workforce
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O&M
Managing Multiple Generations Across a Smooth-Running Fleet
Power generators have always had to make afetyome changes as each new generation enters the sector, but today’s new workers are bringing with them attitudes and skills that challenge traditional plant management, for good and ill. Here’s what some companies and plants are doing to make the best use of younger workers while getting them […]
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Commentary
Power Work Shifts
For most of the history of the power industry, utility jobs were secure and long-tenured. Though they continue to offer greater stability than many other comparably paid jobs, forces on both sides of the
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History
New Thinking on Old Safety Issues
Human workers are imperfect, which is why there’s no magic bullet that will give you a safe workplace. But new research on human behavior and how that translates into safety attitudes is helping some in the power industry get beyond the traditional platitudes. Safety first. Safety is no accident. Be aware—Take care. Those and others […]
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O&M
Training the Next Generation of Electric Utility Workers
New worker training has traditionally meant classroom instruction and wading through a big pile of printed materials. But videos can offer deeper and more rapid understanding of critical issues, especially for younger generations. The Electric Power Research Institute has developed a series of videos to help power plants train new workers more effectively. Inexperienced new […]
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Legal & Regulatory
THE BIG PICTURE 2015: The Year in Power Sector Infographics
POWER‘s monthly infographic sheds light on power sector trends globally, and in 2015, it highlighted changes in plant retirements, sector revenues, rule costs, workforce, emissions technologies, and electricity costs, among other subjects. January 2015: Baseload Retirements How coal plant retirements compare with retirements of other baseload generation sources. February 2015: Power Revenues How revenues for fossil power […]
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Renewables
NERC: Unprecedented Changes to Power Mix, EPA Rules Pose Reliability Challenges
North America’s reserve margins are trending downward, even though electricity demand has generally fallen, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) warned in a new report. The international regulatory authority established to gauge and improve the reliability of North America’s bulk power system (BPS) said in its annual long-term report that electricity demand has dropped […]
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Renewables
Broad Energy Policy Modernization Bill Clears Senate ENR Committee
Broad, bipartisan energy legislation that would allocate federal funding to grid technology research and demonstration along with a number of other initiatives, including cybersecurity and the energy-water nexus, has cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with an 18–4 vote. The committee’s chair, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Ranking Member Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) […]
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HR
EPCE: An Extra Tool for Workforce Development
If you work for a power generator or utility, chances are good that your company has concerns about filling open positions with qualified people. Though many utilities work closely with local community colleges, that approach often is not enough, and that’s where the Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE) can help. This year for the […]
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Renewables
The EEI’s Campaign for Electric Utility Industry Supremacy
At the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) annual meeting this week in Las Vegas, the tone was one of collaboration with partners from Washington to distributed generation companies. Those partnerships will be needed as the investor-owned utility (IOU) industry fights not so much a war on coal as a war for mindshare and wallet share in […]
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HR
Museum Exhibit Offers Energy Education for Future Engineers
A new power grid exhibit opens June 7 at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, N.C. Kid Grid—sponsored by ABB—will introduce children to electricity and power grid technology through hands-on play. Utilities have a vested interest in maintaining an educated workforce and breaking through traditional gender stereotypes. Studies have shown that the U.S. is lagging behind […]
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