Orange County will soon be home to a state-of-the-art green energy training center for electricians aiming to be certified in renewable energy careers.

The locally first-of-its-kind onshore-offshore wind training facility will be built on Rock Cut Road in the Town of Newburgh, according to representatives with Local 3 IBEW.

It will be used by hundreds union electrical workers each year for underwater and helicopter safety training with the use of a pool-like tank for required sea-survival and rescue training, and for training in underwater helicopter escape.

The facility recently received a $3.8 million federal grant to help convert a 10,000-square-foot building on the property, which is owned by the Education and Cultural Trust Fund of the Electrical Industry.

“It’s clean energy. I’m a climate warrior and I’m all for this,” says Christopher Erikson, with Local 3 IBEW. “We can’t wait. We’ve been preparing for this for a long time and it’s coming to fruition.”

A U.S. climate-ready workforce initiative aims to train one-million new apprentices for careers in clean energy by 2035.

News 12 is told it will be built in 2025 with the first class starting that September.