title: The Building Blocks of the Grid: Energy Insights From a Labor Union Leader
author: Electric Power Supply Association
contenttype: article
publication: Energy Solutions: A Podcast From EPSA
published: 2024-10-15T16:00:00+00:00
sourceurl: https://epsa.org/ep-43-the-building-blocks-of-the-grid-energy-insights-from-a-labor-union-leader/
word_count: 146
Pipefitters, pipeliners, and welders install and maintain the essential building blocks of the nation’s energy grid. A labor union leader representing these essential workers, Derrick Kualapai joins us for this episode of Energy Solutions. He shares how manufacturing is changing through a shifting energy landscape and how those changes impact workers, why his industry is so essential to the nation’s energy expansion, and exactly how much power – and how many human beings – go into manufacturing the intricate parts of our infrastructure which most of us take for granted. Derrick paints a picture of what union laborers in construction and manufacturing do, how they see a “just transition” playing out, and what he wants policymakers to prioritize. Liked this episode? Share it on X @EPSANews or LinkedIn at Electric Power Supply Association. Want more competitive power updates? Sign up for our monthly Power Moves newsletter.