Workforce

  • Emerson Addresses Power Industry’s AI-Driven Demand Surge

    The power industry is experiencing unprecedented demand growth, driven largely by data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. This surge is creating both opportunities and challenges for utilities, equipment manufacturers, and the broader power generation ecosystem. As a guest on The POWER Podcast, Seth Harris, growth director for Emerson’s Power business in North America, discussed […]

  • Get the White Paper: Boost Efficiency with Advanced Water Analytics

    Sponsored by:
    Mettler Toledo

    Global shifts in energy demand are prompting power plants to reassess their production and efficiency needs. Energy-intensive AI data centers and increased renewable power loads to grids demand greater plant flexibility. Ramp-up and shutdown cycles require plants to rely more on cycle chemistry analytics to support fluctuations. The loss of personnel expertise due to layoffs […]

  • Ready, Go, Set: How Disruptions Are Flipping EPC Contracting

    What’s driving a fundamental shift in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracting? Equipment lead times. Workforce shortages. Data center timelines. POWER examines how the traditional EPC

  • Beyond Traditional Controls: Managing Power Project Schedule and Cost Overruns

    From financial dashboards to factory-based assembly, utilities and their contractors are deploying new tools and processes to improve project cost performance. In decades past, the decision to pursue a major

  • The Planet Group Will Spotlight Energy Staffing Expertise at Experience Power 2025

    As energy demands evolve, The Planet Group (Planet) is helping the industry keep pace by connecting utilities, EPC firms, and infrastructure leaders with the skilled professionals who power progress. The company will sponsor and attend Experience Power in Denver, Colorado, this October, where it will showcase its deep experience in energy, engineering, and utilities staffing—and […]

  • Best Places to Work in the Power Industry 2025

    This year marks the second installment of POWER’s partnership with Best Companies Group (BCG) to recognize outstanding workplaces in the power sector. Building on the success of our inaugural program in 2024, the Best Places to Work in the Power Industry initiative continues to spotlight companies that prioritize employee satisfaction, foster inclusive cultures, and create environments where people thrive.

  • Young Americans Are the Future of Energy—It’s Time to Unleash Them

    Throughout the first nine months of the Trump Administration, “energy dominance” has been the agenda. To win the artificial intelligence (AI) race, ensure energy reliability for Americans, and beat China on the world stage, we need more energy – period. But we can’t do it without America’s young people. Fortunately, it’s a dynamic time to get […]

  • Where Are All the Solar Engineers? How to Ease Utility-Scale Solar’s Technical Bottleneck with Smarter Software

    Solar dominates new energy generation in the U.S., accounting for 69% of new capacity additions in Q1 of 2025. But although most of this added capacity comes from utility-scale projects, the engineering labor force hasn’t scaled to match this demand. Only a limited number of qualified engineers, particularly those with experience as Engineers of Record (EORs), can support the complexity and speed required for current utility-scale solar projects.

  • 600 Workers Take TVA Buyout as Utility Seeks to Cut $1 Billion in Spending

    A spokesperson for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) confirmed that about 600 of the utility’s employees have taken buyouts. Some workers left the company starting in May, while others will exit by the end of September. The TVA on August 21 said the move is part of a plan to reduce costs as the federally owned utility tries to cut nearly $1 billion in spending by 2026.

  • BP Cutting More Than 6,000 Jobs, and Thousands of Contractors, as Part of Cost Reductions

    Global energy giant BP said it would cut thousands more jobs by the end of this year, as the company continues to reduce its renewable energy plans to focus more on its longtime core business of oil and gas production. UK-based BP, which has its U.S. headquarters in Houston, Texas, has said it plans to […]

  • Trump Administration to Overhaul Drone Rules, Fast-Track Nuclear Reactor Deployment on the Moon

    The Trump administration has proposed new drone regulations that will eliminate case-by-case approval processes for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)  operations, while Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy confirmed accelerated plans to deploy a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and […]

  • Doubling Down on Reliability: Karachi’s Engineered Smart Grid Breakthrough

    Faced with soaring demand and limited visibility into upstream grid assets, Karachi-based K-Electric engineered an in-house special protection system that delivers more than 600 MW of secure power imports to

  • Transforming Mission-Critical Utility Operations with Field Service Management Technology

    Utilities operate in high-stakes environments where operational resilience, infrastructure reliability, and workforce efficiency are essential for maintaining uninterrupted service. Cutting-edge field service management technology enhances field operations, improves safety, and streamlines emergency response with scalable automation, seamless geographic information system (GIS) integration, and predictive field service intelligence, ensuring efficiency and reliability in even the most […]

  • A Transformative Dawn: South Fork Wind Leads America’s Offshore Reboot

    Winning POWER’s highest honor, South Fork Wind—the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in U.S. federal waters—stands as a beacon for the power sector’s ambition to forge new industries in the

  • Flow State: The Connected Future of Hydropower Generation

    As aging infrastructure meets rising demand, hydro plants are embracing modern control systems to unlock data, streamline operations, and power a more resilient, connected future. Hydro generation has been a

  • Out of Sync: The Infrastructure Misalignment Undermining the U.S. Grid 

    U.S. power infrastructure—the intricate physical fabric that laces together generation, transmission, and distribution—is under intensifying strain. Outdated and overextended, it must now absorb relentless growth from electrification and data centers or risk escalating reliability threats, surging costs, and a weakened global competitive edge. POWER examines the dysfunction and what it will actually take to future-proof […]

  • How Advanced Data Science Drives Value to Capital Programs

    As businesses wait for artificial intelligence to mature, there is an opportunity to start implementing the data and functionality that is readily available now. Planning and delivering a complex, multi-billion dollar capital project creates a trove of actionable data and insights, if teams are able to manipulate the data to reveal these insights. The detail […]

  • Implementing Decentralization: A Strategic Roadmap for Utilities

    As traditional utilities embrace decentralization, the journey requires more than just adopting new field technologies. According to McKinsey’s Global Energy Perspective 2024 report, the global energy transition is entering a new phase of rising costs, complexity, and increased technology challenges. This transition requires not only technological solutions, but also a comprehensive strategy. McKinsey notes that significant […]

  • Marnie Surfaceblow: The Underperforming Air-Cooled Condenser Mystery

    Maya and Marnie troubleshoot air-cooled condenser performance issues at a New Mexico power plant. Bad sensor data contributes to poor decisions, making the problem more complex. “Air-cooled condensers [ACCs]

  • The SMR Gamble: Betting on Nuclear to Fuel the Data Center Boom

    Data center power demand is accelerating, pushing the grid to its limits and prompting tech giants to bet on next-generation nuclear reactors. But given steep costs, regulatory hurdles, and uncertain

  • Constellation Races to Revive Crane Nuclear Plant Amid Tight Timelines, Market Shifts

    Constellation Energy’s ambitious plan to restart the Three Mile Island Unit 1 as the Crane Clean Energy Center (CEC) is proceeding ahead of schedule, shooting for a 2028 start date, despite a new report that suggests Microsoft may be re-evaluating its data center strategy. Just five months after Constellation announced a landmark 20-year power purchase […]

  • The Evolving State of Power Plant O&M

    As power plants confront aging infrastructure, surging demand, and the sweeping changes of rapid electrification, operations and maintenance (O&M) are being redefined to tackle unprecedented challenges and

  • O&M Innovation in the Power Sector: The Latest Tools Redefining Asset Optimization

    As the power sector grapples with aging infrastructure, stricter sustainability mandates, and the rapid integration of renewables, innovation in operations and maintenance (O&M) has become critical to

  • PSEG Program Unlocks Neurodivergent Talent, Transforms Business and Lives

    What does it mean to be neurodivergent? The term basically applies to people whose brains work in an atypical fashion. It was coined in the 1990s to counter stigma against people with autism, ADHD

  • POWER Magazine February 2025 Operations and Maintenance Special Report Preview

    POWER is the one brand that addresses all electric power generation and related technologies and fuels across North America and around the world, providing insight into this increasingly complex industry. Established in 1882, it is dedicated to providing its global audience with exclusive analysis of the latest trends, best practices, and power generation and related […]

  • Creating a Successful Utility Workforce Succession Plan

    Succession planning is a priority in the utility industry as an aging workforce, changing technologies, and turnover reshape the sector. The utility sector faces unique challenges, striving for seamless

  • BP Cutting Thousands of Jobs in Effort to Reduce Costs

    UK energy giant BP said it will cut more than 5% of its global workforce, as the company continues a plan to reduce costs as it transitions to more operations outside of its oil and gas business. The London-based multinational group on Jan. 16 said it would lay off about 4,700 workers, and also cut […]

  • Best Practices for Building Tomorrow’s Power Leaders During Record Growth

    After several years of relatively steady demand, U.S. electricity demand is now surging, driven by various factors, including commercial sector growth, the urgent development or expansion of data centers, and the adoption of new power-hungry artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. As the U.S. Energy Information Administration recently announced, the country’s power consumption will reach record highs […]

  • The Critical Role Engineers and STEM Educators Play in Addressing Climate Change Challenges

    Even with the end of hurricane season, America was once again reminded of the tragic and devastating impact that extreme weather and hurricanes can have on our communities. This hurricane season brought

  • Norway’s Equinor Cuts 20% of Renewable Energy Staff

    European energy major Equinor said it is cutting 20% of the workforce, or about 250 jobs, in its renewable energy division due to continued economic challenges. The Norway-based company said the layoffs are part of the company’s effort to streamline its operations. Equinor in recent months has canceled offshore wind projects in several countries, including […]