Sep. 23 – A transition to clean energy sources and new infrastructure investments by state and federal governments have led to higher construction costs and a tight labor force, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in an executive order released Monday.
These factors, plus a push for “climate-resilient” construction, will require a new workforce focused on building the clean energy sector and strengthening infrastructure against the impacts of climate change, the governor said.
Her executive order calls on nearly a dozen agencies to jointly develop a plan for workforce development and training, with educational programs even for elementary and middle school students with career opportunities.
Lujan Grisham promised that by 2026 the state will have 2,000 additional workers trained in “climate-resilient” professions.
“Communities devastated by natural disasters are wisely demanding that we sustainably manage our forests, build flood-resistant bridges, and strengthen our telecommunications infrastructure against the threat of fire,” the governor said in a statement about the order. “In short, they are demanding climate-resilient infrastructure.”
Sarita Nair, cabinet secretary for the Department of Workforce Solutions, wrote in an email Monday that the state’s infrastructure needs to be improved to “better withstand extreme heat, drought and flooding.”
By the end of 2022, there were 12,686 clean energy jobs in the state. Additionally, several well-known solar companies have announced plans to build in the state in recent years, including Maxeon in 2023 and Ebon Solar in August.
There is currently no definition for “climate-ready jobs” from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nair wrote in an email. But they could include everything from wilderness firefighters and forest restoration experts to electric vehicle charging station installers and engineers with a background in sustainability.
Ladona Clayton, executive director of the Ogallala Land and Water Conservancy, said expanding staff was the organization’s top recommendation to the New Mexico Water Policy and Infrastructure Task Force to help address growing water supply and infrastructure problems.
“The job is so big now, given the water crisis, that we need to get the right people working,” Clayton said, adding that the state needs to do “whatever it takes” to attract talent.
“The most important workforce right now has to be water, without a doubt,” Clayton said. “That’s the workforce that has to sustain the state.”
The governor is making this decision after a national labor plan has identified construction, energy transition and climate resilience as priority sectors for the coming years.
Nair said Workforce Solutions partners with local workforce development councils and builds relationships with tribes and prison reentry programs to ensure “broad access” to workforce development programs.
“In addition, several related federal grant programs emphasize equal access to clean energy infrastructure and jobs, which would include training for workers who lose their jobs due to the transition from fossil fuel jobs,” Nair said.
The 2022 closure of the San Juan Generating Station, which was demolished earlier this year, resulted in the loss of 450 jobs in Farmington, many of which were held by members of the Navajo Nation.
A 2020 Clean Energy Workforce Trends Study identified the post-pandemic era as a time of opportunity in the renewable energy sector. But it also warned of potential pitfalls.
“It is far from certain that these jobs will replace those lost to the transition away from fossil fuels or be filled fairly by New Mexicans from diverse communities and backgrounds,” the report said. “Lessons from other states indicate that the clean energy industry lacks diversity … and is unlikely to replace all fossil fuel-related jobs and income unless deliberate policy choices are made to open up training opportunities to all New Mexico communities.”
Senator Pat Woods, Republican of Broadview, noted that much of the recent infrastructure funding has come from oil and gas revenues, resulting in “historic investments.”
“I am pleased that the Governor is putting her agencies to work and encouraging them to do their jobs to prepare and empower the next generation of New Mexico’s workforce,” Woods said in a statement. “I hope these programs and funding truly benefit New Mexico’s workforce and make lasting and necessary improvements to our state’s infrastructure.”
House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) said in a statement that the transition to clean energy “depends on our ability to ensure that we leave no New Mexican behind. That means putting the needs of impacted communities and energy workers at the center of our climate policies.”
He added that the Legislature “recently allocated billions for infrastructure projects and made our largest investments ever in workforce development. We welcome any tools that help us build a more sustainable, resilient and equitable future for our state.”
