Offshore Wind + PLA Go Together Like PB + J
Unions Are Going Offshore To Find A Receptive Renewable Energy
America’s offshore wind industry is being built with strong Project Labor Agreements, unlike their onshore counterparts.
According to union representatives, state officials and other experts, a much higher percentage of workers will be union members. Here’s how it will work:
Local governments, especially in New York where lots of offshore wind is in the works, incorporate PLA’s into their policies. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) holds power over energy projects to a level most other states don’t.
The European companies leading on development in the U.S. have pro-union histories, namely the Danish company Ørsted, according to Jim Harrison, director of renewable energy at the Utility Workers Union of America.
Perhaps most importantly, the complicated process of moving such big infrastructure around and into the ocean compels cooperation with a reliable workforce, which union officials say their organizations can provide more so than non-union workforces.