KINGSTON, N.Y. – Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan today signed an Executive Order that provides a prevailing wage requirement or a Project Labor Agreement for all County-run renewable energy projects. This initiative is part of County Executive Ryan’s “Big Five” priority for a Green New Deal for Ulster County and further actions from the County’s Government Operations Climate Action Plan. One of County Executive Ryan’s first acts upon taking office was signing an Executive Order committing Ulster County to use 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Through key investments in the 2021 Executive Budget, Ulster County is ahead of schedule in achieving that goal, with 50% of its electricity currently being produced by locally generated renewable energy sources.
“A crucial task to shape the green economy is to ensure that all that work translates into economic opportunity and generates prosperity for everyone in Ulster County,” said County Executive Ryan. “Today we’re taking a major step here in Ulster County to implement our Green New Deal plan where we will continue our work to create good-paying, union jobs here in Ulster County as we transition to the future clean energy economy. I am proud to stand with our partners in the labor community to establish a requirement that all renewable electricity the County consumes come from projects that pay prevailing wage rates or have a Project Labor Agreement during construction, and we are urging our municipalities and the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency to do the same.”
“I commend County Executive Pat Ryan and his entire staff who worked diligently on this Executive Order as we move forward and transition to the climate goals of Ulster County,” said Todd Diorio, President, Hudson Valley Building Trades Council, Business Manager, Laborers’ Local 17. “We need to ensure green jobs are not just good for our climate, but jobs that pay good wages with benefits. When this happens, our entire community benefits economically.”
The Executive Order calls for the Ulster County Department of Purchasing to ensure that any agreement for the construction and installation of renewable energy systems, whether by a power purchase agreement or community distributed generation, for the purpose of meeting the County’s energy needs includes a prevailing wage requirement or a Project Labor Agreement.