 
New York Local Hosts Conference on
Sustainable Energy
Summer 2007, IBEW Journal
New City, NY., Local 363 hosted a roundtable discussion on sustainable energy in April. The gathering brought together environmentalists, local and state politicians, representatives from local utilities and organized labor to focus on making renewable energy a reality in the Hudson Valley. Over 100 members of the community also attended.
“Environmentalists are focusing more and more on creating new renewable energy resources. But a lot of them don’t have all the technical know-how needed to make it a reality. That’s where the IBEW comes in,” said Local 363 Training Director Craig Jacobs.
Some of the proposals coming out of the meeting included doing a study on possible sites for windmills to harvest wind power and making plans to install solar panels on the roofs of government buildings.
“It was the joining of what are normally two opposing forces: organized labor and environmentalists. The whole theme was getting labor involved with environmentalists and environmentalists involved with labor so we both know that we need to work hand in hand,” Jacobs said.
“(The environmentalists) look towards us because they know we’ve been out front, “said Local 363 Business Manager John Maraia, noting that the local was one of the first offices to set up solar panels in the area.
A two-day roundtable is tentatively planned for later in the year.
In a letter to Local 567, the Ms. Baldacci thanked the local for its generosity and noted that the IBEW’s “participation will make an immediate impact in the lives of many children and adults throughout the State of Maine.”
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