Agreement Will Have Union Workers Build Most Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Installations in Wisconsin

Thursday, March 28th, 2024 -- 9:01 AM

(Karl Ebert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Union workers will build most utility-scale renewable energy installations in Wisconsin under an agreement between the state's investor-owned utilities and five labor unions.

According to Karl Ebert with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, each of the utilities has signed a pledge to use union labor "to the fullest extent possible," cementing existing relationships and ensuring that contractors use Wisconsin union workers on billions of dollars of future solar, wind and battery storage projects.

The agreements include unions representing the building trades, electricians, laborers, carpenters and equipment operators. Union officials hailed the pledge as a first-of-its-kind agreement in the U.S., one that will help build Wisconsin's construction workforce and train workers for jobs that will be in demand in the future.

An analysis by the Climate Jobs National Resource Center identified 95 renewable energy projects in Wisconsin that are either under construction, under regulatory review or announced. The center estimates those projects will create about 18,000 jobs.

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