skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

MN Clean-Energy Jobs Rebound from COVID Punch

play audio
Play

Wednesday, August 11, 2021   

MINNEAPOLIS - The COVID-19 pandemic ended job gains in plenty of industries, including clean energy. But a new report says the setback for Minnesota's green jobs sector wasn't long lasting.

An annual summary, released today by the national nonprofit E-2, shows that overall, the state lost more than 6,000 clean-energy jobs last year, but saw a 10% gain in the second half of 2020.

Amelia Cerling Hennes, director of communications for the group Clean Energy Economy Minnesota, said the rebound was welcome news - and not surprising.

"This surge back in jobs that we saw in the second half of last year kind of shows us what we've always known," she said, "that the clean-energy industry is strong, and it's a vital part of Minnesota's economy."

Energy-efficiency jobs, which involve helping businesses reduce their carbon footprint, saw notable losses. The report said that subsector, which accounts for most of Minnesota's clean-energy jobs, is taking longer to recover. But other areas, such as advanced transportation, are seeing fast growth, with the push for more zero-emission vehicles. The E-2 report relies on federal Energy Department data.

Joe Stofega, of Minneapolis-based Nokomis Energy, said they paused hiring in the initial stages of the pandemic, but that the pace for development has picked up. He added that in light of this week's U.N. climate-change report, they could get more calls from companies wanting to do their part.

"When we work with a business," he said, "there certainly, increasingly, have become more sustainability drivers that have gotten the attention of business leaders to evaluate."

Wane Worlobah, a newly hired employee at Tru-North Solar, said he explored doing electrical work while making a career transition during the crisis. That led him to solar installation, which he likes because of the mission tied to it.

"I'm able to advance my focus on electrical work," he said, "and I'm able to do that meaningful work."

Industry groups have said they'd like to see certain policy changes, such as higher building performance standards, in hopes of prompting more companies to take on these projects that would help to reduce emissions.

Disclosure: Clean Energy Economy Minnesota & Clean Grid Alliance Coalition contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, Environment. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021