skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Government shutdown looms after Trump-backed bill fails; Environmental groups sue CA Air Resources Board over biogas credits; NY elected officials work to electrify municipal buildings; Need a mental health boost? Talking hot dog is here.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President-elect Trump repeats his threats to jail Jan. 6th committee members, while also putting a stop-gap spending plan in jeopardy. A court removes Fani Willis from Trump's Georgia election interference case. The FAA restricts drones in New Jersey, and a Federal Reserve rate cut shakes markets.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural folks could soon be shut out of loans for natural disasters if Project 2025 has its way, Taos, New Mexico weighs options for its housing shortage, and the top states providing America's Christmas trees revealed.

Federal funds, clean energy projects boost ME union workforce

play audio
Play

Monday, September 23, 2024   

Union workers in Maine say federal funds are helping fuel the state's clean energy transition and offering incentives for young people to stick around.

Skilled trade workers are in high demand as the state aims to install 275,000 heating pumps by 2027 and construct numerous offshore wind projects.

Kim Tobias, an electrician and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1253, said learning a trade nearly tripled her income and she is encouraging her own daughters to do the same.

"With apprenticeships and with the union jobs that are going to be here, it's a good way for people to be able to afford to stay here," Tobias pointed out.

Tobias noted young people are motivated to help fight climate change and the Inflation Reduction Act is helping create not just jobs, but well-paying careers. The state aims to double its clean energy workforce to 30,000 by 2030.

State agencies, schools and industry are partnering to help meet the goal by increasing training opportunities, including programs to boost the number of women working in construction and help new Mainers learn new trade skills.

Tobias observed her local union chapter has doubled in size over the past few years and the current class of electrical apprentices has more than quadrupled since she graduated in 2022.

"There's such a shortage of people in every trade but for electricians right now it's a very good time," Tobias emphasized. "It's absolutely surreal."

Tobias stressed she would like to see more training opportunities for the planned network of high-speed electric vehicle charging stations across the state. The project is part of Maine's effort to reach net-zero emissions by 2045.

Early estimates project the Inflation Reduction Act is helping the state meet the goal while adding nearly 1.5 million jobs nationwide over the next several years.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A survey from the American Heart Association revealed 79% of respondents neglect their health during the holidays. Many say they find this time of year more stressful than income tax season.
(deagreez/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Holiday travel is in full swing and for many, so is the stress. The American Heart Association of Missouri has health tips for anyone with heart …


Health and Wellness

play sound

By Amy Felegy for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Collabo…

Health and Wellness

play sound

With Christmas less than a week away, experts are giving advice on how seniors and the community can fight against social isolation. A United Health …


A new University of Miami study has found buildings in Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside have been sinking by 2-8 centimeters between 2016 and 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

When the Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside in 2021 taking 98 lives, it sent shock waves across South Florida. The tragedy has left …

Environment

play sound

Rural communities across Massachusetts are benefiting from state grants aimed at strengthening the local food supply and building climate resilience…

Dairy digesters remove methane from liquified animal waste. The gas can then be used to generate power. (Lance Cheung/USDA)

Environment

play sound

Three environmental nonprofits filed suit Wednesday against the California Air Resources Board to oppose the expansion of a program allowing oil and g…

Environment

play sound

New York lawmakers are focusing on electrifying municipal buildings. Buildings statewide make up 32% of New York's greenhouse gas emissions and …

Social Issues

play sound

North Dakota is expected to rejoin the debate over whether all school children, regardless of their family income, should have access to no-cost …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021