Embedded Files
As the world progresses, countries like the U.S. aim to zero out carbon emissions by 2050, with climate policies helping speed up the process.34 Also, a case study by Tiziana Bottino says that the decline of coal production was the dramatic drop in the cost of renewable energy, as well as the difficulty to retrieve coal inexpensively.35 The Clean Air Acts Amendments of 1990 and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) also contributed to the reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions and causing older, high emission plants to become unprofitable.35 With many laws and policies changing the way we produce and use coal, it shifts the need for fossil fuels to renewable energy. "Retraining American workers for green energy jobs" by Calvin Hennick says at its peak nearly 100 years ago, the coal mining industry in West Virginia employed around 400,000 workers. That number is now under 25,000.36 With the decrease of jobs in the coal industry comes an increase of jobs in the green energy industry. Clean energy workers outnumber fossil fuel works by 3 to 1 (3.3 million to 211,000).37 The two largest sectors in the energy sector are solar and wind. Coal workers are well suited to working in the green energy industry because many of their skills can be transported into the green energy industry. With the decline of the coal industry, the age of green energy industry emerges.
Retrains workers for careers in five different industries, including solar energy.38
Training
33-6-3 Model. Trainees commit to completing 33 hours of paid work, six hours of community college classes, and three hours of like-skills mentorship classes each week.35
After two years trainees earn an associate degree and professional certification in fields such as solar installation and asbestos removal.35
When the trainees earn their associate degrees, some trainees continue their education to pursue a four-year degree.
Partnership
Solar Holler would find projects and take care of logistics and crowdfunding, and Coalfield would retrain miners and provide the installation crews.35
Individuals first have to receive basic electrical apprenticeship experience from Coalfield
After Coalfield Development's training, they go through Solar Holler's training in constructions, mounting systems, system design, and energy analytics
Coalfield, 2-year paid apprenticeship working in the solar industry (mostly on installation crews)
New solar recruits aren't required to pay tuition, and they'll leave with an associate's degree.
Targets trainees that never had a job and those from coal communities because they want to retain people to stay in their home state of West Virginia rather than moving to another state.35
Workforce West Virginia is funded through the U.S. Department of Labor and oversees the state unemployment insurance program as well as a network of workforce development services. These services provide West Virginia's citizens and employers the opportunity to compete in today's competitive global economy.40 One opportunity provided by Workforce West Virginia is the National Emergency Grant (NEG) provided by the U.S. Department of Labor of $7.4 million to provide retraining and reemployment services to dislocated coal miners and displaced homemakers impacted by mass layoffs and coal mine closures. This grant is up to $5,000 where the individual can use for Classroom Occupational Skills Training for an occupation that will be in high demand.40 The website lists some occupations as Commerical Driver's License (CDL), Welding, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Processor, etc. Additionally, the government passed an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 that was an $800 billion stimulus package that helps the country after the recession. The ARRA helped fund retraining programs, and it included training for jobs in the renewable energy sector. In 2014, President Obama announced $600 million in investments in job training programs, and more specifically $500 million worth of grants to community college to make students more employable, and $100 million towards the expansion of apprenticeship programs.35
Incentives
Incentives
The benefits and incentives workers in the coal industry can receive are substantial in persuading these workers to retrain to work in the green energy industry. One benefit is that some positions in the green energy industry will not require as much training. A structural engineer in the coal industry would not need additional schooling to work as one in the solar industry.41 Workers in the fossil fuel industry are well suited to work in the green energy industry because they have skills and awareness of safety protocols and they can handle large and heavy machinery.36 Workforce West Virginia is also providing a NEG where it will provide up to $5,000 to help displaced coal miners get training to work in high-demand occupations. Additionally, if coal workers were to retrain to work in solar, they could expect about a 7%-10% salary increase depending on their position.41 In the long term, workers can undertake training to provide themselves with job security insurance. Workers that prepare and receive retraining are less likely to be impacted when they get laid off. There is a significant amount of training available from programs like apprenticeships or training centers. Training centers include Solar Holler and Coalfield development, which offer to retrain coal workers in the other industries, including the green energy industry (solar, wind, etc.). Coal workers have many options to get retraining, where some options may be free, or they can receive some funding.
Citations
Citations
34. Pike, L. (2021, March 31). What should coal communities do when power plants shut down? ask Germany. Vox, 31 Mar. 2021, www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/22349104/coal-climate-change-biden-infrastructure-plan-germany-just-transition.
35. Bottino, T. (2018, April). Retraining programs for coal workers in transition: Lessons from Appalachia. https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/59900/Bottino%2C%20Tiziana.pdf?sequence=1.
36. Hennick, C. (2017, September/ October). Retraining American workers for green energy jobs. U.S. Green Building Council. https://www.usgbc.org/articles/retraining-american-workers-green-energy-jobs.
37. Marcacci, S. (2019, April 22). Renewable energy job boom creates economic opportunity as coal industry slumps. Forbes Magazine, 22 Apr. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2019/04/22/renewable-energy-job-boom-creating-economic-opportunity-as-coal-industry-slumps/?sh=283d36ea3665.
38. Solar Holler. (n.d.). Repowering Appalachia. Sollar Holler. https://www.solarholler.com/
39. Coalfield Development. (n.d.). 10 years rebuilding Appalachia. Coalfield Development. https://coalfield-development.org/
40. West Virginia Department of Commerce. (2020, May 12). WorkForce WV. West Virginia Department of Commerce. https://commerce.wv.gov/agencies/workforce-wv/.
41. Pearce, J. M. (2016, August 8). What if all U.S. coal workers were retrained to work in solar? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/08/what-if-all-u-s-coal-workers-were-retrained-to-work-in-solar.
42. Bajak, A. (2020, February 28). Building a solar power market in the hollers of West Virginia. Undark Magazine. https://undark.org/2016/10/13/solar-holler-west-virginia/.
43. Cardwell, D. (2017, September 30). What's up in coal country: alternative-energy jobs. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/30/business/energy-environment/coal-alternative-energy-jobs.html.
44. Carillet, D. (n.d.). West Virginia jobs and employment opportunities concept. Shutterstock. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/west-virginia-jobs-employment-opportunities-concept-319481429.
45. Metamorworks. (n.d.). Wind power plant. renewable energy concept. Shutterstock. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/wind-power-plant-renewable-energy-concept-701856607.
46. Nyden, P. J. (2017, October 27). Laid-off coal miners hear of retraining opportunities. Charleston Gazette-Mail. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/laid-off-coal-miners-hear-of-retraining-opportunities/article_a1623afa-d020-5124-896f-d2eb03747d80.html.
47. Petovarga. (n.d.). Vector illustration showing clean and polluting electricity generation production. Polluting fossil thermal coal and nuclear power plants versus clean solar panels and wind turbines renewable energy. Shutterstock. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/vector-illustration-showing-clean-polluting-electricity-792013792.
48. Winter, J. (n.d.). Incentive, motivation, vision, effort and goal on hand drawn gear wheels blackboard background. Shutterstock. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/incentive-motivation-vision-effort-goal-on-572742979.
49. WorkForce West Virginia. (n.d.). Job seekers. WorkForce West Virginia - Laid-Off Workers. https://workforcewv.org/job-seekers/laid-off-workers.
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