Jul 31, 2023
By Lou Antonellis and Kristen Gowin
To meet the needs of Massachusetts’ readiness for a clean energy future (“Does Mass. have the workers to build a green economy?” Business, July 20) as recently reported on by The Boston Globe, look no further than IBEW 103 and the 200 union contractors of the National Electrical Contractors Association.
Contrary to some recent reports, the electrical workforce needed to meet the Commonwealth’s clean energy goals is here today and ready to go. And there is no current labor shortage of electricians for responsible union contractors.
In fact, IBEW 103 and NECA contractors have been installing and maintaining the renewable energy infrastructure of the region’s power grid for years. We are the original electrical workforce development team, spending upward of $10 million every year training the most diverse construction workforce in Massachusetts. We have demonstrated our ability to mobilize quickly to meet electric and energy needs in our communities — such as when gas explosions knocked out power for the Lawrence and Andover areas in 2018. We mobilized 600 electricians and apprentices to hit the ground on a day’s notice. Local 103 membership has increased by nearly 2,500 members in the last several years. That growth is about to double as we prepare to add another 5,000 members over the next five years to meet the Commonwealth’s clean energy goals.
In short, reports of an electric workforce shortage have been grossly overstated.
