National Solar Jobs Corps census reports in the 2017 Solar
Schools Report. Mr. Gilliland is a certified planner, economic
development professional, and a project management
professional. He holds two masters degrees from the University
of Virginia, including an MBA from the Darden Graduate School
of Business Administration. Welcome, sir.
Chairman CROW. Thank you, Mr. Hern.
Mr. Jackson, we will start with you. You are recognized for
5 minutes.
STATEMENTS OF MARK FARRAR JACKSON, VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY
HOUSING PARTNERS DBA CHP ENERGY SOLUTIONS; JASON L.
WARDRIP,BUSINESS MANAGER,COLORADO BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
TRADES COUNCIL; NEIL JAMES, VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS AND
MAINTENANCE,APEX CLEAN ENERGY; ED GILLILAND, CECD, AICP, PMP,
SENIOR DIRECTOR, THE SOLAR FOUNDATION
STATEMENT OF MARK FARRAR JACKSON
Mr. JACKSON. Thank you for having me here today, Chairman
Crow and Ranking Member Hern. I appreciate the opportunity to
speak to you and the other members of this Subcommittee.
My name is Mark Jackson. I am the vice president of Energy
Solutions at Community Housing Partners (CHP).
CHP was formed over 40 years ago to address the poor
housing conditions of low-income families in Virginia. In 1976,
CHP became one of the first practitioners of DOE's newly
created Federal Weatherization Assistance Program. Through our
participation in that program, we recognized the need for
robust training opportunities to ensure quality energy
efficiency work. Therefore, in 1999, we opened our research and
training center to provide building science and energy
efficient training to weatherization providers across the
country.
In addition to this work, CHP is also an affordable housing
manager and developer in seven states. CHP's scope of work
makes us uniquely qualified to provide information on the
energy efficiency workforce and the training opportunities that
are available. We are an employer of energy efficiency workers.
We contract with small businesses in the energy efficiency
sector. We provide training to crews and agencies in the
weatherization assistance program, and we have trained over
38,000 energy efficiency and building science workers from both
public and private sectors including code officials, HVAC
technicians, and small home improvement businesses.
There are reasons why we are talking energy efficiency
businesses today. These businesses are primarily small
businesses that are located in every U.S. state. Of the almost
400,000 energy efficiency businesses in the U.S., nearly 80
percent employer fewer than 20 workers while accounting for
over 2 million energy efficiency jobs in the U.S. And energy
efficiency, as we all know, is the fastest growing segment in
the energy job sector.
As one of the largest weatherization providers in the U.S.,
and in our role as an affordable housing manager and developer,
CHP subcontracts with hundreds of small construction businesses
across our service footprint. We are immersed in the challenges
this industry faces every day.
The construction industry is thriving, but over 80 percent
of energy efficiency businesses report hiring difficulties.
Almost half cite the lack of applicants who are experienced,
trained, or have the necessary technical skills to do the work.
CHP has posted 10 weatherization technician jobs so far this
year in Virginia, and although we have had many applicants for
every posting, positions remain open as we struggle to find
qualified applicants.
Compounding the issue is a lack of a skilled workforce. The
expectation is that 40 percent of the current construction
workers will retire in the next 12 years. CHP's experience
aligns with this trend as well. Thirty percent of our current
weatherization workers are over the age of 50. Those hiring
challenges are even greater for small businesses as they lack
the capital to invest in recruitment, hiring, and training
programs.
Thus, the importance of quality training. DOE notes that
the ability to develop high performance homes that are energy
efficient, healthy, and durable relies on building science
education and training. Also, as all levels of governments
recognize the need for and implement energy efficient programs
and policies, the success of those programs and policies relies
on a robust and well-trained energy efficiency workforce. There
is so much opportunity in this sector if these hiring and
training challenges can be addressed.
The energy efficient sector also provides economic
development benefits to its businesses' communities. Residents
who have their homes weatherized by CHP see an average of a 30
percent savings on their utility bills and there is a benefit
from the jobs created in the industry, of course. As I stated,
these jobs are in a rapidly growing sector and they are local.
They cannot be outsourced. And competition for workers ensures
that these jobs pay a living wage if we can find those workers.
Less than 10 years ago, through a grant from the Department
of Labor, CHP's training center successfully partnered with
workforce development organizations, community colleges, and
universities to provide green energy training to nearly 600
individuals. The CREATES program was incredibly successful, and
similar programs may be one of the approaches in solving
today's crisis.
I appreciate the time today you have given me. To restate
the main points of my testimony, energy efficiency businesses
are small businesses and the fastest growing segment of the
energy jobs sector. Energy efficiency businesses are struggling
to find and hire skilled workers. Workforce training is
required to replace retiring employees and fill the new
positions being created as the sector continues to grow, and
energy efficient programs and policies provide benefits to
workers and to the greater communities to which they are
implemented.
Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
Chairman CROW. Thank you, Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Wardrip, you are now recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF JASON L. WARDRIP
Mr. WARDRIP. Thank you, Chairman. And the members of the
Committee. I appreciate the opportunity to address you guys
today. My name is Jason Wardrip. I am a Colorado native living
in Aurora. I am the business manager of the Colorado Building
and Construction Trades Council. Prior to my position, I was a
business representative of Smart Union No. 9 for 10 years and
have spent 24 years as a sheet metal worker.
Our members are construction workers working in
residential, light commercial, commercial, industrial, and
power industries. My role is to support local unions in the
state of Colorado for pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeship
standards, and procurement. We have developed registered
apprenticeships to give people pathways to become construction
professionals. Our apprenticeships recruit transitioning
military with the Helmets to Hard Hats Program, adults changing
careers, and technical schools. We have pre-apprenticeship
programs for high school students in underserved populations.
We are also developing re-entry programs for pre-release
offenders in conjunction with the Colorado Department of
Corrections.
The construction industry in Colorado is changing.
Renewables are replacing coal in an amazingly fast pace. And
this is causing a ripple effect through the construction
industry. I never imagined as a young sheet metal worker that I
would care about the economics of labor dynamics related to
coal, gas, and renewables. However, my livelihood and the
livelihood of our members depend on us understanding and
adapting to the rapidly shifting market.
I am pleased to testify to you today that I see a great
opportunity for our industry in the new energy economy. As the
desire to reduce carbon emissions escalates, our union members
will answer the call to retrofit older technology and build the
infrastructure of the future.
There is a lot of work to create and modify our built
spaces to be comfortable, efficient, and sustainable. Our union
members are highly-skilled professionals. They get the job done
right the first time. Our union workers are efficient and bring
creative solutions to the table because we have been properly
trained as on-the-job apprentices. Academic studies have proven
the labor unions return the biggest bang for the buck. We are
economic drivers of the Colorado economy. Our workers have
health care and retire with dignity. We take pride in
protecting each other's safety, reducing costly injuries, and
deaths.
However, in our changing energy market, we are looking to
adopt big changes. The renewable energy market frequently
brings construction workers from out of the state at lower
wages with little to no benefit packages. We understand the
independent power producers run a tight budget. However, I know
in-state union contractors can do the job better than the out-
of-state labor being brought in. We can show dollar for dollar
how we finish renewable projects on time, under budget, using
local workers first.
As these projects become larger, local hires will keep jobs
in communities, particularly those losing jobs in the coal
industry. Local workers maintain the economy they live in by
purchasing goods and services, paying taxes, and homeownership
in their communities. When out-of-state workers are brought in,
the local economies suffer because the wages leave with the
workers as the projects complete.
To keep our jobs local and high quality, Colorado has
passed policies in the last year to ensure proper licensing on
solar installation and enact best value processes for energy-
generating projects.
Starting in 2020, Colorado requires solar farms that are
larger than 300 kilowatts to employ workers that are licensed
journeymen or in a registered apprenticeship program. Unions
also worked with environmental groups to create the Office of
Just Transition for coal-dependent workers in the communities
they live in.
The new energy economy can provide high-quality jobs for
all the trades. We train people to be safe and efficient in our
registered apprenticeship programs. I ask you, Committee
members, to look to our standards in Colorado as a solid start
to creating good jobs in a zero carbon economy.
Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
Chairman CROW. Thank you, Mr. Wardrip.
And Mr. James, you are now recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF NEIL JAMES
Mr. JAMES. Chairman Crow, Ranking Member Hern, and members
of the Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce Development,
thank you for the opportunity to testify on the topic of
creating a clean energy workforce.
My name is Neil James, and I am vice president of
Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring at Apex Clean Energy. I
have more than 38 years of experience in electrical utilities,
alternative energy, and high-voltage operations, and feel I
bring a unique perspective on workforce development as an
operations and maintenance supervisor with Apex.
My remarks today will focus on the U.S. wind industry's
rapid growth and the opportunities and challenges we face in
recruiting, training, and developing the necessary workforce to
meet the increased demand for an expanded clean energy economy.
I will also touch on Apex's approach to workforce development.
Apex Clean Energy develops, constructs, and operates
utility scale wind and solar power facilities across North
America. Our mission driven team of more than 200 renewable
energy experts use a data-focused approach and unrivaled
portfolio of projects to create solutions for the world's most
innovative and forward-thinking customers.
Headquartered 2-1/2 hours from here in Charlottesville,
Virginia, Apex's work has led to over $7 billion in clean
energy investment, equal to 5 gigawatts of clean energy being
added to the grid and we operate nearly 2 gigawatts from our
remote operations facility also in Charlottesville. Apex was
built with a singular focus in mind, to accelerate the shift to
clean electricity.
The U.S. wind industry is made up of manufacturing,
construction, operations and maintenance, developers,
engineers, and business-trained individuals. Currently, the
industry comprises more than 114,000 workers across all 50
states. Industry experts predict that by 2020 the industry will
support nearly a quarter million American jobs. Wind turbine
technician is the second fastest growing job in the country.
Only solar photovoltaic installers rank higher.
The wind industry employs more Americans than nuclear,
coal, natural gas, or hydroelectric power generation.
At Apex, we have five core company values--entrepeneurship,
integrity, professionalism, safety, and sustainability. When we
are recruiting employees we look for individuals who embody
these core values, and we strive to live these values both
professionally and personally.
I want to take 1 minute to provide an example of what this
looks like at Apex. My colleague, Marco Pineda, came to the
U.S. from Honduras as a small boy. Marco went to college,
received a degree in accounting, and at the time work was
scarce, so he took a job in the oil field. Not long after he
recognized an opportunity in clean energy near his home in
South Texas and began working for Vestas as a wind technician,
and soon site manager. In 2015, Apex brought him on board. He
is managing our Cameron wind facility. He since has been
promoted to a regional operations manager operating nine wind
and solar assets across the U.S. and Canada. Marco has
exemplified our core values. And to add, he became a United
States citizen this year.
Apex also firmly believes that veterans bring some of the
best talent to the wind business. The skills they learned
defending our country transition well to positions in clean
energy. At Apex, our company is veteran led at every level from
our CEO, Mark Goodwin serving as a pilot with the Navy; COO,
Ken Young, West Point, United States Army; our asset manager,
Dan Wetzel, Marine Corps captain; operations, Aaron Strobel,
Navy airman. The list goes on.
Meeting the growing demand of renewable energy will require
additional investment in finding the necessary workforce. We
must create more opportunities to educate and train individuals
for careers in the clean energy economy. We need more schools
to offer these training opportunities if we are going to meet
the demand. Potential ways to achieve this include creating
greater awareness of the opportunity, expanding public-private
partnerships, and building out incentive structures for schools
to initiate these programs. Where schools have programs, it
creates incentives for them to collaborate broadly with the
industry. Also, members can support the bipartisan Wind
Workforce Modernization and Training Act introduced by Senators
Ernst and King.
This is an exciting time to be in the clean energy sector.
The industry is strong today and our future looks even
stronger. And though we see challenges in establishing the
necessary workforce to aid in the transition to a clearer
energy economy, the opportunity is far too great for us to fall
short.
Mr. Chairman, almost 2/3 of the Committee members have Apex
facilities either in development or construction in their
states. I invite you and your constituents to visit one of our
projects.
Thank you again for the opportunity to testify. I look
forward to answering your questions.
Chairman CROW. Thank you, Mr. James. And I know we all
appreciate the invitation as well. And I am sure several of us
will avail ourselves of it. So I appreciate that.
Mr. JAMES. We look forward to it.
Chairman CROW. Mr. Gilliland, you are now recognized for 5
minutes.
STATEMENT OF ED GILLILAND
Mr. GILLILAND. Thank you, Chairman Crow, Ranking Member
Hern, and members of the Subcommittee. My name is Ed Gilliland.
I am senior director at The Solar Foundation. I oversee our
programs, including a number of workforce-related solar
programs and am principal author of our National Solar Jobs
Census.
For our census in 2018, we found that there were 242,000
solar jobs in the United States. Those jobs have grown 159
percent since 2010 when we first began conducting our census.
The growth has primarily been due to declining prices and a
favorable policy environment. Solar jobs are not just in
installation but also include manufacturing, wholesale trade
and distribution, law, design, finance and a host of other
areas.
About 2/3's of the employment in the solar companies are in
the installation sector, and that is the fastest growing
sector. It has tripled its employment since 2010. But all of
the sectors are experiencing growth. Even manufacturing has
grown 35 percent since 2010. In the past 2 years we have seen
an annual decline of about 3 to 4 percent in solar jobs, but we
are expecting 2019 to resume employment growth.
Despite the recent decline though, there was growth in 29
states and the District in solar energy jobs. Some of the
leading states include Florida, Illinois, Texas, Ohio,
Washington.
Even with the recent decline in jobs, solar employers
continue to struggle to find and retain qualified employees. In
2018, 26 percent of the solar employers reported that it was
very difficult to hire qualified employees, and that is up from
18 percent the previous year. We generally credit this to the
low unemployment rate and the very competitive construction
industry that is also seeking many qualified employees.
Hiring challenges also vary by market segment. In the
installation segment, 33 percent of employers reported that it
was very difficult to hire qualified employees. Geographically,
there is a lot of variation as well. So, for instance, in the
south central region, which includes Alabama, Kentucky,
Mississippi, and Tennessee, 43 percent of the solar employees
reported that it was very difficult to find qualified
employees. That is likely due to these states being emerging
markets for solar, and so it is more difficult to for employers
to find qualified employees in these states.
The solar industry offers a rewarding career and relatively
low barriers for entry. Most solar jobs require experience, but
a majority do not require a bachelor's degree. Training and
certifications are not required for entry level but are
important for career advancement.
So, what are we looking for in the future? Well, if by 2030
we want solar to reduce the electric sector greenhouse gas
emissions by 35 percent, we are going to need solar to provide
20 percent of the power to the grid. And that is going to
require 600,000 employees, about 400,000 more than we currently
have.
What will they be working on? There is going to be more
automation, so there is going to be more need for higher skill
levels. And despite the growing automation, we expect it to
further drive down prices and drive up demand. There will be
more operations and maintenance jobs. There will be more jobs
in storage. And then there are going to be more jobs in these
emerging states.
Thank you so much for the chance to testify. And may the
Houston Astros strike out many times.
Chairman CROW. Thank you, Mr. Gilliland. I think you will
find a lot of unanimity on that last statement, in this room in
particular, so.
I will begin by recognizing myself for 5 minutes. I would
like to begin with Mr. Wardrip. I introduced earlier this year
a bill, the Save Energy Act, which will allow homeowners
basically to have a $500 tax credit to make energy efficiency
improvements to their homes. That could be insulation, energy
efficient appliances, doors, windows, things of that nature.
And I know in Colorado, we have had experience in the past when
there have been tax credits along those lines, we have seen a
vast increase in economic activity, particularly in the
building trades as more people are employed to actually do that
work, to make those improvements. And it also increases the
value of homeowners' homes as well as they make those
improvements.
So I would love to hear your thoughts and then go to Mr.
Jackson as well, very briefly. I would love your thoughts on
how you think that a tax credit like mine in the Save Energy
Act would help promote your fields and accomplish what it is
designed to accomplish.
Mr. WARDRIP. Thank you for the question.
I think that, in my opinion, that would help us certainly
grow. We do not do a lot in residential, but we do have
residential groups. It would be the next emerging opportunity
for us in the state of Colorado. We have incredible
apprenticeships, registered apprenticeships that are very
versatile. We can change our training to whatever the
necessities are. So I think for us, and I think it would be
fantastic, but I think as a homeowner I would love to have that
opportunity to retrofit my house with proper windows to save
energy, so.
Mr. JACKSON. Thank you for the question.
I would echo what Mr. Wardrip also talked about. I think we
have seen things like this over the last 10 years back when we
had some economic struggles in the early part of this decade.
We were seeing a lot of incentives out there from utility
companies, through our state energy offices, and it definitely
drove demand, especially around energy efficiency rebates and
upgrades to homes. And we know that especially at the $500
level, that is actually driving work for small businesses to
come into homes to actually do things like insulation upgrades,
air sealing, replacement of windows and doors and things like
that to improve energy efficiency. So I think that would be a
great win.
Chairman CROW. Mr. James and Mr. Gilliland, both of you
talked about the challenges of finding qualified employees in
the pipeline. So starting with Mr. James, I would love your
thoughts, you know, as an employer. Where are you finding these
folks, and what in your view is the biggest barrier to people
going into this industry having careers?
Mr. JAMES. Thank you for the question.
Historically, we have looked to our veterans for our
workforce. Obviously, the training that they receive is next to
none, and they come in very well qualified to take the
positions that we have available. Another avenue is the
community colleges. They have excellent 2-year degrees, similar
to apprenticeships, that they come in with the basics in
electrical, mechanical, and hydraulics, which is the foundation
of the wind turbines, and solar for that matter on the
electrical side. So the community colleges are another point of
emphasis.
AWEA is driving the development of the workforce as well
through some qualified electrical worker programs and some
different incentives that we are working on there as well. So
it is a holistic approach to gathering the qualified personnel.
And ensuring that they have a good base training to come
aboard.
Mr. GILLILAND. Sure. So, we are seeing that there are a lot
of opportunities for veterans and transitioning military to
enter the solar field. The employers, as just evidence by Mr.
James's comment, really favor the service experience. As I
mentioned earlier, there is not a tremendous need for training
for entry level jobs, although companies do express a need for
some kind of standard template. But it is not--I mean, we are
talking about a week or 2 weeks of training that is typically
what the larger companies provide to entry-level employees. It
is harder for smaller companies because they do not have those
established programs. But there is certainly also a need for
incumbent training. There are a lot of opportunities to advance
from entry level to a crew, and consequently, a lot of need in
that incumbent training.
Chairman CROW. Thank you. I appreciate that.
My time has now expired.
The Ranking Member, Mr. Hern, is now recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. HERN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the
witnesses being here today.
You know, as a mechanical engineer and as a small business
owner for over 34 years across multiple industries, as a person
who has created thousands of jobs in my career, I understand
the importance of developing high-skilled workers and certainly
getting people in new industries and how important it is.
Additionally, you mentioned career centers. I was fortunate
in high school to do 2 years and get a drafting certificate, so
just a broad background and experiences in our vocational
schools as well.
You know, given these programs' successes and the increased
demand for skilled workers, it is vital that we utilize
available workforce development programs to educate workers'
interests in the energy industry. However, we need to be
realistic in our approach to increase reliance on renewable
resources as we currently do not have the means to become 100
percent reliable on renewable injury without horrible effects
on hardworking Americans. You are advocating a normal free
market transition as I am hearing, so I appreciate that.
And I say this because I am also a member on the Natural
Resources Committee, where I have seen a plethora of partisan,
radical, socialist policies like we will talk about the Green
New Deal. There are conversations going on about that. I am
sure you are keenly aware of all the details there, which is
outside the free market transition that do nothing but impose
impossible mandates that would be even more difficult for you
to fill those jobs as people are coming off other energy
sectors.
So I have also talked about how bipartisan this Committee
has been in finding solutions for small business men and women.
I spoke to that on the floor just last week, to the Chairwoman
and the Ranking Member of this Committee, about how we have
moved forward to find workable bills that help benefit small
business men and women who are trying to grow their businesses,
find available employees, and put them to work.
So again, it is really important that we recognize we have
all these resources and then also what you all are doing to
make that work as well.
I am very interested, and I know Chairman Crow is based on
his military background. I would like to expand on this Solar
Vets program that you are part of. I think you are trying to
bring that back, Mr. Gilliland?
Mr. GILLILAND. Yes.
Mr. HERN. Could you talk to us about the successes of that
program and why it stopped and why it is starting back up and
what your thoughts are?
Mr. GILLILAND. Sure. So the initial version of Solar Ready
Vets was focused on setting up training programs for 10
military bases around the country. We worked with the
Department of Energy on working with, say, nearby community
colleges to set up training programs and recruit service
members, the transitioning service members into these programs,
and there were a number of successes. It varied depending upon
base and on the quality of the programs. But a number of
transitioning service members did matriculate through these
programs and many got jobs in solar.
The newer version, the one we are working on now, is
including veterans as well as transitioning services members.
And it also is focused on some of the policy challenges that we
ran into before. One of the issues we ran into before was that
sometimes it was difficult for vets to use their GI bill for
solar-related training. And so, on this version of the Solar
Ready Vets program, we actually have a task, and one of our
areas of focus is to work with community colleges on getting
more acceptance of the GI bill.
Mr. HERN. Mr. Gilliland, if I could, just reclaiming some
of my time here just so I do not want to run out of time,
because I want to ask you a couple questions. I think you were
starting to allude to it. If we could help out, you know,
through this Committee, one of the things this Committee does
very well is to take where some of these bottlenecks are and
help get this information and legislation pushed through other
Committees. I think you were referencing TAPS, where you are
transitioning out of the military and being able to get into
some of these programs that are GI qualified. And as an
example, we have a great, probably the second best--I would
claim it would be the first best technical school program in
Oklahoma, and we are also the number two wind producer in the
country. And we also probably have one of the highest per
capita of veterans, 115,000 in Northeast Oklahoma alone, one of
the seven VA regional hospital programs. And so there are a lot
of things around veterans, yet we do not have a program like
this to help our military men and women transition into these
high-paying jobs. As this industry continues to grow, again, in
a state that relies on fossil fuels, as a major contributor to
its budget, and so I would really appreciate as we go forward
if we can get the information from you to the Chairman and to
the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee and to Chairwoman
Velazquez and to Ranking Member Chabot so that we can help you
get this program back up and going in a timely fashion.
Thank you, all. I am sorry, I ran out of time. I have a ton
of questions for you. Thank you so much for being here.
Chairman CROW. Thank you, Mr. Hern. The gentleman's time
has expired.
And I will just reiterate his comments about, you know, the
nature of this Committee and how bipartisan it is, and we take
a lot of pride in that. Our approach traditionally has been we
find areas of overlap and common agreement to get things done,
and I think a great testament to that is the fact that we have
actually passed dozens of bills this year unanimously out of
this Committee. And we are very proud of that fact.
Now, the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Schneider, is
recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for
calling this hearing today. I want to thank the witnesses for
joining us today and for sharing your experiences and
perspectives in what is an increasingly important issue.
I come from Illinois. Actually, I come from Colorado,
originally, Mr. Wardrip, a native, but I moved to Illinois. It
is where I have had my home for the last, well, now 40 years,
and it is where I have the privilege of representing.
In our state 3 years ago, we passed the Future Energy Jobs
Act, which will help power our state's investment in the green
economy in the future you touched about in Colorado which I
will come to in a second.
We passed the bill because consumers want to be able to
choose renewables, and utilities around the country are making
investments in new green energy infrastructure. It is crucial
that in our state, the Illinois Future Energy Jobs Act, one of
the crucial things it did was to make the necessary investment
in our workforce so that we can meet the demands over the next
decade of the new types of jobs that the green energy economy
is going to bring. To do this, our Illinois legislature brought
together the educational infrastructure of community colleges,
which we have many wonderful ones, two in my district, and the
know-how of the networks of organized labor. The legislation is
expected to help create literally thousands of clean energy
jobs in Illinois and hopefully create a pipeline through which
we will train these future green energy workers. And that is
because its success relies on one critical stakeholder, and
that is organized labor.
And Mr. Wardrip, you mentioned you were part of SMART and a
sheet metal worker. I would be interested in your perspective
of how organized labor will be a critical resource as we move
forward in the clean energy revolution. As you mentioned, in
Colorado, renewables are replacing coal at an extraordinary
rate and with my family all still there, I have watched it with
keen interest. And how will labor be centrally enclosing the
green energy skills gap?
Mr. WARDRIP. Thank you for the question.
So again, I go back to our registered apprenticeships are
the most versatile training programs out there. We can train to
what the necessities require. So without really much effort. We
already have many wind opportunities with the IBW locals, as
well as electrical, transmission lines, things of that nature.
We already do hoisting and rigging, iron work, that type of
thing. We are ready to be there. We are ready to do the work.
We just have not done a lot of that work in there.
The other thing that we bring to the table is as the power
plants are being closed and as the mines are reducing
production substantially in the state of Colorado, we have a
workforce available. They are going to be available starting in
2022 and going all the way up to 2040 due to the utilities
cutting the coal production and going to solar rays and some
gas and mostly wind and solar. So we have the workforce
available. We are willing to train those people and transition
them to be able to do and answer the call of the renewable
futures.
Mr. SCHNEIDER. And maybe I will turn to Mr. James. You do
industrial scale solar.
Mr. JAMES. That is correct, yes.
Mr. SCHNEIDER. You know, one of the concerns we have for
the communities like in Colorado where there is a decline in
demand for the coal, we just want to make sure that the people
in these communities have opportunities. Are there
opportunities for these folks to be trained and find employment
in industrial scale solar that will allow them to stay close to
home? As a father of boys in their twenties, I want my kids
close to home. They are not now. We want our grandkids close to
us. That is true where I live. I think it is true for every
parent who hopes to be a grandparent, we want our kids close to
us.
Mr. JAMES. That is right. And I failed to mention, Mr.
Schneider, that as the more traditional generating technologies
close for various reasons, efficiencies, and those types of
things, the workforce that are left there are a very skilled
workforce.
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Right.
Mr. JAMES. One that, you know, have the various skills that
we are looking for, both in solar and in wind. So yes, that is
another pipeline I failed to mention as we talked about the
community colleges and the technical schools and the veterans.
Already trained employees from a downtrodden type of
technology, that is a no-brainer. We will pick them up.
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Obviously, we can transition.
Mr. JAMES. Pick them up. Yes.
Mr. SCHNEIDER. With my few seconds left, I just want to go
back and emphasize, I think it was you, Mr. Wardrip, who
mentioned Helmets to Hard Hats with my colleague, Mr. Spano,
from Florida, on this Committee, bipartisanship which the
Chairman touched on. We are pushing legislation that will
reauthorize and move forward the boots to business, working
with our veterans and military personnel who are transitioning
back into civilian life, there are a lot of great
opportunities. And so I think making sure we have the
workforce, making sure that people who want to be entrepreneurs
see a pathway in this field. There is a lot of opportunity
here. We should not let it pass us by.
And with that, I yield back.
Chairman CROW. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
The gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Kim, is now recognized
for 5 minutes.
Mr. KIM. Great. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member
for holding this hearing. And thank you to the witnesses.
Thanks for coming on out and talking with us here.
I just have a couple questions I just want to jump into.
You know, my district in New Jersey, there are a lot of
jobs that are related to what it is we are talking here. About
3,500 jobs when it comes to energy efficiency, a lot when it
comes to solar manufacturing installation. And as I talked to
the business owners there and the workers there, what we are
trying to think about is just understand the trend lines and
when we say what is our vision for our community, not just, you
know, next year but 10 years down the road, 20 years down the
road.
When I was looking through some of the material prepped for
this hearing, you know, we are talking about how energy
efficiency is the fastest-growing sector when it comes to
energy sector and talking about the growth in that way. But I
guess what I want to glean from you as sort of the big picture
is where do you guys see things going from here? You know,
especially, let's start with the energy efficiency side of
things. You know, what kind of growth should we expect over the
next 10 years? What particular types of jobs within there do
you see being the ones that are in demand? And then are we
keeping up with the training side of things to make sure that
we are able to sustain that type of growth going forward?
So I am not sure if anyone particularly wants to speak to
that.
Mr. Jackson, you are kind of nodding your head a bunch. Do
you want to take the first crack?
Mr. JACKSON. Absolutely. That would be wonderful.
Actually, you bring up some great ideas and questions. So
we actually see energy efficiency, like most do, as the
cheapest fuel. It is the first fuel. And we look at energy
efficiency as answering the call for most homes and buildings
first before actually bringing in things like renewables, wind,
solar, programs like that.
What we are seeing in Virginia over the last 5 years, so if
we look back at 2014, specific to low income energy efficiency
programs just for utilities, we are around $500,000 in 2014. In
2022, we are projecting about $50 million in programs. That is
a huge growth for our industry in Virginia around energy
efficiency. Not around renewables. This is just around energy
efficiency.
What we are doing to meet that demand is specifically in
our training center, and we have been doing this for years, is
we actually train and credential employees and provide career
ladders within the Weatherization Assistance Program. And we
train in 26 states. Most of the states that there is a
representative from this Committee we train in, also. New
Jersey, we have a state training contract, and we provide
career ladders, but then those credentials are transferrable
and portable between public and private sectors, and that is
huge so employees can actually move between those sectors,
especially for small subcontractors that will actually do work
for the Weatherization Assistance Program and then also do
private industry work for homeowners.
Mr. KIM. I am just going to add another element to this.
Mr. James, I wanted to kind of seek some of your expertise on
this. My district is a district with, you know, the Jersey
Shoreline. There is a lot of talk in my state about offshore
wind. And I am just trying to get a sense of the workforce side
of things. Help me understand, you know, what are the
differences in terms of the training needed, the expertise
needed, for those working on installation of onshore versus
offshore?
Mr. JAMES. Sure. That is a great question, Mr. Kim.
The similarities are very much alike with respect to the
turbine once you get up off of the waterline and in the tower
and the nacelle and what have you. Obviously, the resource to
get to the tower is a little bit different, and cranes and
those types of activities for some of the major correctives or
maintenances might require a little additional training.
Safety is another aspect that is looked at a little bit
different out on the water versus inland. But overall speaking,
there are not a lot of differences in the qualifications or
training requirements for a technician to work either inland or
offshore.
Mr. KIM. And the last final question, Mr. Gilliland, over
to you. I just wanted to kind of get your thoughts on
something. I get asked a lot about just, you know, the
installation of solar systems for folks in the district. And
basically, what folks are just kind of asking me about is what
kind of guarantee do they have, what kind of assurances do they
have in terms of knowing that they are going to be able to
reduce their energy bill over the long term, you know, just in
terms of just the concerns they have about the high cost of
utilities and other things like that? So I guess I just kind of
wanted to hear from you, you know, what is sort of the best
pitch here? What should I be saying to, or what should folks be
saying to my constituents about that just in the few seconds we
have left?
Mr. GILLILAND. Sure. So first of all, solar is an upfront
investment. So, it is all cap X. And then it pays off over
time. It is never going to vary. So, non-solar energy costs
will go up and down. They could go way up but solar, once it is
constructed, is a stable cost curve for the rest of the life of
the system. And the cost is going down. The cost to develop
solar, even in the last year, has dropped 7 to 11 percent.
Mr. KIM. Just in the last year?
Mr. GILLILAND. Just in the last year. So, it is a great
deal. It is a terrific opportunity.
Mr. KIM. That sounds good.
Well, I yield back, Mr. Chair.
Chairman CROW. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
Now, I would like to recognize Ms. Davids, from Oklahoma.
Mrs. DAVIS. Kansas.
Chairman CROW. Kansas. Sorry, Kansas.
Mrs. DAVIS. That is okay.
Well, thank you, Chairman. And I also appreciate all of the
folks who came to offer testimony and help us better understand
this.
I represent the Kansas 3rd Congressional District, which is
the Kansas City Metro area. And there are a lot of folks in our
community and in my district who are very concerned about
making sure that we address issues of climate change and
resiliency and I often cite a rather general climate index that
puts the Kansas City Metro area as the likely fifth most to be
impacted of 25 metro areas that they looked at because of
climate change. And our area faces both drought and flooding
issues, and that is only going to be exacerbated as we move
forward.
So the transition to renewables is something that I am very
interested in. And that is not just for buildings and
structures, but also for transportation and infrastructure as I
sit on that Committee.
One of the things that I am really proud of is that 40
percent of Kansas's energy comes from wind energy. We produce a
lot of wind energy out there. And I am hoping that we can
continue that push in that direction. But one of the things
that I wonder about from you all is, how can our Committee and
the SBA be helpful in making sure that we are providing
incentives and investments into that space where it makes
sense? And I think about that because wind is obviously in the
Kansas area and the Plains area great, but solar is better in
other places. So I want to make sure we are incentivizing but
not restricting progress on that.
And I will open it up to--I see some head nodding, so.
Mr. James?
Mr. JAMES. All right. Ms. Davids, thank you.
I have had the pleasure of working on several Kansas wind
farms and projects in the past, so you are right, there is a
lot of wind in Kansas.
I think to your question, for us it is back to the growth
that we are going to see in the next couple of years in both
wind and solar is going to be staggering. And in developing
that workforce is going to be key. Several have mentioned ideas
and places to get that resource.
But I fall back to the community colleges and the grants
and some of the support that maybe the military veterans can
gather from the Committee in order to be directed in our way
because the jobs are going to be there and definitely need
filled.
Mrs. DAVIS. So Mr. Wardrip, I was wondering if you could
talk a little bit about, I think the Armed Services is an
amazing place for people to learn skills and leadership, and
especially entrepreneurial skills that are going to be very
beneficial as they move forward after their time serving. But
the trades, and I think about apprenticeship programs and very
technical skills that folks who are part of various unions. Can
you talk a little bit about the positive impact that those
things can have as we move into a more renewable energy sector?
And maybe what your vision for that is?
Mr. WARDRIP. Yes, on both.
So let me start with the second one first.
The vision that I have is that, of course, that we would
make sure that the workers that currently hold the work in coal
are able to transition into the work going into renewables. But
there has to be a reality that those people make a very good
living. And so to retrain at 50 percent of what they currently
would make, that is unreasonable. So therefore, as you asked
earlier, and sorry to go back to the previous question, I think
if you are going to provide incentives, then that incentive
must have a stipulation that states that these people are going
to make dollar for dollar all the way to their pensions and
health care. So I think that is something to my core is
something that needs to be held, you know, that needs to be
accountable for the renewable.
Secondly, we also see Helmets to Hard Hats, as well as
other veterans' programs to bring veterans into our
apprenticeships and grow in the renewable market knowing that
that is really what the new power world is going to be about.
And we welcome that. So hopefully I covered most of it.
Mrs. DAVIS. Thank you. I appreciate it. And I yield back.
Chairman CROW. Thank you. The gentlelady from Kansas yields
back.
I would like to recognize myself for a few more minutes
here for additional questions. And this relates to something
that Mr. Hern, who unfortunately had to go off to another
hearing, brought up, but it is a concern we have talked about.
Climate change is, of course, one of my top concerns, and I
am doing a lot of stuff here to address it. At the same time, I
do have a lot of conversations in my community and my district
about people who are being caught up in that transition. And I
know Mr. Wardrip, you talked about that earlier. These are
folks that are, you know, sometimes working paycheck to
paycheck. They have to be able to pay their rent and their
mortgage. They are supporting families. We are experiencing
firsthand in Colorado a transition from fossil fuels, from
coal-fired power plants to renewable energy, and there is great
opportunity there and there are tremendous careers available in
that area. But we do want to make sure that it is just and it
is equitable and it is seamless, and these people who are
supporting their families have the ability to do it. And that
is one of the reasons why I am a huge proponent of
apprenticeships because people can learn on the job, they can
be paid, they can continue to support their families while they
are making that career transition.
So with that as background, starting with you, Mr. Wardrip,
what do we have to do to expand the opportunities in those
apprenticeships? Helmets to Hard Hats is obviously a clear
example of people making the transition from military to
civilian life, but other apprenticeship programs, how do we
kind of change the mindset and increase that pipeline so people
can actually do that and do it in a way that supports our
economy, supports the transition we need to make for our
environment, but also can support their families as well?
Mr. WARDRIP. Thank you.
So first things first is get rid of the stigma that we are
a closed shop. We welcome everybody. There is nobody that we
would not welcome as long as they can, you know, they want to
come to work, give us 40 hours, be there at 7 o'clock in the
morning, we would welcome them all day, every day. I think that
is the number one thing.
The other thing would be to partner with independent power
producers. What we have seen in Colorado is we sadly have not
had much of a partnership. We do some work but to the extent,
it is very little. We would like to figure out how to make sure
that when we are doing construction, that we have the
opportunity to have the local workers, and I mean the people
that live in the towns where the coal is being taken out of.
And then solar rays and wind should be put back where those
towns are losing the coal. Those worker should have first shots
at that. And then, of course, going to the county and then
expand out to the state. Whatever it takes. But make an outward
circular motion to be able to have workers from the area do the
work specifically in the state at the farthest, and then bring
people in from out of state to participate doing that work. I
think that helps the economy, and I think that helps the
communities that are going to be frankly decimated in many
parts of Colorado.
And then, also, again, we are versatile enough that we can
train to do work in Craig from Grand Junction, which is about a
100-mile drive. We are versatile enough and willing to do that
work. That is what construction workers do.
Chairman CROW. Thank you, Mr. Wardrip.
Any other comments or thoughts on that?
Yes, Mr. Gilliland?
Mr. GILLILAND. So, first of all, we did prepare a full
report on solar workforce development that has a big section on
apprenticeships and that is referenced in the material that we
submitted. Despite saying that many entry-level solar jobs do
not need a lot of training, we do see that there is a
tremendous opportunity for apprenticeships in solar. In our new
Solar Ready Vets program, we are actually looking at registered
apprenticeships at the Department of Labor and seeing how we
can fit solar into their system. So, we see that as a very good
opportunity for solar.
Chairman CROW. Thank you.
It seems to me there is also a cultural mindset that needs
to shift here, as well. Right? You know, for decades, we have a
K-12 pipeline and we have a culture that tells young folks that
to have a career and a middle-class life you have to go to a 4-
year college or university, yet we see that we have a
substantial deficit in America today on the trades, in crafts,
and highly-qualified workers in this field that can have a very
strong middle-class life and support their families in these
industries.
So from a cultural perspective, what are you all doing on
the ground to communicate that to people in your community and
young folks that you can build a life and have a career and do
it in this way?
Mr. JAMES. I will start off, Mr. Crow.
In all of our development areas, different states across
the U.S., we hold public forums. And those are very successful
in spreading the word of the opportunity and the challenges
that we have as an industry in the workforce, in the
development. So that is a primary communication tool that we
have is just talking to the public, making them aware of the
opportunity and what it takes to get that started, and that has
been received very well.
Mr. JACKSON. If I may for a moment.
So very similar. We spend time out in the field at
community colleges and actually high schools. So what we are
seeing and hearing a lot from the younger population generation
is the concern about the burden of college debt. So I have to
go to a 4-year college. Well, now I have to get a master's
degree if I really want to have earning potential. And then I
have that debt I am going to carry for 10 to 20 years. So we
are actually starting to see younger population from the high
schools that will finish and then come to us, actually, and our
program is very much like an apprentice program. Most of our
folks, they start out with one week of training, and then as
you step up through the career ladder you take additional
courses. Our energy auditors can take as much as 9 weeks of
courses over a 2-year timeframe.
And I will tell you also, within our industry, especially
Community Housing Partners, our average tenure is 18-1/2 years.
Once folks start in our program, they stay in our program. And
we see that over and over because it is a passion to save
energy and to help people.
Chairman CROW. Thank you. Mr. Jackson, any other comments
on that? All right.
Thank you to all of you and all of the witnesses today for
taking time out of your busy schedules to be with us.
As we have heard today, small businesses are at the
forefront of the clean energy economy, promoting new
technologies in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Whether
it be in the production of biofuels, renewable energy, or
energy-efficient products, small businesses are playing a key
role.
I want to thank our witnesses for being here and sharing
the challenges and opportunities that they see out in the
communities and on the ground every day. I look forward to
working with my colleagues on this Committee, on both sides of
the aisle, to address and pursue policies that we should
consider to train workers and grow with this industry. I am
glad we share the priority of energy independence in supporting
small business growth and innovation in this new and exciting
sector.
I would ask unanimous consent that members have 5
legislative days to submit statements and supporting materials
for the record.
Without objection, so ordered.
And if there is no further business to come before the
Committee, we are adjourned. Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 11:11 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
[all]