Opinion & Commentary

Dear Climate Corps: Workforce development lessons from a women-led hydrogen developer

Dear Climate Corps: Workforce development lessons from a women-led hydrogen developer
Caribbean fellows with RMI work together discussing a solar panel system. (Photo from RMI / NREL)

Contributed by Laura Luce, CEO, Hy Stor Energy

Last year, President Biden announced an initiative awaited by many since his inauguration: the American Climate Corps (ACC). Announced in September 2023 and officially opened for applicants on Earth Day 2024, the ACC is a paid service program that will provide jobs and training for 20,000 young people, particularly in low-income communities.

A December 2023 MOU details key goals of the ACC:

  1. Reflect a comprehensive approach to tackling climate change by focusing on natural and cultural resources and restoration of ecosystems.
  2. Build upon and expand existing partnerships and initiate new partnerships across public and private entities.
  3. Compensate ACC members and offer benefits sufficient to meet their needs, ensuring accessibility across all socio-economic backgrounds.
  4. Provide a pathway to high-quality employment with training and workforce development opportunities.
  5. Look like America by sourcing talent from all members of society, particularly those representing historically disadvantaged communities. 
  6. Serve all of America’s communities by partnering with local governments and community organizations to improve climate resilience, public health, and energy security. 

Continuing on the theme of ensuring an equitable transition that accounts for the true impacts of climate change, the ACC is prioritizing projects that meet the Administration’s Justice40 goal, which aims to ensure 40% of the benefits of Federal climate change investments reach marginalized communities.

While undoubtedly a step in the right direction, the ACC will need an assist from climate and clean energy companies to help build and train the energy workforce the U.S. needs. Cleantech companies must lead by example and adopt many of the same goals set out by the ACC into their own growth strategies.

Building on the ACC’s momentum

The second goal of the ACC is a big one: leverage partnerships to make the most out of the work public and private entities are doing to mitigate climate change. Countless clean energy companies are working hard to expand their footprint in the U.S. As they look to take advantage of a favorable funding and legislative environment, they must also pass on these benefits to their communities. This is particularly important for companies operating in states and regions that have historically been overburdened by impacts of climate change.

Join us at GridTECH Connect California, June 24-26, 2024, in Newport Beach, CA! With some of the most ambitious sustainability and clean energy goals in the country, California is at the cutting edge of the energy transition while confronting its most cumbersome roadblocks. From electric vehicles to battery storage, microgrids, community solar, and everything in between, attendees will collaborate to advance interconnection procedures and policies in California.

The hiring and workforce development decisions made by organizations leading the energy transition will shape the industry for generations to come. It’s not enough to invest in infrastructure and technologies to decarbonize industries and regions – companies need to bring communities on the journey with them. The goals of the ACC all touch on this concept in one way or another. Companies must be willing to understand how their work will impact existing industries and ecosystems within the regions they operate or where they choose to develop new projects. Even more importantly, they must understand how it will impact the people living there and take measures to include them rather than work around them.

In states like Mississippi, which remains home to some of the highest-polluting industries and in which economically disadvantaged communities frequently bear the burden of pollution and climate change, it’s not enough to introduce technologies and facilities to lower emissions. Companies must engage with communities to discuss the benefits of the energy transition and tap into local talent to build their workforce. This should include a mix of education outreach programs that target local higher education institutions to source new talent and job transition resources to help workers from legacy fossil fuel industries explore new opportunities with transferable skills.   

Attracting and fostering talent

The fourth goal of the ACC – “Provide a pathway to high-quality employment” – encourages collaboration between companies and educational institutions to build diverse clean energy workforces that are representative of the communities they inhabit. Decarbonization jobs must provide the healthcare and benefits that families need – a point that’s also highlighted in the ACC’s third goal – along with pay that meets the rising cost of living. Financial security, flexibility, and career mentorship are foundational to any sound employee value proposition.

The South in particular has seen tremendous energy transition investment but has also grappled with systemic barriers to development, including access to quality education and training opportunities. Recent Labor Force Participation Rate data reveal that Mississippi’s labor force participation rate is 53.8%, lower than the national average of 62.5%. Additionally, since February 2020, 42,000 workers have exited the Mississippi labor force, and even Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann (R-Miss.) acknowledged Mississippi’s low labor force participation rate in January 2024.

These findings underscore the urgent need for concerted efforts to enhance talent attraction and retention within the state. Collaborations among local businesses, educational institutions, and government entities have played a pivotal role in investments to create a supportive ecosystem for talent development and should remain a priority for organizations pursuing energy transition projects in disadvantaged communities and regions.

Invest in communities

Cooperative community investment can help decarbonization organizations to demonstrate they are long-term partners in community success. For instance, communities throughout Mississippi are deeply committed to the prosperity of their residents yet 52% of the state’s population resides in disadvantaged communities, as measured by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. Further, of the 664 census tracts in Mississippi, 279 are classified as Climate Change Disadvantaged, 197 as Training and Workforce Disadvantaged, and 180 as Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Disadvantaged.

Choosing workforce development and environmental justice initiatives relevant to both the community and the company can help each side build trust in a long-term partnership. National and regional examples include:

  • College Tuition Assistance Programs (CTAP) are sponsored by local governments to promote educational equity. Through CTAP, several counties and governments collaborate to cover tuition costs for every high school graduate for up to four academic or technical coursework semesters.
  • While much attention has been given to densely populated areas, there remains a significant need in Mississippi’s more rural areas for access to new opportunities. Partnerships between companies and esteemed educational institutions such as Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) and Pearl River Community College (PRCC) bolster Mississippi’s talent pipeline and provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today’s competitive job market.
  • The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), in partnership with the U.S. Navy and HBCU Jackson State University (JSU), is deploying workforce development programs for maritime activities, port decarbonization, onshore and offshore wind, as well as significant investments in coastal and floodplain restoration. In tandem, Gulf Blue, a foundation focused on supporting emerging maritime start-ups, focuses on bringing new technology and industry to Mississippi and the Gulf Coast to introduce new economic opportunities to the state.
  • Specific programs Hy Stor Energy supports include Career and Technical Education (CTE) with Mississippi community colleges; renewable energy curriculum development with JSU and the creation of a Community Resiliency Center network. This network will provide support elements such as backup power, sustainable/resilient air conditioning, refrigeration, and heating to an initial eight centers in critically at-risk areas. These centers can also serve as command-and-control sites for mobilization during emergencies and will feature outdoor safety/security lighting, autonomous solar power generation, electric vehicle (EV) and charging infrastructure, and future hydrogen fueling. Additionally, centers will provide space for educational opportunities such as lifelong learning, youth education, financial literacy for all ages, and school application assistance.

Through collaborative initiatives, investments in education, and partnerships across sectors, states like Mississippi can foster a wave of climate innovation and resilience.

More of a good thing

The Biden Administration’s ACC is a welcome step toward building the clean energy and climate resilience workforce we need. The goals presented in the ACC can be easily adapted by cleantech companies, particularly those pursuing projects in disadvantaged communities or at a greater risk of climate emergencies.

Using the momentum created by federal programs like the ACC and Justice40 Initiative, clean energy companies can establish their own goals and programs at the local and regional levels. These will vary based on a region’s demographics, history, and needs but should include transparent community relations plans, strategic education and workforce development partnerships, and locally-relevant environmental justice and resilience efforts. As projects break ground, companies must keep their workforce and broader community top of mind in these ways to usher in a truly equitable clean energy transition.   

There is room at the table for everyone’s expertise and experience in the energy transition. If we embrace diversity and adopt a truly collaborative mindset, clean energy projects and partnerships won’t just address urgent issues like climate change and resiliency, they’ll create more dynamic, innovative workforces and stronger communities.

About the author

Laura L. Luce, a true pioneer in the energy storage and hydrogen industry, brings over twenty-five years of expertise to her role as the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Board Member of Hy Stor Energy. She has been instrumental in the development of large, fully integrated projects that store and deliver carbon-free, renewable energy, providing customers with cost-effective hydrogen that meets climate-aligned standards.

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