These types of projects also represent a boost to jobs that have found bipartisan support, according to CleanTechnica. Part of this comes from the fact that many of these jobs are being created in conservative states, where lawmakers and communities can witness firsthand the renewable industry’s benefits. According to Marketwatch, so appealing are solar panel jobs alone that 75% of Americans surveyed last month by the solar company Mosaic said they’d take a job in that field.
There are, unfortunately, barriers to certain renewable positions. Wind energy suffers from a lack of talent, though certainly not a lack of interest, as many eager applicants want to gain experience but frequently have trouble getting their foot in the door. Earlier this week, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) published a survey showing that “employers cited a lack of appropriate experience, education and training, and enough applicants as reasons they cannot find qualified applicants for positions.”
On the flip side, the NREL survey found that “students and recent graduates identified difficulties in getting relevant work experience and technical training as well as finding employment opportunities near where they live or want to live.” Solar and wind power have technically been used for thousands of years, yet there are definite disparities between the two when it comes to supporting new employee hopefuls and early career workers.
With the EPA itself interested in creating a variety of renewable energy sources on Superfund sites, there is even more momentum to change the way we look at a net-zero future and how we can get there equitably.
