L-45 BM/ST Kevin Battle
By Kevin Battle, L-45 business manager and secretary-treasurer, as published by Richmond Times-Dispatch
Virginia’s growing demand for electricity is not an abstract issue for the skilled trades. Boilermakers build, repair and maintain the power-generation and heavy industrial facilities that help keep Virginia running. Our members understand firsthand what it takes to build major energy infrastructure — and what sustained investment in that infrastructure means for workers, businesses and communities across the commonwealth.
That is why the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy matters to Virginia’s workers.
Virginia is entering a period when significant investment in our energy system will be necessary. Electricity demand is growing, existing facilities must continue to be maintained and upgraded, and new generation will need to be built. Meeting those needs will require capital, construction expertise and a skilled workforce capable of turning plans on paper into operating infrastructure.
For Boilermakers and other members of Virginia’s building trades, that last piece matters enormously. Major energy projects create opportunities for skilled men and women to build careers, support their families and retire with dignity. They also sustain apprenticeship programs that train the next generation of workers Virginia will need to build and maintain its energy infrastructure.
The State Corporation Commission has an important responsibility as it considers the proposed Dominion-NextEra merger. Commissioners should closely examine what the transaction means for ratepayers, reliability and future investment in Virginia.
Dominion has long been an important part of Virginia’s energy economy and a significant source of construction work for the skilled trades. NextEra brings additional financial resources and extensive experience developing and operating energy infrastructure. This combination would strengthen Dominion’s ability to make the long-term investments Virginia needs.
That matters to the workers who will ultimately help build those projects
The companies’ recent workforce development commitment is especially encouraging for Virginia’s skilled trades. Their proposed shareholder-funded $100 million investment would support career development, hands-on training and apprenticeships in partnership with unions, creating more pathways for Virginians to learn a trade, build a career and prepare for the major energy and infrastructure investments Virginia will need in the years ahead.
Just as important for the trades is the companies’ proposed Virginia Supplier Program — up to $1 billion a year for five years for contractors, suppliers and service providers doing business in Virginia. Those are the contractors who hire Boilermakers and other building tradespeople. That money should stay in Virginia and go to employers who invest in a skilled, trained workforce.
But these benefits do not eliminate the need for accountability. Concerns about consolidation and its potential impact on Virginia ratepayers deserve serious consideration. The SCC has both the authority and responsibility to scrutinize the transaction and establish appropriate, enforceable protections as part of any approval. Virginians should expect commitments made during this process to mean something after the transaction closes
The same principle should apply to Virginia workers. As billions of dollars are invested in new generation and other energy infrastructure, those investments should support high-quality jobs, strong apprenticeship programs and opportunities for Virginia’s workers and the apprentices who will follow them.
That means the workforce commitments in this deal should be written into the SCC’s final order, not left to good intentions. The independent board that will run the $100 million workforce fund should include the registered apprenticeship programs that already train Virginia’s skilled trades workers — programs run jointly by unions and contractors that have been doing this work for generations. And the companies should report publicly on how the workforce fund and the supplier program are being used.
Virginia needs this investment, and Virginia’s workers are ready to build it. The SCC should approve this merger — and hold the companies to every commitment they have made.
