04.15.03

New Cantwell Report Estimates More than 1,000 Well-Paying Jobs by 2008 For Regional Energy Industry

Cantwell announces U.S. Senate Energy Committee approval of new $60 million Department of Energy program to train workers for energy technology careers

SPOKANE, WA – Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today released a report showing that more than 1,000 new well-paying jobs could be created over the next five years in eastern and central Washington's energy sector. She also announced that the U.S. Senate Energy Committee had approved a first-ever, $60 million program within the Department of Energy (DOE) to train new workers for these kinds of jobs.

"This report makes it clear that the energy industry represents a major growth opportunity for the Spokane regional economy," Cantwell said. "Over 1,000 jobs could be created within five years. If approved by Congress and signed into law by the President, the plan we have drafted within the Senate Energy Committee would help train workers for these jobs, giving states like Washington a leg up in the race to develop new energy businesses."

Cantwell announced the report in a policy speech at the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce's Northwest Energy Conference. During her speech, she detailed the proposed new DOE program. The program would be created in the Energy Bill currently being drafted in the Senate Energy Committee. The Committee has now approved a first-ever Personnel & Training Program for the Department of Energy. The legislation authorizes $40 million per year for the next five years to establish new DOE fellowships for post-doctoral and senior researchers in energy-related fields as well as another $20 million for a program of grants to address shortages of trained personnel. As noted in the report released today, future job growth demands enough skilled workers whose range of training and degrees will serve as a driving force in this job creation.

"I look forward to working with Washington state's universities and research institutions to secure and access these funds, because I believe we need a concerted regional effort to grow the workforce in power engineering and other energy occupations," Cantwell said. "It will expand our existing advantage, spawn new ideas and entrepreneurs, and help attract companies which-over the next ten years-will be hard-pressed to find workers qualified to run the increasingly complex 21st century energy system."

The report issued by Cantwell's office ("Meeting the National Demand for a Skilled Energy Workforce: A Growth Opportunity for Eastern & Central Washington") documents the opportunity for Washington state to play a critical role in meeting the growing national demand for skilled workforce in energy-related fields. The report focuses on the implications for the energy industry workforce for the "graying" of the energy workforce, the opportunities for growth in energy industry, the depth of the current energy industry and educational opportunities.

The report is available over the internet from cantwell.senate.gov. Copies of the report were also distributed at the conference.

Cantwell is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.