The Clean Energy Transition Needs Builders: A Conversation with MBL Energy CEO, Robert Laubach
Clean Energy’s Skilled Labor Shortage—and One EPC Leader’s Family Legacy
Right now, the clean energy industry is staring down a difficult moment. Trump’s Big Bad Budget bill eliminates key clean energy incentives, threatening gigawatts of clean energy poised to power the grid. The policy pendulum is swinging, and companies across cleantech are bracing for impact.
My guest on the latest episode of Scaling Clean, Robert Laubach, knows what it’s like to weather industry headwinds. In his words:
“We’ve gotten a lot of solar whiplash over the years. But you just keep going. You keep building.”
Robert is the CEO of MBL Energy, a California-based solar EPC contractor that has designed and installed over 800 megawatts of commercial and industrial solar energy projects. He brings more than 25 years of experience in commercial roofing and solar construction, and today, three generations of his family work together in the business.
This episode isn’t just about how to build a successful solar EPC company. It’s about resilient leadership, family legacy, and navigating the clean energy transition in a rapidly changing environment.
MBL Energy has delivered high-impact projects like solar canopies over hospital parking structures, EV charging infrastructure for commercial vehicle fleets, and even solar arrays installed over aqueducts—a growing trend in dual-use infrastructure. As Robert puts it:
“We’ll do as much or as little as needed to make our customers successful—from blank dirt to final delivery.”
What stood out in our conversation wasn’t just Robert’s technical expertise. It was his deep respect for skilled trades and his unshakable belief that building things still matters. One stat struck me:
For every 5 skilled tradespeople retiring, only 2 are entering the field.
The Skilled Labor Gap
On the skilled labor gap, I want to share an excerpt of our conversation, because this point is personal for me.
Melissa: “Do you feel like there are enough skilled tradespeople in the cleantech and solar industry?”
Robert Laubach: “No, absolutely not. There's a major gap. The skilled labor force is aging. There's not enough being done to attract young people to the trades. I think education hasn't prioritized the trades in a way that points to how satisfying and how respectable the trades are.
I am blue collar through and through. There's five people retiring out of the trades for every two new hires that are coming in at this moment.
A huge gap in not just the head count, but you're only one generation away from losing the soft skills that get passed down in the field working side by side with somebody who's been doing it for 20 years.
In our business, what I've also noticed is that the technical aptitude of our field installers is mind blowing. What these folks can do in building and troubleshooting and understanding how things work is a master's class that I think society does not fully recognize.
There's so much of this younger generation that wants to watch it on a YouTube reel or thinks that is how you generate revenue or a career. I'd put some of our field installers up against some of the smartest engineers in the industry who don't know which side of the hammer to hold — it works on paper, but this isn't how it really works.
And so I would love for our society to value the honest day's work. I love blue collar.”
Robert’s point hit home for me. I grew up in a blue-collar family. My father worked at the Goodyear rubber factory in Akron, Ohio, building race car tires and air springs. I remember the grease on his hands and the union picnics at Turkeyfoot Lake. It made an impression on me, and I saw firsthand the pride my dad had in doing an honest day’s work.
In our rush toward innovation, I worry we’re leaving that legacy behind. Don’t get me wrong, there’s value in all types of work. But the pressure we put on kids to earn a college degree may have steered generations of talented people away from the trades we now urgently need.
Three Big Points from Robert Laubach
Evolving Technology Demands: Solar Alone Isn’t Enough Anymore
Time stamp 19:09 - The days of simple net metering are over. Today’s projects require solar, storage, EV integration and more.
“The idea of ‘arriving’ doesn’t resonate with me. It’s hard to steer a parked car. If you're not progressing, you're getting left behind.”
“The days of just running the meter backwards to save on power bills are long gone—especially in California. Now, what customers need are full solutions: solar, battery storage, EV charging infrastructure, and smart behind-the-meter systems.”
Leadership Means Facing the Tough Conversations
Time stamp 21:25 - Great leadership isn’t just about vision or scale, it’s about being willing to have the hard conversations and lead people through difficult moments.
“The best way out of something is just through it. Pick up the phone. Talk to people. Don’t hide behind email. That’s how you get things done.”
The Human Element Still Matters Most
Time stamp 23:27 - In a world obsessed with credentials and automation, Robert reminds us that character and attitude often matter more than raw skill.
“Attitude, not aptitude, determines altitude.”
It’s a simple phrase, but it reflects Robert’s hiring philosophy: look for people who care, who contribute to the team, and who bring a sense of purpose to their work. Skills can be trained. Character can’t.
That’s what this episode is really about: resilience, legacy, and the people who do the hard work of building our critical energy infrastructure.
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This blog post is part of the Scaling Clean series by Tigercomm, a marketing and PR firm specializing in clean energy, climate tech, and sustainability.
Visit the Scaling Clean blog for more episodes, or contact us to learn how we help clean economy companies grow faster.