ICYMI: Gov. Evers Highlights Clean Energy Jobs in State of the State Address

Madison, WI – During last night’s State of the State Address, Governor Tony Evers highlighted Wisconsin’s successes in job and apprenticeship programs, including a new program with the US Climate Alliance. The Governor celebrated the state’s highest enrollment in registered programs in 100 years. He went on to share, “We’re partnering with over 20 bipartisan states through the US Climate Alliance to train 1 million new registered apprentices nationwide with a focus on climate and clean energy fields over the next decade.” 

Clean energy is a growing industry in Wisconsin. Last year, a Department of Energy report found that 60% of Wisconsin’s energy jobs are in clean energy. According to Climate Power’s latest clean energy boom report, in less than two and a half years since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Wisconsin has seen 14 new clean energy projects that have spurred $5.44 billion in private investment and created or moved forward 2,512 good-paying clean energy jobs. 

Eleven of Wisconsin’s 14 clean energy projects are in Republican-held congressional districts, making up 79% of all projects in the state, 96% of jobs, and 46% of investments. Yesterday, at least eight Republican Congressmembers testified at the House Ways and Means Committee’s hearing on preserving clean energy tax credits for provisions of the IRA. In August 2024, 18 House Republicans sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson asking him not to repeal clean energy tax credits. 

Unfortunately, the future of the clean energy workforce is uncertain under the Trump administration. Earlier this week, President Trump signed an Executive Order to pause the disbursement of IRA funds. Wisconsin may lose billions of private investments across the state and thousands of new good-paying jobs, putting the state’s clean energy future in jeopardy.

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