Clean Energy Jobs
🔊 A Message from IBEW Leadership
On May 14, 2025, IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper released a powerful statement condemning the Republican-led tax proposal now advancing through Congress. His message was clear: this bill is a direct attack on IBEW jobs, energy independence, and the American middle class.
“This legislation takes a sledgehammer to the progress the country has made in clean-energy technology and manufacturing.”
— IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper
ACTION NETWORK – Take action now!
🛑 What’s at Stake?
The GOP’s new tax bill, currently moving to the House floor, includes provisions to eliminate the clean-energy tax credits established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—credits that have:
- Supercharged the growth of wind, solar, nuclear, and geothermal energy across the U.S.
- Created tens of thousands of jobs, many for union electricians and tradespeople
- Fueled local economies, especially in GOP-held districts, where the IRA has spurred the most investment
Repealing these credits doesn’t just slow development—it kills jobs and jeopardizes the U.S.’s energy leadership in an increasingly global race for clean power.
đź’Ľ The Real Cost: Jobs
According to Cooper, repealing these tax incentives will destroy tens of thousands of energy jobs—many of which currently support IBEW members in nearly every state.
That includes:
- Utility-scale solar and wind technicians
- Nuclear retrofit crews
- High-voltage electrical infrastructure teams
- Emerging geothermal and battery storage roles
- And more, all at risk
These are family-sustaining union jobs, often located in rural or economically hard-hit regions where such work has been transformational.
ACTION NETWORK – Take action now!
⚡ Energy Demand Is Rising—Why Cut Now?
The surge in AI development and data center construction across the U.S. is driving skyrocketing demand for reliable domestic energy. Repealing the IRA tax credits now sends a dangerous signal: that the U.S. is backing away from its energy future.
Instead of:
- Building up domestic capacity
- Becoming a global leader in clean-tech manufacturing
- Fortifying the grid with high-skilled labor
…the GOP plan cuts funding and gives tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk—at the direct expense of American workers.
🔄 Twisting the Narrative
Some Republicans are claiming that keeping IRA labor protections intact is a “win” for workers. But Cooper makes it clear:
“If there are no jobs left to protect, working people still lose.”
Labor standards only matter if projects exist. No jobs = no protections. It’s that simple.
🧠What IBEW Stands For
The IBEW fights every day for:
âś… Good jobs
âś… Energy security
âś… Fair wages and labor protections
âś… A future built by American hands
This tax proposal threatens all of it—for nothing more than a billionaire windfall.
🗣️ Our Call to Action
IBEW Local 212 stands with President Cooper and the 860,000 active and retired IBEW members across the country in calling on Congress to reject this anti-worker, anti-energy legislation.
This isn’t about politics—it’s about:
- Jobs in our community
- Training our apprentices for the future
- Powering America with union-made energy
We urge every member to stay informed, contact your representatives, and stand up for union jobs and energy progress.
đź“Ł Let your voice be heard. The fight for clean, union-built energy is a fight for our future.
ACTION NETWORK – Take action now!
—IBEW Local 212 Communications Team