INFLATION REDUCTION ACT’S LABOR STANDARDS COULD CREATE 170K HIGH-QUALITY UNION JOBS IN NEW YORK STATE
Comprehensive analysis of clean energy generation and storage project pipeline finds 6,200+ projects and estimated $2 trillion investment in clean power that could be eligible for Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits with labor standards
A new report takes a first-of-its-kind look at the clean energy boom spurred by federal clean energy tax incentives in our state and nationwide, coming on the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The report finds that in New York State, there are 547 clean energy generation and storage projects in the development pipeline – planned, under construction, or recently completed – that could be eligible for various tax incentives tied to labor standards under the Inflation Reduction Act, representing a potential 45.9 gigawatts of clean power, $87 billion associated investment, and an estimated 169,941 jobs.
All of these projects would be required to meet labor standards to maximize their federal tax credits under the IRA, and therefore represent a significant opportunity to boost pay and job quality for clean energy workers across NYS and the country.
“This report emphasizes the critical role that labor unions are playing in building our nation’s clean energy economy,” said Vincent Alvarez, president of the New York City Central Labor Council and member of the Climate Jobs National Resource Center and Climate Jobs New York Boards of Directors. “Unions across the country are organizing to make sure our federal clean energy investments create good-paying, high-quality jobs and pathways to lifelong careers. As we continue to harness the power of the Inflation Reduction Act, we must ensure its labor standards are met so that working families see the real benefits of our efforts to tackle the climate crisis.”
“As we build the future of New York’s energy infrastructure, it’s clear that unions are a driving force in maximizing the impact of historic clean energy investments,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and New York State Building and Construction Trades Council and member of the Climate Jobs New York Board of Directors. “The findings of this report are a testament to the vital role organized labor plays in ensuring that clean energy projects are completed to the highest standards and also create good family-sustaining jobs.”
“The findings of this report show the massive potential New York State has to develop clean energy and create good union jobs, with 547 clean energy generation and storage projects in the development pipeline that could be eligible for tax incentives tied to labor standards under the Inflation Reduction Act. The projects will also bring an increase in domestic manufacturing, causing beneficial ripple effects for working people and the economy,” said Lenore Friedlaender, Executive Director of Climate Jobs New York. “New York’s unions are ready to meet the moment the climate crisis demands and help New York take advantage of the federal climate plan to bring clean energy projects across the finish line.”
The report includes testimonials from union members working on clean energy projects:
“I worked on South Fork [offshore wind farm], I was on the first phase getting those piles in and setting up. I lived on a boat for a month at a time. It was a learning curve, but it was actually quite nice living on the boat. I enjoyed it more than being on land. It was actually pretty cool because no one else has really done it, so I was really happy that me and my coworkers – the other Local 361 Ironworkers – were the first to do it,” said Aleshandra Fernandes, member of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Ironworkers Local 361. “I was born in Southampton, [Long Island]. The South Fork Wind project hit very close to home for me because it’s my Community.”
About Climate Jobs New York
Climate Jobs New York (CJNY) is a 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.
