SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, RYAN ANNOUNCE NEARLY $4 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO BUILD ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE WIND SAFETY TRAINING FACILITY IN ORANGE COUNTY
Funding Will Help Train Hundreds Of Workers To Support NY’s Growing Domestic Wind Energy Workforce With New Training Facility For The Next Generation Of IBEW Union Electrical Workers
Schumer: New Facility Means More Renewable Energy, Good-Paying Union Jobs Here In Hudson Valley & Beyond!
Today, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Congressman Pat Ryan announced $3,828,000 in federal funding for the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund of the Electrical Industry to help establish a Global Wind Organization (GWO) onshore and offshore wind safety training facility in Walden, NY to train New Yorkers for careers in clean energy.
“I was proud to have pushed to secure this nearly $4 million federal investment to help the Global Find Organization build an onshore and offshore wind safety training facility in the Hudson Valley. This new offshore wind training facility will help train hundreds of workers here in Orange County for good-paying clean energy jobs and union careers with the best of the best at IBEW Local 3,” said Senator Schumer. “With this federal funding, Orange County can be among the New York communities leading the way on environmentally-friendly industrial development, ensuring more wind technologies are not only powering New York, but also made with local union NY labor. I called on the Commerce Department to deliver this funding because I know how important it is to invest in clean energy and the workers in New York that help produce it. Together, we are ensuring that the growing domestic wind energy workforce can grow in the Hudson Valley to meet the energy needs of tomorrow.”
“Clean energy and renewable jobs are the key to a successful future and a strong economy, and it is essential that these workers are properly trained to do their jobs safely,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This nearly $4 million in federal funding will bring a state-of-the-art safety training facility to the Hudson Valley, help boost the safety of workers at wind power facilities, and train the next generation of IBEW workers. I’m proud to have fought to secure this federal funding and will continue to fight for federal resources to boost climate resilience and support clean energy jobs across New York State.”
“A thriving offshore wind industry is critical to building the clean energy economy of the future and the thousands of good-paying jobs that come with it,” said Congressman Ryan. “That’s why it’s so important that we invest in training our Hudson Valley workforce to ensure they have the tools they need to succeed. I’m proud to help deliver this funding, and I’ll continue working every day to create jobs and raise wages for Hudson Valley families.”
“Local 3 IBEW is grateful for Senator Gillibrand, Senator Schumer, Congressman Ryan, and all of the elected officials in New York State who helped support the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund’s efforts in achieving this U.S. EDA grant that will fund offshore wind GWO safety training for our members,” said Christopher Erikson, Business Manager of Local 3 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce, the training and work opportunities created by this grant will have a meaningful and positive impact on our current and future members who will work on the offshore wind projects critical to achieving the climate goals of New York State and our nation. In conjunction with the Joint Industry Board’s Educational and Cultural Trust Fund and our signatory contractors in NECA New York, we will be able to construct a world class facility, in line with Local 3’s values of education, safety, and training. Thank you, Senators Gillibrand and Schumer, Congressman Ryan, the Biden-Harris administration, and all of our supportive friends in federal, state, and local government for helping this grant become a reality for Local 3’s members, who are eager to do their part in building offshore wind projects up and down our coastlines.”
The federal funding, administered through the Economic Development Administration’s Economic Adjustment Assistance program, will be used to renovate a 10,000 square foot building owned by the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund of the Electrical Industry. This project is expected to provide training for 490 workers and provide support for 2,870 existing jobs. The facility will offer a wind safety skills program based on the GWO’s existing curriculum to boost the safety of wind power facility workers and train the next generation of the growing domestic wind energy workforce.
The safety training facility will feature a working-at-height training module platform, a sea survival platform, a sea rescue tank, three classrooms, a storage room, a fire awareness training room, and a helicopter underwater escape training platform. This safety training is necessary for all workers on offshore wind platforms and will allow them to enter this growing renewable energy sector.
Schumer has long been a champion for boosting NY’s clean energy industry, including championing the Inflation Reduction Act the largest investment in clean energy in history which is driving much of the increased demand for wind manufacturing in NY. The Inflation Reduction Act provided billions for a clean energy and climate smart economy, including investment for solar, wind, electric vehicle, battery, and green building technologies. It also included a series of new incentives such as the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit to support companies that domestically manufacture energy technologies. For instance, wind turbine component manufacturers are primed to benefit, with the credit supporting the production of blades, towers, distributed wind inverters, as well as both fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind platforms, which is why investment like today’s in training workers on safety for these wind technologies is so critical.
Earlier this year, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand wrote to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to support the funding of this project. Senator Schumer’s letter can be read below:
Dear Secretary Raimondo:
I am pleased to write in support of the application submitted by the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund of the Electrical Industry to the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Economic Adjustment Assistance Program.
With funding, the ECTF will establish an Offshore Wind Safety Training Facility that includes Global Wind Organization Basic Safety Training (GWO-BST) and OPITO Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (OPITO-HUET). This facility will focus on vital workforce needs for the industry in both current and forthcoming on and offshore wind energy projects.
The creation of this facility will provide a necessary and critical resource that will prevent training bottlenecks. Endorsed by both the industry and labor, the proposed facility stands out as an important partner in preparing the workforce for both on and offshore wind energy projects. The Establishment of the Offshore Wind Safety Training Facility in Walden, New York will be beneficial to the growth and sustainability of the offshore wind industry.
I applaud the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund of the Electrical Industry for its foresight and sincerely hope the application is met with approval. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or my grants coordinator at (202) 224-6542. Thank you for your consideration.
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