Merry Christmas! The America’s Work Force Union Podcast continues its “Best of 2023” coverage with a Nov. 2 interview featuring IBEW 3rd District Business Development Representative, Ed Hill Jr. He talked about the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 3rd District’s plan for transitioning to green energy, the importance of organizing so they can staff the new jobs in the region and solar and offshore developments planned in New York and New Jersey.
The son of Ed Hill, who served as the IBEW General President from 2001 to 2015, Hill Jr. spent his early career outside of the union world, but joined the IBEW Training Department in 2008. He spent four years in the Training Department before becoming one of three members to form the business development sector of the 3rd District. Since moving into his new role, Hill Jr. has ensured that every project the 3rd District has on the horizon can be filled by IBEW members.
There is a lot of work to be done to make the green transition, and there will be more work in the next 20-25 years than in any other previous time span, Hill said. As there are multiple different forms of the green energy revolution, there are several different training methods needed to prepare members to handle the work. The IBEW is still recruiting the new members needed for the work coming in the next decade. Three out of four infrastructure projects have already committed to using IBEW members, according to IBEW General President Kenny Cooper.
New Jersey and New York, two of the four states within the 3rd District, are hotbeds for solar and offshore energy development. In New York, they plan to build enough solar facilities to create 23 gigawatts of energy per year, supplying the state's 7.5 million households with more than twice the power needed for a year. New Jersey has been installing several smaller megawatt solar facilities, but the need is rising for larger megawatt projects, including power from offshore wind facilities. As these offshore facilities go up, New York and New Jersey will be converting many power plants into facilities to supply the energy collected offshore and transfer to homes in both states, with the plants being run by IBEW members, Hill Jr. said.
Hear more from Hill Jr. about the IBEW’s plans for green energy by playing the show above.