Because the U.S. renewable vitality economic system expands, intentional commitments for equitable financial and workforce improvement might be crucial to reaching the nation’s simply transition aims and constructing a various home manufacturing provide chain. A report launched by the American Council on Renewable Power (ACORE) and BW Analysis Partnership identifies present minority- and women-owned enterprise enterprises (MWBEs) inside the utility-scale wind, photo voltaic and battery storage manufacturing provide chains; assesses present provider choice practices; and highlights alternatives to foster the expansion of MWBEs and enhance sector variety.
“Because of the enactment of the Inflation Discount Act, we will develop an enhanced home clear vitality manufacturing base and do it in a approach that meaningfully advances the renewable business’s variety, fairness and inclusion priorities,” mentioned ACORE president and CEO Gregory Wetstone. “Whereas diversifying our provide chains would require daring funding and assist, we provide a roadmap on this report that features a multi-pronged technique throughout authorities insurance policies and private-sector practices.”
The brand new report, Alternatives to Diversify the U.S. Renewable Power Manufacturing Provide Chain, outlines three units of alternatives to reinforce provide chain variety within the renewable vitality and battery storage sectors:
- Rising the quantity and measurement of MWBEs within the business to make sure there are ample suppliers for downstream purchasers
- Connecting MWBE suppliers to downstream purchasers within the renewable and battery storage sectors
- Addressing market challenges by offering key assist for MWBEs already within the provide chain
“Because the world’s largest company purchaser of renewable vitality, we acknowledge the vital have to broaden inclusion of Black, Latino, Native and communities of colour within the clear vitality workforce and actively advocate for the success of companies owned and operated by girls and other people of colour all through the provision chain,” mentioned Blair Anderson, director of Public Coverage at AWS. “This report highlights vital steps to deal with a number of boundaries to entry for companies owned and operated by girls and other people of colour and AWS will proceed to assist ACORE packages like Speed up to deal with these suggestions.”
ACORE will proceed to work with policymakers, utility-scale builders and MWBEs to comprehend the report’s suggestions. To obtain a replica of Alternatives to Diversify the U.S. Renewable Power Manufacturing Provide Chain, click on right here.
Information merchandise from ACORE