New York’s solar industry is booming, driving growth in homes, businesses, and infrastructure. However, as the sector expands, it also raises concerns about job quality and fairness. Researchers at the ILR School’s Climate Jobs Institute (CJI) are working to ensure that the solar workforce is treated equitably, just like workers in other industries.
“The solar sector is still emerging, which brings up questions about job quality,” said Lara Skinner, Executive Director of CJI. “We’ve seen concerns from workers and communities, especially with fossil fuel plants shutting down. People are asking, ‘What’s next? What are the job opportunities like in this new industry? Will these be good jobs?’”
In April 2024, CJI released its first report on the conditions faced by solar workers in New York State. The report highlighted that the rapid growth of solar energy may rely on overworked and transient labor.
Key Findings from the Report:
Many solar workers live outside New York, and 42.8% reported working for multiple employers. Many had to relocate to work on solar projects in the state, complicating efforts to calculate workforce numbers.
Nearly 60% of workers surveyed reported receiving no benefits.
One-third of workers are paid per panel installed, which can incentivize unsafe working conditions in pursuit of productivity.
53% of workers noted that stimulant abuse was a problem at worksites, as some workers used drugs to stay awake and earn more.
White workers, who received an annual salary, earned almost twice as much as Black and Hispanic workers. White workers also had longer tenure with their employers.
Black workers were most likely to report wage theft, but were the least likely to file formal complaints.
“These racial disparities are common across industries,” said Avalon Hoek Spaans, Assistant Director of Research at CJI. “But in the renewable energy sector, it’s especially important to address these issues. Green jobs are often sold as part of a ‘just transition,’ but we must ask, are they really fair? Are they high-quality jobs? And who is doing the work?”
CJI’s study also examined solar workforce conditions in Texas, finding similar issues, particularly the lack of benefits.
“We need to rapidly scale solar, but we also need to ensure that workers are treated fairly,” Hoek Spaans said. “Most data on renewable energy jobs comes from industry and corporations. This report is the first to focus directly on workers’ perspectives.”
New York State has increased its solar installations by more than 2,000% over the past decade, but calculating the exact number of solar workers remains difficult. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 27,760 solar photovoltaic installers nationwide in May 2022. However, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council estimated 171,558 solar jobs in the U.S. in the same year. Similarly, estimates of solar construction workers in New York ranged from 11,500 in 2022 to more than 14,500 in 2023, but these figures vary.
The discrepancies arise because some organizations include other solar jobs, like sales and professional services, in their numbers. With many workers moving between states and working for multiple employers, an accurate count remains a challenge.
Oil and gas workers fought for labor protections through unionization and organizing. However, as the renewable energy industry continues to evolve, similar protections for solar workers have not yet been established.
Although the Inflation Reduction Act has driven investment in clean energy, the quality of jobs in the solar sector still falls short. “There’s a lot of talk about job creation, but we’re still struggling to see the high-quality jobs we were promised,” Skinner said.
While solar energy is growing, it remains a small part of New York’s energy mix. In 2023, natural gas made up 46% of the state’s electricity generation, with 22% from hydroelectric, 22% from nuclear, and 10% from renewable sources, including solar, which accounted for just 5%.
New York’s goals, outlined in the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, aim for a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and 85% by 2050 from 1990 levels.
As solar continues to expand, challenges such as transmission and battery storage need attention. However, Hoek Spaans and Skinner emphasize that the focus should also be on the workers who are building this clean energy future.
“We must center workers in the transition to clean energy,” Hoek Spaans said. “By improving working conditions and creating union jobs, we can ensure that workers are not left behind in the fight against climate change.”
Related Topics:
- What Does 100% Solar Mean? A Complete Guide to Solar Energy Independence
- EIA Predicts 32.5GW of Solar PV Additions in the US by 2025
- How Solar and Oil & Gas Energy Technologies Compare