Clean Energy Growth Playbook Webinar

A four-part webinar series guiding contractors, workforce organizations, and stakeholders through funding and hiring incentives. Hosted in July ~ August 2025.

Overview In our opening session of the Clean Energy Growth Playbook series, we explored how wage subsidies and hiring incentives can help clean energy employers grow their teams while reducing costs and risks. The discussion highlighted NYSERDA’s Workforce Development programs and the opportunities they provide for employers and workforce partners to strengthen hiring pipelines in clean energy.

Presented by:

• Antuan Cannon, Willdan Clean Energy Academy

• Angela N. Son, The Green Launchpad

Key Topics Covered:

• Overview of NYSERDA’s Workforce Development initiatives

• Deep dive into:

  • PON 4000 – Clean Energy Internship Program

  • PON 3982 – On-the-Job Training (OJT) Program

  • PON 4772 – Climate Justice Fellowship

  • PON 5566 – Climate Justice Fellowship Plus

• How these programs provide funding, training, and hiring incentives to support employers

• Strategies for leveraging state resources to expand equitable clean energy career pathways

This session gave attendees actionable insights on how to access and apply NYSERDA’s programs to reduce hiring costs, expand opportunities, and build a stronger clean energy workforce.

Overview

In the second session of the Clean Energy Growth Playbook series, we focused on building strong financial strategies for clean energy projects. The session explored the landscape of incentives, loans, and tax credits available to reduce upfront costs, improve cash flow, and align with emissions mandates such as New York City’s Local Law 97.

Presented by:

• Antuan Cannon, Willdan Clean Energy Academy

• Angela N. Son, The Green Launchpad

  
  

Key Topics Covered:

• Overview of federal, state, and local clean energy incentives and tax credits

• Financing tools available to help employers and contractors manage project costs

• How financial strategies can support compliance with NYC’s emissions requirements

• Real-world case study illustrating how financing solutions are applied in practice

• Lessons learned and replicable strategies for workforce providers, businesses, and project developers

  
  

This session provided participants with practical guidance on how to leverage financing tools and incentives to make clean energy projects more affordable, scalable, and sustainable.

Overview

In the third session of the Clean Energy Growth Playbook series, we explored how employers can leverage hiring tax credits and financial incentives to reduce labor costs, boost ROI, and strategically grow their teams. The session highlighted federal, state, and local programs, demonstrating through a real-world case study how tax credits can directly impact the cost of hiring.

Presented by:

• Antuan Cannon, Willdan Clean Energy Academy

• Angela N. Son, The Green Launchpad

Key Topics Covered:

• Overview of available tax credits and deductions for clean energy hiring

• Federal, state, and local incentive programs that employers can access

• How leveraging tax credits can lower labor costs and improve ROI

• Aligning workforce strategies with incentives for financial and social impact

• Case Study: Hiring a Project Manager – showing how different tax credits can significantly offset the true cost of this strategic hire

  
  

This session provided participants with practical guidance and applied examples on how to integrate hiring tax credits into workforce planning, advancing both business growth and impact.

Overview

In the final session of the Clean Energy Growth Playbook series, we explored how New York State (NYS) and New York City (NYC) clean energy policies are shaping compliance requirements and creating new opportunities for employers, contractors, and workforce providers. By connecting statewide climate mandates and city-level regulations with on-the-ground business realities, this session demonstrated how mandates can become powerful drivers of growth.

Presented by:

• Antuan Cannon, Willdan Clean Energy Academy

• Angela N. Son, The Green Launchpad

  
  

Key Topics Covered:

• Overview of NYS climate goals and NYC sustainability commitments

• How state- and city-level goals drive local laws and compliance requirements for building owners

• The impact of NYC’s Local Law 97 (LL97) and other regulations on workforce and business strategies

• Opportunities for employers and contractors to align compliance with growth strategies

• Case Study: Turning LL97 Into an Opportunity – showing how businesses can transform compliance challenges into a competitive advantage

  
  

This session provided participants with insight into the NYS and NYC policy landscape and practical examples of how mandates can be leveraged as growth drivers across the clean energy economy.