News of the week

Renewable energy sector sees uptick in young workers, still short on labor

Solar Energy Industry Association said in a recent report that solar reaching 30% of domestic electricity generation by 2030 will require the workforce to grow to “more than a million workers” and said the sector still has “a long way to go” to meet that goal.

Help seems to be on the way: the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s (IREC) latest National Solar Jobs Census shows 18-to-29-year-olds represented nearly a third of the solar workforce in 2022. Additionally, energy industry employers increased outreach to US students by 86% in 2022, according to Handshake.

”The solar industry is expected to take off dramatically in the coming years, and despite gains in labor productivity, it will require hundreds of thousands more workers to keep pace with the growth in installations as a result of the incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act,” said IREC in a summary of the report. IREC’s solar jobs census found that in 2022, 44% of solar industry employers said it was “very difficult” to find qualified applicants, the highest percentage the survey had recorded over the last 13 years. 

Outreach with high school students has been “critical” for the company’s ability to fill manufacturing and skilled trade jobs, said Eric Johnson, senior manager of talent acquisition at First Solar. His company often engages with community colleges and high school students who plan to go directly into the workforce after graduation. Johnson also said that after significant growth of First Solar’s summer intern program over the last two years, the company expanded the program to take on interns in the fall and spring. 

“The interest has seemingly spiked like crazy as people are pivoting their thought process to get into an organization like ours that is not only stable, but growing,” he said. “And it’s a company in an industry that’s trying to help the world, trying to change climate patterns. I think kids in school are seeing that, and the overall mission of the organization has driven them to us, as well.”

To read more, click here.

Online registration for Summer Conference closes this week

The last chance to register online for the 2023 Summer Conference is this Friday, August 4!

The Summer Conference is designed to offer must-have information to address the most pressing challenges facing utilities and opportunities to network with other hometown utility leaders from across the state. Our 2023 conference theme is Resiliency. Sessions will focus on the flexibility and recovery characteristics of utility infrastructure and operations as well as on techniques that will help utilities avoid or minimize disruptions during extraordinary events. You will be able to choose from four unique conference tracks (governance, leadership, electric, and water/wastewater) to maximize your learning.

To learn more and register for the conference, click here. Note: After Friday’s deadline, walk in registrations will be welcome in on Conference days in Duluth.

Associate members, we hope you will considering participating as well! To learn more and register as a trade show vendor, click here. For sponsorship opportunities, click here.

DOE offers $8.5 billion to states, territories for home energy rebates

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it is accepting applications for state implementation of the two home energy rebate programs created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

These programs will provide $8.5 billion to states and territories to lower energy costs and increase efficiency in American homes “by making home energy upgrades more affordable, while ensuring all communities have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity and helping deliver on the President’s ambitious clean energy and climate goals,” DOE said.

The Home Efficiency Rebates Program will offer $4,.3 billion in formula grants to state energy offices to reduce the upfront cost of whole-home energy efficiency upgrades in single-family and multi-family homes. The value of an eligible home’s rebate depends on the predicted energy savings attributable to the project. The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program will offer $4.275 billion in formula grants to state energy offices to reduce the upfront cost of efficient electric technologies in single-family and multi-family homes.

To read more, click here.

Last chance to submit topic proposal for the 2023 T&O Conference

Let us know by Friday what you want to see at this year's Technical and Operations (T&O) Conference!

The T&O Conference is designed to offer useful information to superintendents, general managers, supervisors, and crew leads about industry trends, workforce challenges, and fostering a culture of safety. This year's conference theme is "Lead to Succeed." Content will focus on helping your utility develop leaders from the frontline to the boardroom.

The MMUA team invites you to share your ideas on the topics and speakers that will make the most impact on your organization at this year's T&O Conference. Please submit a proposal by filling out this form for each topic of interest you may have. Submissions are due by this Friday, August 4.

Funding opportunities

Energy-related grants for rural small businesses, agricultural producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is making $21 million in technical assistance grants available through the Rural Energy for America program to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses access federal funds for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. Municipal power utilities are eligible for these grants.

Recipients may use the funds to:

• Help rural agricultural producers and small business owners apply for Rural Energy for America funding.
• Provide information on how business owners and agricultural producers can improve the energy efficiency of their operations and use renewable energy technologies and resources.
• Conduct required energy assessments and audits.
• Help agricultural producers and small business owners with planning construction and development of renewable energy or energy efficiency projects.

Click here for more information.

Looking ahead

Regional Safety Workshops—Following the popularity of the summer sessions, MMUA is going back on the road with more regional workshops. Register by tomorrow, August 3, for the best rate. You can learn more and register by clicking on the links below.

August 15—Detroit Lakes

August 16—Brainerd

September 18—New Ulm

September 19—Brookings, SD

MMUA will also hold additional "Interacting on the Issues" workshops in the fall. Watch for an announcement for those dates and locations later this week.

Overhead School—Registration is now open. The school will be held at the MMUA Training Center in Marshall from September 12-15. Please click here to learn more and register.

Minnesota Lineworkers Rodeo—Registration is open. The rodeo will also be held at the MMUA Training Center in Marshall on September 12, just before the beginning of Overhead School. Please click here to learn more and to register.

Stepping Into Leadership—Designed for those who are new to a supervisory role or current supervisors and leaders who wish to improve their leadership skills. Participants will have 56 hours of instruction delivered in a mix of in-person and virtual settings over a 14-month period. The new cohort will begin on October 4. You can learn more and register by visiting the program's webpage.

Cross Training School—Learn how to safely assist in electrical work. Register by September 15 for the best rate. The school will be held at the MMUA Training Center in Marshall from October 10-12. Please click here to learn more and to register.

As always, thank you for your association with MMUA and your commitment to delivering excellent service through locally owned utility assets in your community. Have a great week!

Christian Glanville

Marketing and Member Relations Manager

Direct: 763.746.0727 / Cell: 612.655.0598

Fax: 763.551.0459

cglanville@mmua.org | www.mmua.org

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