 A skilled workforce is critical to the success of the clean energy economy. Stock photo.
December News
TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Apprenticeships help employers, workers thrive, research shows
A new research brief from the Washington Student Achievement Council highlights the long-term benefits to employers when they invest in apprenticeships, among other findings.
The report also outlines recent state and federal policies and investments in apprenticeship programs. These investments have supported significant growth in the number of apprentices over the past 10 years.
"These programs offer positive economic returns to both learners and employers – learners gain experience and higher wages upon program completion, and employers see reduced turnover and a more skilled workforce," according to the report.
The report also quantifies economic benefits for employers.
“Specifically, for every dollar an employer invests in an apprentice, they earn $1.44 in benefits," the report explains. "This return on investment reflects the longer-term value of the worker’s productivity, reduced turnover, and improved talent pipeline.”
The number of apprentices has grown more than 70% both nationally and in Washington since 2015, according to the report. This includes notable growth in nontraditional industries like education and healthcare.
Community colleges need support to meet state climate goals, report says
Washington's community and technical colleges need support and investment to meet the state's climate goals, a new report shows.
This includes ongoing and flexible funding to sustain growth in the changing clean energy training programs, and to facilitate statewide coordination.
"Washington is at a critical juncture in its clean energy-related economic development," the report notes. "Support for its community and technical college programs will result in a skilled workforce ready for the increase in demand for middle-skilled, blue-collar jobs and help achieve the state’s climate goals."
POLICY
Plug-in solar power offers new options for consumers
Plug-in solar panels are gaining traction as an affordable energy option, The Associated Press reports.
These systems generate solar energy that flows into a dedicated outlet, reducing the electricity drawn from the electrical grid. Utah enacted a law supporting plug-in solar by exempting certain small-scale systems from interconnection agreements and establishing safety requirements such as being certified by a nationally recognized testing organization. Utah appears to be the only state that has passed legislation supporting plug-in solar although energy independence is a growing area of interest.
The sponsor of the Utah legislation believes smaller systems allow people to better manage where their energy comes from and what they pay.
Possible bipartisan federal permitting reform
Concerns over the stagnating environmental permitting process for so many clean energy projects have been a source of frustration across the nation. The Workforce Board's Clean Energy Technology Advisory Committee (CETWAC) has frequently heard from both business and labor groups that the delay in issuance of permits is threatening our ability to achieve our greenhouse gas reduction emissions goals and having serious consequences for our workforce.
The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources advanced a bipartisan permitting deal that would include language appearing to bar any president from rescinding permits for energy projects. The bill has recently been amended to include language that limits federal interference with an already-approved energy project permit. CETWAC staff will continue to monitor this issue.
MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
Cover crops and biofuels could reduce emissions 70%
Turning common cover crops into biofuels could slash greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%, new research shows. This offers Washington farmers a dual benefit: healthier soil and a path toward cleaner transportation fuels.
Agricultural landscapes in Washington and similar regions are increasingly exploring underutilized biomass sources for renewable energy production, reports AZoCleantech, an online publication focused on clean energy. Cover crop examples include soybean hay, sudangrass, hairy vetch, and triticale.
The report evaluates cover crops as a renewable feedstock for hydrothermal liquefaction, a process that converts wet biomass into biocrude oil under high pressure and temperature without the need for drying, thereby reducing energy inputs, the article explains.
EVENTS AND RESOURCES
CleanTech Advocacy Day in Olympia: Jan. 29
The CleanTech Alliance is hosting CleanTech Advocacy Day in Olympia on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. The event is scheduled from 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. at the Capitol.
Attendees will have a chance to meet with lawmakers and attend panel discussions. Potential topics include the nuclear supply chain, clean energy workforce policy, and carbon capture.
The Clean Tech Alliance is an association of businesses interested in connecting the clean technology ecosystem to drive innovation, economic development, and public policy to accelerate clean technology adoption, benefiting all communities. The event will be an opportunity to learn and be inspired.
Contact Policy and Program Manager Lindsay McCormick for more information.
Discussion on America's critical mineral workforce scheduled for Dec. 16
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Critical Materials Collaborative is hosting a virtual workforce event on Dec. 16, 2025, from 1-4 p.m. Eastern Time.
This national dialogue will highlight DOE’s current and upcoming efforts to invest in critical minerals and materials (CMM) workforce development, share sector-specific needs and opportunities across the supply chain, and solicit stakeholder input to inform DOE’s CMM workforce plans.
Learn more and register today.
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Please contact the Workforce Board's Ilene Munk for more information.
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