[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced their One Minnesota Path to Clean Energy – a set of policy proposals that will lead Minnesota to 100 percent clean energy in the state’s electricity sector by 2050. The policies build on the success that Minnesota has already achieved in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and increasing the use of clean energy resources to power the state while ensuring reliable, affordable electricity.

“Climate change is an existential threat,” Governor Tim Walz said. “We must take immediate action. If Washington won’t lead, Minnesota will. That is why I am proud to announce a ...

Illinois Representative Will Davis (D-Hazel Crest) announced the Path to 100 Act, new legislation that expands Illinois’ renewable energy standards in order to drive new wind, solar and storage development and bring the state to 100% clean energy. Davis worked with an alliance of clean energy businesses to develop legislation that improves and expands on Illinois’ existing clean energy policies in order to drive more clean energy, new jobs and economic development.

“For the sake of our economy and our future, we need to get on the path to 100% clean, renewable electricity and we can start today,” said Davis. “The Path to 100 Act will achieve one of Governor Pritz...

As a public hearing on the proposed Burleigh-Emmons Wind Farm is expected to proceed today at the Bismarck Event Center, a trade union has decided to throw its weight behind the project being spearheaded by Chicago-based Pure New Energy USA. Forty to 50 union members plan to attend the public meeting scheduled for 5:15 p.m.

“It just brings a lot of money to the community,” said Steve Cortina, of the Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 563.

LIUNA researcher Lucas Franco estimates local workers employed at the wind farm during construction would contribute $10 million to $12 million in direct spending back into the area as a result of their employment. Develope...

Pipestone County Star: Wind workers - One union’s push to keep them local

Construction union Laborers’ International Union of North American (LiUNA) is calling for wind farm developers to use more local labor in wind farm construction projects, which it says boosts the local economy in the area wind projects are built.

Lucas Franco, research manager, with LiUNA, asked about the inclusion of local workers during a Sept. 27 public meeting held in Pipestone to take comments on NextEra Energy’s plans to remove 137 existing wind turbines and replace them with 44 new turbines at the Lake Benton II wind farm between Ruthton and Holland.

Full story here.

MARSHALL — There are about 3,000 jobs out there in the construction field that could be filled with local laborers if they had the right training, according to Lucas Franco with Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).

It is a major goal of LIUNA to help construction companies find local laborers that are qualified for even the most complicated jobs, its research manager said.

LIUNA was one of the 125 exhibitors at the recent career expo held at Southwest Minnesota State University providing career education information to students.

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“A good job is the best welfare program there is,” said Mike Matejka, Director of Governmental Affairs with Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), in support of the wind farm. “And a good job is a result of this project. Through the White Oak and Twin Groves, we have booked over 100,000 hours of good work which has resulted in $4 million in the hands of McLean county residents.”

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Today, members of the North Dakota State Senate defeated a proposed two-year moratorium on construction of wind energy development at the urging of the amendment's sponsor, Sen. Dwight Cook (R-Mandan).

The proposed moratorium generated push-back from a broad cross-section of organizations including LIUNA, which has consistently supported an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy and opposed arbitrary limits on energy production.

Pam Link, the union's North Dakota Director of Legislative Affairs and Business Development, observed that, "A moratorium on development of wind energy makes no more sense than a moratorium on pipelines, and it would eliminate work opportunities for hundreds of North Dako...

Today the U.S. took another big step in the transition beyond coal to clean energy as the nation’s first offshore wind project broke ground.

Block Island calls itself the “Last Great Place,” but this small island 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island is first in the hearts of environmentalists and clean energy advocates across the nation today. Big things are happening just off the shore of that little island. That’s where Deepwater Wind has started construction on America’s first-ever offshore wind project.

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NEWPORT NEWS – Five of Virginia’s largest labor unions today announced their formal support of offshore wind energy development in Virginia and called on Governor McDonnell and Dominion Virginia Power to take swift action toward its development. Standing in solidarity with the Newport News shipyards in the background were representatives with the United Steelworkers (USW), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), Iron Workers, and the Building and Construction Trades Council.

“This is an opportunity to develop thousands of good paying union jobs in Virginia, which would enable our children and our c...

SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress Inc., a Michigan partnership that includes green activists, the IBEW, the Laborers and local work force development boards, was awarded more than $4 million to increase job training opportunities in alternative energy.

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