{"id":46718,"date":"2025-03-07t19:57:55","date_gmt":"2025-03-07t19:57:55","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/?p=46718"},"modified":"2025-03-07t19:58:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07t19:58:15","slug":"generating-a-just-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/generating-a-just-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"generating a just transition: how the ira is wiring a path for displaced fossil fuel workers\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

the inflation reduction act (ira) is the largest governmental investment in incentivizing the labor transition to a green economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the biden administration passed the inflation reduction act in 2022<\/a>, investing hundreds of billions into government expenditures focused on upscaling the us\u2019 domestic energy production and manufacturing. in 2025, some of the major energy projects<\/a> supported by the ira hang in uncertainty under the trump administration\u2019s spending freeze<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the ira sparked a path for the united states to lower energy costs, increase clean energy production, and reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030<\/a> while supporting displaced fossil fuel workers, unionization in the green labor market, and incentivizing new clean energy projects with subsidies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

as the us diversifies its energy resources, this leaves fossil fuel workers in a unique situation where they are displaced from high-road, union protected jobs while in possession of vital skills and experience in trades that could support the labor force in the transition to a green economy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

an integrated circuit: fossil fuel jobs and clean energy jobs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cif you commit to using higher-pay workers, the cost of the project is going to be higher. and so there’s this trade off between, do you do the transition more quickly? do you do things in a way that protects the workers?\u201d said david popp, an environmental economist from syracuse university. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
compensation disparities between fossil fuel and green energy jobs in california. (abbey leibert\/data from vox<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

one thing the fossil fuel industry has had that the green industry has not yet is time<\/em>. over the course of history, tradesmen and blue-collar workers have fought and advocated for unionized protections<\/a>. this has resulted in jobs that tend to have higher wages and better protections for workers against threats such as wage retaliation for workplace injuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

fossil fuel jobs generate fossil-dependent communities. as fossil fuel jobs are phased out, fossil fuel workers are displaced. nearly 3,200 workers<\/a> per year will be displaced in california between 2021 \u2013 2030 and another 2,500 workers will voluntarily retire each year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201crenewable energy tends to be placed closer to where it’s going to be used,\u201d popp said. \u201cso even if people have skills that might be appropriate, it’s not necessarily that the fossil fuel jobs are going to leave and a bunch of new green energy jobs are going to come in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the latest clean investment monitor report<\/a> found that from 2022 through the end of 2024, $289 billion had been invested into facilities that manufacture or deploy clean technologies. many of these projects have been cited in districts, currently represented by republicans, which tend to be largely dependent upon the fossil fuel industry. these fossil-dependent areas benefited from $223 billion of this investment, representing 77% of the total share. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

despite remaining separated in the minds of many americans, fossil fuel jobs and green energy jobs are intertwined. one major thing fusing them together is skilled and experienced trade workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a voltage boost: the ira\u2019s new approach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

the ira is different in that it is essentially an all carrot and no sticks approach to getting the united states to diversify its sources of energy, said popp. the ira incentivizes green energy projects through things like subsidies, capital investment, and tax credits to companies looking to invest in a new project. this is different from the novel approach that focuses on \u201csticks\u201d such as employing cap and trade policies or carbon tax regulations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

to support fossil fuel workers in this transition, the ira focused on three major factors: domestic manufacturing<\/a>, prevailing wages and unionization, and apprenticeship<\/a>. in 2024, unionization rates in clean energy<\/a> surpassed traditional energy employment rates for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cthe ira supports the transfer of skills for displaced workers in the fossil fuel industry by providing incentives for developers to integrate apprenticeship training programs into renewable energy projects,\u201d said gary labarbera, president of the new york city and new york state building trades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

it also funds grants for vocational training and community college programs. prioritizing apprenticeship opportunities ensures ongoing training and retraining, equipping workers with the essential skills needed for careers in the green economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

surging ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

since the 2025 inauguration, the trump administration has already put through more than 50 actions to eliminate federal climate mitigation and adaptation<\/a>. the ira was a historical piece of legislation that outlined incentives and approaches that were both enduring and politically palatable as the industry diversifies. it provided monumental investments into the climate and <\/em>an existing workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

while companies and industry leaders have been incentivized by the ira to support fossil fuel workers and fossil-dependent republican communities, advocates say that it is important to recognize that green jobs need unionization for a just transition<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

labarbera said: \u201cin the unionized construction industry, this has resulted in well-paying jobs with medical and retirement benefits, enabling workers and their families to achieve middle-class stability. the transition to green energy must not be exploited by employers seeking to cut wages and benefits, ensuring that workers continue to receive fair compensation and protections.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

the inflation reduction act’s support for domestic production, apprenticeships, and unionization of green energy workers was a game changer for blue color jobs. now, some energy projects hang in uncertainty. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20155,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4916,4917,4899],"tags":[],"storyfest_categories":[],"class_list":["post-46718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-climate","category-energy","category-policy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nhow the ira is wiring a path for displaced fossil fuel workers - planet forward<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"support from the ira for domestic production and unionization of green energy workers was a game changer for blue color jobs.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/generating-a-just-transition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_us\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"how the ira is wiring a path for displaced fossil fuel workers - 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