Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Jobs Are the Future

Recently the IBEW joined other Building Trades leaders to speak at the Offshore Wind Conference in Long Beach about a technology that can help create hundreds of jobs for IBEW members for many years building and maintaining wind turbines and platforms that will sit in the ocean in federal waters 20 miles or more off the coast of Long Beach.

The CA Energy Commission hosted the meeting in collaboration with the Port of Long Beach to explore the pivotal role that ports can play in this growing offshore wind sector.

The IBEW testified about the port upgrades needed to help us achieve Gov. Newsom’s offshore wind, climate and green environmental goals, as well as developing new offshore wind workforce communities. IBEW was joined by a diverse group of labor, business and environmental partners to discuss how to move the project forward and explore alternative green energy projects, worth billions of dollars of potential work for our members.

The challenge we face is that President Trump, on his first day in office, issued a temporary withdrawal on all leasing and permitting for all wind energy projects on federal land. But California officials are undeterred and told the group assembly at the hearing that they will continue going full speed ahead on all offshore wind projects.