Tag Archives: Offshore Wind

Members Needed To Show Support For US Wind, Clean Energy Jobs

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Local 24 IBEW has been partnering with US Wind in efforts to facilitate the permitting and approval process for an offshore wind farm here in Maryland.


Your help is needed now, and we are asking Local 24 members to show up and state your support for this project at in-person and virtual meetings being held during the next 2 weeks.

In-person public meetings:
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. – Ocean City Elementary, 12828 Center Dr, Ocean City, MD 21842
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. – Indian River High School, 29772 Armory Rd, Dagsboro, DE 19939 

Virtual public meetings:
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. 
Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. 
Registration is required for virtual public meetings – the link is below.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has done a thorough analysis of US Wind’s construction and operations plan. I support Alternative B (Proposed Action) and ask the BOEM to do the same.
As a skilled union electrician, I am qualified to perform this work. This project will provide good jobs for us and many other skilled trades in our region.

Suggested wording for comments

The in-person meetings will be like an open house, with multiple stations set up around a large room, each covering a different subject area (viewshed, birds, marine mammals, etc.). BOEM personnel will be available at each station to answer questions. There will be a separate room next to the main room for registering comments, which can be done by dictating to a BOEM staffer, or “self-service” by typing your comments into a computer or handwriting them.

Registration for the virtual public meetings is required, and can be done here: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_x3ygygooTOSlnrzhiOJYPg#/registration. Please note that BOEM will call on people to testify in the order that they registered online, so please register ASAP if you do not wish to sit through hours of testimony.

Maryland Needs Larger Wind Energy Areas To Meet Climate Goals And Increase Good Jobs

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IBEW Local 24 has made a priority of supporting clean energy initiatives and preparing and training our members to meet the challenges of new energy industries. Offshore wind has been at the forefront of our efforts, and we are working hard to avert a potential setback in Maryland.

WE NEED MEMBERS TO SPEAK OUT IN SUPPORT, TOO!

Find out how at the bottom of this post, and ACT NOW.

Here is what is happening. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently released the final Wind Energy Area (WEA) map for the Central Atlantic, impacting offshore wind development off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and northern North Carolina. The final map has raised concerns and poses these potential setbacks for Maryland:

  1. Decrease in Job Opportunities: The reduction in available leasing areas will lead to a decrease in
    good-paying jobs. The potential for a 5 GW increase in capacity could create 12,800 jobs, but fewer
    leases would result in a significant loss of employment opportunities.

  2. Market Favoritism towards Virginia: The final map disproportionately favors Virginia, allocating half
    of the proposed leasing area to the state. This diminishes Maryland’s potential market size, which
    negatively impacts the incentive for supply chain and manufacturing companies to establish
    operations in Maryland.

  3. Uncertainty in Meeting Clean Energy Goals: The reduction in available leasing areas poses
    uncertainty in meeting Maryland’s clean energy and carbon reduction goals, jeopardizing the state’s
    commitment to sustainable energy.

  4. Presidential Administration Change Risk: The looming risk of a change in the White House in 2024
    could halt future offshore wind development opportunities, adding unpredictability to the industry’s
    future.

  5. Increased Ratepayer Costs: Leases located farther away will incur higher costs, potentially burdening
    ratepayers.

Urging BOEM to revise their maps and provide adequate WEAs for Maryland, Business Manager Michael J. McHale has sent a statement to them, outlining the many reasons for concern.


“As the demand for clean electricity increases along the East Coast, we believe that offshore wind can be revolutionary for Maryland’s economy and the climate goals of the United States. We urge the BOEM to ensure that the development of offshore wind projects aligns with the vision of a sustainable future and continues to create new jobs in the construction and manufacturing industries within the region,” McHale said. “These jobs will play a vital role in supporting the livelihoods of Baltimore Metropolitan Area residents, as well as working women and men on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This industry will contribute significantly to building middle class employment opportunities for the Mid-Atlantic Region.”

Local 24 members are asked to add your voices in support of expanding the WEAs by posting a comment before the August 31 deadline – and we are providing you an example below. Click the link now, post your comments, and support offshore wind, clean energy and good jobs for Maryland!

Don’t forget to replace the words IN BOLD with your information!

Hello, I am [INSERT NAME HERE], a member of IBEW Local Union 24 for [HOW LONG YOU’VE BEEN A MEMBER HERE]. I am writing to urge the BOEM to adjust the Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) for the Atlantic Continental Shelf. With the signing of the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act, Maryland pledges to develop 8.5 gigawatts of energy by 2031. Currently, the WEAs are not adequate for Maryland to achieve its climate and sustainability goals, as these are estimated to only support 6GW. These WEAs will also have to be shared with neighboring states, which limits the ability for all of us to meet our goals.

This issue is also important for me because I am an Electrical [JOURNEYMAN/APPRENTICE/WORKER], and Offshore Wind in Maryland will create union jobs that will support many working families, such as my own. Diminishing the leasing areas as they are now will disrupt the industry’s investment in Maryland, and negatively affect the amount of work available for the building trades.

So I again request that BOEM expand the leasing areas of WEA B-1 and WEA A-2. Doing so will not only guarantee jobs for working individuals like me, but also keep Maryland and the United States on track to reach all of our sustainable energy goals.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME HERE]

Thank you so much for your help and your continued support.

Local 24’s Commitment To Green Energy And Specialized Training Will Create New Opportunities

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The content of this post was published in the August 2023 edition of the I.B.E.W. Government Affairs Newsletter, and is reprinted with permission.

New Initiative Targets Investments, Workforce Growth in Key Cities

With a $2 million grant from the Biden administration and a new state law promoting wind development, Baltimore Local 24 is on the leading edge of the growth potential of offshore wind power.

The Biden administration sees offshore wind development as critical in decarbonizing the electric grid — and the grant is among billions of dollars available to unions, private companies, colleges, and other organizations training workers nationwide to build renewable energy projects and repair aging infrastructure.

The emphasis on training and connecting workers to jobs is critical to the Biden-Harris agenda and key to recently enacted laws like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Maryland’s state legislature approved a bill in April to increase its offshore wind capacity to 8.5 gigawatts by2031, which is enough to power 6.3 million homes. Energy developers Orsted and US Wind plan to build offshore turbines 20 miles off the coast of Ocean City by 2026.

The grant will help beef up training for building offshore wind turbines, like water safety, CPR, and working correctly over heights. Although IBEW apprenticeships include training in many subjects, “we don’t typically work over water,” said Local 24 Membership Development Specialist Rico Albacarys.

IBEW apprentices already complete several years of supervised work experience and up to 1,000 hours of classroom training to achieve journey-level status. This global wind organization training will be a required add-on certification for the trades. “Everyone that works on the turbines will need it,” Albacarys said. “Offshore wind is a big deal for us locally.”

Now is the time for workforce training, said Baltimore Electrical JATC Training Director Neil Wilford.
The Biden administration designated Baltimore a workforce hub to provide more significant opportunities for residents and underrepresented communities to advance in good jobs and careers in growth industries. Wilford said the IBEW is among several training providers to receive federal grants through the state, including ironworkers, operating engineers, and carpenters.

To capitalize on this moment, Local 24 hired an organizer whose primary responsibility is increasing outreach to city residents, channeling those interested in pre-apprenticeships that give participants exposure to the trades and special consideration for apprenticeships, Albacarys said.

Crews are retrofitting the former Bethlehem Steel plant at Sparrows Point to produce “monopiles,” the ocean-floor bases to which the turbine towers will be secured. Production is set to start in 2025, US Wind said. The site will also stage towers and blades before moving to the offshore construction site.

As funding made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act moves through government channels, the Biden administration selected 16 cities for similar workforce development initiatives.

Action Needed To Support Offshore Wind Program – Clean Energy And Good Jobs

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We have an exciting opportunity to bring hundreds of jobs to Maryland through the offshore wind program, including jobs in manufacturing, construction, and engineering.  These jobs will be located throughout the state from the Eastern Shore to Baltimore to Frederick. The offshore wind program also brings multi-million dollar investments in local ports and fabrication facilities.

Today we are asking you to empower our great state to lead the way. This is your opportunity to put politics aside and be a leader in a new energy sector that benefits Maryland in many ways!

 

 

What Can You Do?

We need you to tell your state legislature you support offshore wind.  Please go supportmdjobs.com and fill out the petition.  You can do this as a private citizen. Also spread the word- tell your friends and family.  All of our voices need heard.

 

Stop Senate Bill 1058 and House Bill 1135! This bill will kill the progress we’ve made.

Two bills (Senate Bill  1058 and HB 1135) will be he heard in Annapolis for public hearings for on Tuesday, March 6th before the Senate Finance Committee  and Thursday, March 8th before  the House Economic Matters Committee at 1:00pm.  These two pieces of legislation are identical bills and require that offshore wind projects to be constructed and operated no closer than 26 nautical miles.  This will delay and potentially stop the two Maryland projects approved by the MD Public Service Commission from being built.   You may have seen press on OC’s opposition.

If you have been following the offshore wind market is happening in the United States.  States like MA, NY, and NJ are moving forward with large 3500 MWs,  The only loser in this view shed issue fight will be the Maryland business community. As a reminder, the MD PSC requires both developers to spend $1.8B in state spending, spurring the creation of almost 9,700 new direct and indirect jobs and contributing $74 million in state tax revenues over 20 years.

Ocean City uses the argument that they will lose tourists and property will be devalued when the offshore wind project goes forward. Many years ago, OC along with other municipalities felt the same way when the State was going to ban smoking in restaurants.  Obviously, the economy continued to thrive.  Block Island tourism economy has not been damaged from the Block Island Wind Farm. In fact recreational fishing is thriving. Check this out:  https://awea.filecamp.com/public/file/2d2f-dbj8mbdu