Ohio unions see clean energy projects fueling good jobs

By Farah Siddiqi

Ohio labor leaders say renewable energy is not just powering homes, but creating thousands of good-paying union jobs.

Despite the current administration's focus on fossil fuels, clean energy jobs are growing twice as fast as the overall labor market and Ohio ranks in the top 10 states for clean energy employment.

Pat Hook, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 683 in Columbus, said his members have already worked on several utility-scale solar projects in central Ohio, with more underway.

"It has provided hundreds and hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars in wages and benefits, opportunities for a large number of people to enter the electrical industry, join our apprenticeship programs," Hook outlined.

Renewable energy workers earn about 30% more than the national median wage and union coverage in the sector is above 10%, nearly three times the private-sector average, according to federal labor data.

Hook acknowledged some local groups have opposed solar projects, raising concerns about land use or environmental impacts but he noted completed projects have disproved most claims and are generating tax revenues to benefit schools, police and fire services in surrounding communities.

Kevin Pranis, Great Lakes marketing manager for the Laborers' International Union of North America, said clean energy projects have provided stable, long-term job opportunities.

"We really train people to be construction professionals over a set of skills that laborers focus on," Pranis explained. "Those skills are applicable, whether it's a solar project, a wind project, a highway, a school or any other type."

The unions emphasized renewable energy growth in Ohio not only supports careers for skilled tradespeople but also boosts local economies. With more than 119,000 clean energy-related jobs already in the state, they expect demand for skilled workers to keep rising.