Chad Ward said there’s nothing he wants more than to be able to come home every night to his family and eat dinner with them. “Simply talk about their day,” the ironworker of 21 years said.
Ward, a member of the Iron Workers Local 7 union said he’s spent much of his career being forced to take jobs out of state due to the lack of opportunities in Maine. He said he’s missed a lot of his three kids growing up, the oldest of which is 16.
Ward was among many union workers, clean energy industry members and representatives who joined together at Maine’s State House Wednesday to stress the positive, rippling effect the federal tax credits have had across communities. These credits, they said, have led to well-paying jobs and lowered energy costs due to their creation of more renewable energy buildout.
“This is a call for action for the lawmakers,“ Ward, said. “We need the people making decisions about funding energy projects to listen to real working people like me,” Ward said. “Keep investing in clean energy projects, support the workers who are doing these projects with good wages and union protections.”
Ward sees projects that were launched because of clean energy tax credits as “creating jobs and reducing costs.”
The investment tax credit awards investments in qualifying clean energy installations. The credit is generally valued at 30% of the cost of the project. The production tax credit is determined by the amount of energy or components produced and covers 30% of an installed project’s cost. The labor provisions include requirements for developers to pay prevailing wages and train workers through apprenticeship programs.
The credits are part of the Inflation Reduction Act, a long-term industrial policy that provides incentives for investors to build out renewable energy generation and domestic manufacturing.
Ward, described his union benefits as “unmatched to anything else,” enabled him to build his home where he raised his family and buy the land out of pocket because of his union. The union’s “huge impact” on his life and family were a result of the clean energy projects that provided these jobs.
Ward said is 16-year-old son is more than likely going to follow in his path, “and I would love nothing more than for my son to be able to stay close to home. I do not want my family to have to move out of state to find better work.”
“Bring more clean energy jobs to Maine and we will help younger generations stay in the state with good family-sustaining jobs,” he said.
“You simply cannot afford to vote no on any clean energy projects.” He paused and said, “I need to work at home. I have missed too much of my family growing up.”
“Removing the federal clean energy tax credits would not only kill jobs already happening and in the pipeline,” said Scott Cuddy, a former Maine state representative and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1253, but “it’d also raise our energy bills and undercut the ongoing efforts to bring desperately needed reliable and affordable power to Maine households.”
According to the Maine Labor Climate Council, federal clean energy investments have funneled “hundreds of thousands of dollars” into Maine’s clean energy infrastructure and helped create hundreds of new jobs.
Repealing energy tax credits could raise electricity prices across the country, both for residential and commercial customers. Without clean energy credits, electricity prices would be higher due to a smaller contribution from low-cost solar and wind power, according to a report by the Brattle Group. Residential electric bills would increase “as much as $152 per year in seven states.” The report also models lost job-years in each state from the loss of clean energy tax credits and the impacts on the U.S. gross domestic product.
“Our Climate Conservation Act is understandably advocating for the climate environment, while construction workers like myself need to build things to make our living,” said Kilton Webb, who is both a state representative (D), an electrician and a member of the union International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “That’s how we pay our bills and provide for our families”
“This tension has led to decades of hurt feelings with few tangible results,” Webb said. “Our eyes are taken off what really matters. Instead of fighting climate change, we spend our time fighting amongst ourselves, getting nothing done in the process.”
The Solar Energy Industries Association recently launched Solar Powers America, a platform for community-level solar policy advocacy. The website provides information on how to contact legislators and voice support for pro-solar policies.
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