Worker & Union Reports & Reactions
1. Empire Wind 1—Clean Energy Construction Resumes (May)
While just before your date range, the implications carried into the summer of 2025:
- The Climate Jobs New York (CJNY) coalition of labor unions celebrated the lifting of a federal stop-work order, which allowed offshore construction of the Empire Wind 1 project to resume.
- Union leaders from multiple trades praised the move as a win for union job creation, clean energy progress, and energy independence—highlighting that thousands of skilled workers could return to work.
(Climate Jobs NY)
Although this occurred in May, its effects—restored employment and momentum in clean energy construction—likely influenced activity in the following months.
2. Revolution Wind Halt Halts Jobs—Union Workers Adrift (Aug 29)
- On August 22, the Trump administration abruptly halted the offshore Revolution Wind project, despite it being roughly 80% complete. This left over 1,200 workers—including union members—without work.
(CT Mirror, Rhode Island Current) - Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, responded by stating:
“A lot of building trades workers… didn’t vote to have union jobs shut down. It shouldn’t work like this.”
(CT Mirror) - The decision not only disrupted livelihoods but also raised alarms about local economic impacts, grid reliability risks, and undermined state clean energy mandates.
(Rhode Island Current)
3. Maine Solar Worker Idleness Amid Incentive Cuts (July 23)
- July 23, 2025: A news story highlighted that electricians in Maine were sitting idle because federal cuts to clean energy incentives led to solar project delays. (Climate Jobs National Resource Center)
- State labor and environmental coalitions warned that these federal setbacks could derail progress on Maine’s ambitious clean energy goals. (Climate Jobs National Resource Center)
Policy & Advocacy Signals
4. UK Unions Launch Climate Jobs UK (July 23)
- On July 23, major UK energy unions—GMB and Prospect—warned the Labour government that, without job creation in green sectors, public support for net-zero could wane.
- In response, they launched the Climate Jobs UK campaign, centering energy workers in policy development.
(The Guardian)
5. Broader Benefits of Union-Led Clean Energy Work
- A report by the NRDC emphasized that union members are “on the front lines of the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors,” helping reduce pollution and safeguard public health. (NRDC)
Summary Table
| Date | Event / Association | Key Worker-Level Insight |
|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | CJNY / Empire Wind 1 | Union jobs resumed on major offshore wind project |
| July 23 | Maine local coalitions | Solar installers idle due to federal incentive cuts |
| July 23 | GMB & Prospect (UK) | Launched Climate Jobs UK campaign for green job creation |
| Aug 22–29 | RI AFL-CIO / Revolution Wind | 1,200 workers displaced; halted clean energy infrastructure |
| NRDC report | Union involvement | Unions central to clean energy workforce and environmental gains |
Why It Matters for Your Strategy
- Project volatility—as seen with Revolution Wind—puts hundreds or thousands of workers out of work nearly overnight, creating economic ripple effects in local communities.
- Policy instability—federal funding cutbacks (e.g., in Maine) reduce demand for clean energy jobs, sidelining trained workers and slowing deployment.
- Worker sentiment matters—both in the UK and U.S., unions are deploying campaigns to ensure energy transitions deliver real jobs, not just rhetoric. Public support for clean energy hinges on delivering labor outcomes.
- Union capacity remains strong—as the NRDC points out, unions are already acting as pivotal workforce builders in clean energy, so continuity in policy and projects retains that momentum.