Coal To Solar: Retraining Our Energy Workforce

As many celebrate the shuttering of coal-fired electricity generation facilities, a call for retraining this former energy workforce from coal to solar is opening the eyes of some.

coal-shipment-shutterstock_209199940-600x400In a study published in Energy Economics, researchers from Michigan Technological University and Oregon State University see a bright spot for coal workers targeting high-quality employment in the rapidly expanding solar photovoltaic industry.

Joshua Pearce, who holds a dual appointment in materials science and engineering as well as electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Tech, helped assess what will be required to retrain workers for a different energy field. While the task is not easy, it can be achieved, states this study.

“Although coal investors can simply call their brokers to move their money to more profitable industries, coal workers are left with pink slips and mortgages,” Pearce said. “Fortunately, the solar energy industry sector is growing at an incredible rate–and they are hiring.”

Pearce and co-author Edward Louie, of the School of Public Policy at Oregon State University, believe the growth of solar-related employment can absorb the layoffs in the coal industry over the next 15 years. To determine this, Louie and Pearce compared existing coal industry jobs — and the salaries and skill sets of these positions — to ones in the solar industry. They then estimated the cost of returning to school and retraining time.

Pearce notes his estimates are simply examples and could vary, although there are numerous low-cost options for solar training people might pursue while still employed. He stated the appendices from the study will be most useful to current coal workers, where people can look up an existing job and go over the best potential fits in the solar industry and the training which is required.

“Many of these coal miners have transferable skill sets already,” says Christopher Turek, the director of Solar Energy International. “These range from mechanical and electrical expertise, all the way to their confidence in working in a highly technical field with a strong focus on safety.”

Currently, based on data from The Solar Foundation, the photovoltaic energy industry is bringing on new workers 12 times faster than the overall economy. As of November 2015, the solar industry employs 208,859 solar workers, more than the roughly 150,000 jobs remaining in the coal industry. And the photovoltaic energy sector is expected to continue expanding.

This might sound promising to coal industry workers who fear for their job security. However, there are many financial hurdles which must be overcome in such a retraining process. These include supporting a family while training, likely moves from a primary residence, and the maintenance of health insurance and other existing benefits, such as 401K programs.

The vision of retraining may be a great one by appearances, however, the hurdle for shifting careers will be extremely high for many.

Image via Shutterstock | Source: AAAS EurekAlert

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