Home Efficiency Plans Run Up Against Lack of Qualified Workers

The White House’s plan to reduce energy waste from American homes is about to run into a stumbling block: a lack of skilled tradespeople who can actually do the work, industry veterans say.

Making the labor crunch even worse, the demand for energy efficiency services is set to skyrocket as homeowners start claiming their share of the $8.8 billion in rebates the climate bill provides for home upgrades. Those rebates will become available within the next few months, according to a Department of Energy spokeswoman.

The mismatch between supply and demand raises the threat that President Joe Biden’s ...