Climate Jobs NY Update: NYS Adopts Historic Renewable Energy Job Standards

The budget deal passed in Albany this week represents a crucial step forward for promoting good, family-sustaining, community-supporting union jobs in the renewable energy sector. CJNY commends Governor Cuomo, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, and other key legislative leaders for adopting ground-breaking labor standards and economic-development provisions addressing construction, operations and maintenance, and manufacturing work in the sector.

Since its founding, Climate Jobs NY has prioritized climate action—from New York’s commitment to procure 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind power to doubling funding for solar on schools and beyond. And as we continue to push for action at the scale climate science demands, we must ensure that our collective investments both take on climate change and lift up New York workers and communities.

The budget bill passed includes:

• Prevailing wage and project labor agreement requirements for construction on renewable-energy projects that are 5 megawatts or larger;
• For operations and maintenance work, a requirement that system owners on projects 5 megawatts and larger enter into labor peace agreements;
• A requirement that covered projects buy American steel and iron where feasible; and
• Provisions to incentivize procurement of New York State renewable energy equipment and supplies.

We applaud this decisive action for New York workers and communities, and we look forward to continuing to work with our allies to build a clean-energy economy in New York that works for everyone, with good union jobs, more equitable communities, and a more resilient New York. Read more here!