During the 2019 session, the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill requiring the formation of a stakeholder group, comprised of utilities and community partners, to explore recruitment, hiring, training, and retention practices within the industry and identify what is necessary to better diversify the utilities’ workforce. Last week, Governor Walz held a bill signing to commemorate the legislation, and meetings of the stakeholder group are underway.
Ben Passer, Fresh Energy’s director of energy access and equity, said, “Fresh Energy was proud to advocate for this legislation during the 2019 session, and we are excited to see this process move forward. This work is critical to advance equitable outcomes throughout all levels of the energy sector, and to ensure that our state’s ever-changing energy workforce reflects our state’s growing diversity.”
Fresh Energy is actively participating in this process, and we look forward to working with our colleagues and key partners to develop and advance recommendations to meet the challenges and opportunities that face Minnesota’s energy workforce.
