Senator of Massachusetts Edward J. Markey has called on Ørsted and Vineyard Wind to enter into Project Labor Agreements (PLA) for wind energy projects offshore Massachusetts and the larger East Coast.
In his letters to the two offshore wind developers, Markey stated that a PLA would ensure newly created jobs in the industry are good-paying, safe and filled with a highly skilled local union workforce.
“The introduction of offshore wind facilities off the coast of Massachusetts is poised to create tens of thousands of new jobs across the region,” Markey wrote.
“Massachusetts labor unions stand ready to tackle the opportunities and challenges of projects like Vineyard Wind, and can train and develop the local workforce to meet the demands of the offshore wind industry.”
Massachusetts has set a goal of procuring 1,600MW of offshore wind under a 2016 renewable energy law, and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources recently laid out a plan to solicit an additional 1,600MW by 2024.
In June, Markey, Delaware Senator Tom Carper, Maine Senator Susan Collins, and Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse introduced legislation to expand offshore wind educational and career training.
This summer, Markey, Whitehouse and Congressman Jim Langevin reintroduced legislation that would spur the growth of offshore wind energy in the U.S. by extending tax credits for the renewable energy industry.