St. John’s, Newfoundland: Beothuk Energy Inc. (BEI) and Iron & Earth (I&E) announced the signing July 14 of a Memorandum of Understanding reflecting their shared interests in offshore wind energy development across the Atlantic region.
BEI is proposing six offshore wind farms in Atlantic Canada with a combined 4000+ MW of renewable power. I&E is a worker-led group that began operations when oil prices turned lower in 2015. Their mandate is to provide oil and gas workers with the training and opportunities needed to transition into renewable, clean energy sectors. I&E represent a workers’ movement taking action against climate change. BEI has identified the under-utilized skilled labour in the Atlantic region, largely drawn from the existing oil and gas sector, as significant to their strategy. This partnership with I&E is expected to further facilitate the apprenticeships and retraining necessary for oil and gas workers to move into the offshore wind sector.
“When the labour market recognizes a global shift, and becomes a first mover, it sends a strong signal to Canadians, to government, to industry. It’s a movement from blue-collar to green-collar,” said Kirby Mercer, Chairman and CEO of BEI.
BEI is an offshore wind developer, based in Atlantic Canada and headquartered in St. John’s, NL. I&E is a non-profit social enterprise led by oil sands workers committed to catalyzing Canada’s renewable energy economy.