Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Mike Lee (R-UT) have sought clarification from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm on the measures taken to support the workforce needs of the oil and gas industry as mandated by Cassidy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Section 40211 of the IIJA requires the DOE to establish the 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board to provide recommendations on strategies supporting current and future energy sector workforce needs.

“Nearly all energy sectors are facing workforce shortages. The Board must consider and include the workforce needs of traditional energy sectors, including coal, oil, and gas, as well as the domestic mining industry, to comprehensively evaluate our current domestic energy workforce needs…The oil and gas industry supports close to 11 million jobs in the United States,” wrote the senators.

They further highlighted that mined materials are essential for nearly all renewable and future energy technologies such as wind, solar, energy storage, and electric vehicles. "Yet, at the same time, McKinsey & Company reported that 71 percent of mining leaders stated that talent shortages are holding them back from meeting production targets and strategic objectives… In 2020, U.S. mining and mineral engineering schools awarded 327 degrees, representing a 39 percent net drop in the number of graduates since 2016. By contrast, China currently oversees 44 mining schools graduating more than 5,000 students annually. To protect our competitive advantage against China is essential that we evaluate and address the workforce needs of the domestic mining industry," continued the senators.

The full letter outlines specific provisions under Section 40211(c)(1)(D) which mandates identifying energy sectors most in need of workforce training in consultation with the Secretary of Labor. Additionally, Section 40211(a)(2) requires developing a strategy for DOE’s role in supporting a skilled energy workforce that includes opportunities for students in both traditional and emerging energy sector jobs.

The senators emphasized that despite traditional energy sectors accounting for approximately 80 percent of domestic energy production, they face severe workforce challenges. They underscored that it is crucial for these factors to be considered by DOE's advisory board while addressing domestic energy workforce needs.

To ensure comprehensive representation across all critical domestic energy sectors by DOE’s advisory board, Senators Cassidy and Lee requested detailed responses from Secretary Granholm by July 12, 2024.

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