The UC-Berkeley Donald Vial Center on Employment in the Green Economy has submitted comments to the California Energy Commission regarding the First Triennial Investment Plan for the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Program. The center emphasizes the importance of workforce issues in the EPIC program and encourages a strong emphasis on labor market analysis, workforce planning, and innovation. The center's research focuses on the green economy and climate change policy in California, as they relate to the labor market. Workforce development is critical to achieving the guiding principles of EPIC, including promoting greater reliability, lower costs, and increased safety, as well as societal benefits, economic development, and efficient use of ratepayer money. The center's 2011 California Workforce Education and Training Needs Assessment for Energy Efficiency, Distributed Generation, and Demand Response highlights the importance of workforce planning and labor market analysis in successfully growing the clean energy and energy efficiency markets.
