Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 F E B R UA R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 4 F O C U S E N E R G Y / E N V I RO N M E N T state, there are hotel rooms and res- taurants and particular businesses that are going to benefit from having all that activity and those workers in the area," says Bartlett. "ere's a lot of different ways that a region can ben- efit by hosting a project." at's to say nothing of how a 1 GW renewable power project pushes Maine closer to its 100% clean retail electricity by 2040 goal. It also helps the state take steps toward another climate goal: expanding Maine's clean energy workforce to 30,000 posi- tions by 2030, more than doubling the number that existed at the end of 2021, according to a clean energy workforce analysis commissioned by the state in 2022. "Maine has a really incredibly fast-growing clean energy economy — as measured by new jobs cre- ation, [it was] actually the fastest of any New England state in 2022," says Tagwongo Obomsawin, the Clean Energy Partnership program manager for the Governor's Energy Office. Too few workers Still, that trajectory of growth has not appeared to rise in tandem with available workers. In March 2023, Obomsawin gave a presentation detailing how 60% of clean energy companies had at that point struggled to fill open positions. But stakeholders say the influx of investment coupled with the promise of good-paying jobs may convince some of Aroostook County's dwindling popula- tion of young people to stick around. And a slate of programs is working to cultivate this in-demand workforce. One that has been run by Northern Maine Community College for roughly 15 years has graduated around 100 students who have since spread out across New England and as far away as Hawaii, according to lead wind power instructor Wayne Kilcollins. Program graduates will understand the basics of electrical and mechanical systems and be able to troubleshoot them. According to his advisory committee, that "gives them a niche, because a lot of people they're looking for to fill the slots are not just, 'once in a while do mainte- nance and some simple stuff,' Kilcollins says. "ey want them to really under- stand circuits, the mechanical and electrical [components], and be able to dig in and find out what is wrong and fix it. at has really been the niche that we found with our training program." Wind-specific jobs aren't the only positions that will need to be filled. Kelly Flagg, the executive director of the Associated General Contractors of Maine, points out that many new construction workers will also be needed for tasks like structural steel erection and foundation installation. "I think the general public often really narrows what a clean energy workforce means, significantly narrower than it is in reality," says Flagg. To that end, she says AGC Maine will use state grant funds to run its pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship BUILD YOUR BUSINESS IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY & COMFORT OF MAINE HOMES The CEI Weatherization Business Lab is a free seven-week program starting in April 2024 that will help you start or expand your business in the weatherization field. learn more: www.ceimaine.org/ weatherization TOWARD A MORE SUSTAINBLE ECONOMY DELIVERING VALUE THROUGH INNOVATION Do you want to work with the leader in electrical construc on? Contact Interstate Electrical Services Corpora on. 855.500.4372 | www.iesc1.com Extensive Prefabrica�on Access & Process Controls 24/7 Emergency Services Fire Alarm & Life Safety Arc Flash Hazard Analysis EV Charger Installa�on Lean Methodology AV/Telecom/Network Systems Valued Partner. Trusted Employer. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » Maine has a really incredibly fast- growing clean energy economy — as measured by new jobs creation, [it was] actually the fastest of any New England state in 2022. — Tagwongo Obomsawin Governor's Energy Office Philip Bartlett, chair of the Maine Public Utilities Commission P ROV I D E D P H O T O / G OV E R N O R ' S O F F I C E

• Cover