The nation’s largest union of electrical workers endorsed Joe Biden on Wednesday because of his support for an “all of the above” approach to energy policy.
Eighty-five percent of the members of the union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which boasts 750,000 members, work in the energy industry, many in fossil fuel jobs.
“It’s not typical for the IBEW to endorse this early in the primary process, but this year, there’s an urgency we haven’t seen in a very long time,” said Lonnie Stephenson, the union’s international president. “Energy policies made today will reverberate for decades, and it’s paramount we have a candidate for president who supports IBEW jobs and values.”
The IBEW, along with other unions, has been skeptical of the liberal “Green New Deal” because of its vision for mandating the elimination of fossil fuels in favor of clean energy.
The Green New Deal resolution calls for “a fair and just transition for all communities and workers,” as fossil fuel jobs are eliminated.
The electric workers’ support of Biden signals that unions, a key Democratic constituency, favor a more moderate approach.
“This is HUGE because it gives us a glimpse into the challenge ahead when it comes to aggressive climate policy,” tweeted Arvind Ravikumar, an assistant professor of energy engineering at the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. “Any deep decarbonization plan without organized labor — with major stake in large fossil energy infrastructure projects — on board is on very shaky ground.”
Biden, unlike rivals such as Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren, has not called for an outright ban on fracking for natural gas and instead proposed tougher regulations on fossil fuel production.
