and promotes greater stability in the labor supply pipeline this growing industry needs. In Utah, it could also help ensure trained Utahns looking for work are first in line for new jobs in green energy .
Construction — whether it’s a new courthouse, or a utility-scale energy facility — requires both physical stamina and trade skill. When the industry fails to make the long-term investments necessary to meet both needs locally, it makes it harder to sustain itself through the booms and busts of the economy and the labor market.
Ultimately, the green energy boom is a good thing. So too is the fact that experts are predicting this could unleash a torrent or new jobs over the next decade thata mountain of student debt. However, it’s going to take a generation-defining commitment here in Utah to deliver the workforce these projects demand and the quality careers that these workers deserve.
We can choose to define what a successful green energy economy looks like. It’s not just about building solar panels, wind turbines, gas pipelines, geo-thermal or nuclear energy facilities here in Utah. Rather, it’s about whether working Utahns and our communities are going to fully realize the benefit from this historic investment.