Every Texan recently participated in the Texas Climate Jobs’ Community Commission on Truth and Transparency on Texas’ Hydrogen Development. Our submission highlights existing trends, challenges, and barriers Texas workers face in gaining access to safe, high-quality, union jobs. Every Texan provides data and policy analysis to show how Texas’ low union density and lack of state policies regulating working conditions ultimately decreases Texans’ financial mobility.
Hydrogen development is a unique opportunity to improve Texans’ working conditions and strengthen economic mobility. HyVelocity is the industry-leading hub behind the development of a new hydrogen ecosystem, currently being built with investments from the Inflation Reduction Act. With some of the largest names in the energy industry participating, the $9.5 billion dedicated to this venture will impact the Gulf Coast economy for decades. Working Texans deserve to benefit from this as much as corporations will.
The data show that improved working conditions for Texans will require HyVelocity’s collaboration with workers and their unions to guarantee improved standards on wages, affordable health insurance coverage, paid leave, and accessible child care. In the following report, delivered at the Community Commission, Every Texan recommends solutions to the Department of Energy that will build a resilient and prosperous hydrogen power workforce, creating opportunities for workers’ financial mobility and contributing to the state’s economic abundance.
