workforce

  • Minimizing Talent Risk Critical to Success of Cleantech 2.0

    “Deploy, deploy, deploy” is a mantra coined by Jigar Shah that’s gaining momentum as the climate tech and energy industries seek to scale their operations to meet the 2030 net-zero goals. With this Decade of Action in full swing, the urgency to implement carbon reductions in corporate and government operations is (finally) palpable and intensifying. […]

  • Help Wanted: Retirements and the Energy Transition Lead to Job Openings in the Power Industry

    It seems like industry insiders have been lamenting the aging power workforce for decades. Yet, there is still a large percentage of workers in the current workforce that are retirement eligible—some studies suggest the percentage is as high as 40%. Meanwhile, the energy transition has created a large number of new jobs building and operating […]

  • Power Industry Jobs Outlook and How to Find the Best Talent

    The number of power plant operator jobs is shrinking, but paradoxically, the number of job openings in the field is growing. Managers have their hands full finding and retaining the people they need. In this

  • Engineering the Next Generation

    Improving processes and unlocking future innovations relies on new ideas. Many of the engineers of tomorrow who will deliver these breakthroughs are currently learning their craft at universities around the

  • Carhartt Empowers Women in the Skilled Trades with Call for Spring 2023 “For the Love of Labor” Grant Applications

    Applications for bi-annual grant program are open through Feb. 17 as brand champions opportunities for the next generation of America’s diverse workforce Dearborn, Mich., Jan. 30, 2023 –The U.S. workforce has weathered major challenges in recent years, as the pandemic amplified the demand for skilled labor. Despite skilled labor shortages across myriad industries, women’s share […]

  • Grid Infrastructure and Renewable Energy Projects Thrive, Workforce and Supply Chain Issues Continue in 2023

    The Inflation Reduction Act will spur growth in clean energy and upgrades to grid infrastructure, but workforce shortages and supply chain constraints are likely to challenge power companies for at least the

  • Three Ways Power Companies Should Plan Ahead to Integrate, Activate, and Retain Top Talent

    Workforce issues are top of mind at many power companies. As workers become harder and harder to find, it’s important for leaders to implement proven strategies for recruiting and inspiring qualified team

  • Cybersecurity Requires Understanding Humans as Much as Technology—Here’s How

    Even more than technology and processes, power and utilities leaders must focus on that most timeless of resources—people—to be successful against a landscape of ever-evolving cybersecurity threats. Users

  • The Next Step for Utilities in Workforce Transformation

    Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida in late September last year, was a devastating storm and a harsh reminder of the impact of Mother Nature’s wrath. Unfortunately, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and powerful, and our aging grid is struggling to keep up. COMMENTARY Sanibel Island on Florida’s west coast, for example, lost power […]

  • How to Continue the Solar Jobs Success Story

    Solar power has transformed the energy landscape over the past decade, growing from a minimal percentage of U.S. energy use to become the top source of new electric generating capacity for three years in a

  • 2022 Experience POWER, Distributed Energy Conference, and HydrogeNext Show Preview

    Again, this year, Experience POWER will be co-located with the Distributed Energy Conference (DEC) and HydrogeNext, giving attendees the opportunity to learn from and network with trailblazers from the power industry, who are leading the way in the world’s energy transition. These three events cover the full energy value chain for the power industry, delivering […]

  • Common Mobility Tax Mistakes in the Energy Sector and How to Avoid Them

    As international travel picks up, energy corporations are turning to mobile employees to fulfill their international staffing needs. However, as mobile work gains steam, tax and compliance risks continue to grow as well—unbeknownst to most corporate leaders. Many businesses, unfortunately, are failing to set up an adequate plan to protect against tax violations in the […]

  • Ferris State University’s Construction Management Program Expands Its MEP Courses

    The Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) trades make up a significant portion of a construction project’s budget, and MEP scope continues to grow in complexity and size as we get further into the 21st century. Depending on the type of project, the MEP scope can account for upwards of a third of an overall project’s […]

  • Leveraging Digital Confined Space Technologies to Mitigate the Growing Labor Shortage

    It’s becoming harder and harder for managers to find the skilled labor needed to operate and maintain power plants. That’s why utilizing technology to enhance safety and efficiency is so important. Digital

  • Addressing the Challenges Presented by a Retiring Utility Workforce

    POWER magazine has always held a special place in my heart. After my father left the Navy, he became a power engineer and a loyal subscriber to the magazine. As a kid, I remember stacks of the publication all over the house. At the high point my father had hundreds of issues amassed over decades. […]

  • Power Industry People: Finding Top Talent in the Military

    Last month, POWER published an article written by Senior Associate Editor Darrell Proctor that detailed the challenges power companies have been facing when trying to attract high-quality recruits in the increasingly competitive labor market for engineers and other workers with technical backgrounds (see “Groups Grapple with Labor Logistics as Energy Evolves” in the February 2022 […]

  • Groups Grapple with Labor Logistics as Energy Evolves

    The continuing transition in the power generation sector means workers need new skills. The challenge for utilities and other power producers is finding the top talent at a time the labor pool is shallow

  • Four Key Allies for Keeping Powerhouses in Top Condition

    Today, power generators often don’t have the same in-house capabilities that they did in years past. Therefore, managing operations and maintenance at many facilities has become more difficult. Here are some

  • Why CFOs Must Demand Digital Transformation from Their Teams

    The last two years have had a profound effect on businesses in all industries, including power generation. Looking into the future, it’s evident that even more change is on the horizon. To accommodate these changes, one thing has become clear within the realm of finance: Digital transformation is no longer optional. Instead, it’s a necessary […]

  • Power Sector Risks Loom Large Over the Energy Transition

    The fog of uncertainty that hangs over the global power industry is getting larger and denser as generating companies and utilities navigate ever more complex challenges.

  • Forces of Nature Demand Better Workforce Management

    Entergy, the largest utility in Louisiana, was faced with the massive task of repairing some 30,000 poles, 36,000 spans of wire, and 6,000 transformers that were damaged when Hurricane Ida hit the state in

  • Top 10 Power Industry News Stories of 2021

    It’s been another news-filled year in the power industry. The following stories were the top 10 traffic-getters posted in 2021 on POWER’s website. Did you see them all as they were released? 10. Mitsubishi Power Developing 100% Ammonia-Capable Gas Turbine Mitsubishi Power is developing a 40-MW class gas turbine that can directly combust 100% ammonia […]

  • Greenlee® Partners on Tool Ergonomics Study with Knoxville Utilities Board

    Emerson’s Greenlee team facilitated the field study designed to further enhance worker safety ROCKFORD, Ill. (November 30, 2021) – Greenlee, part of Emerson’s professional tools portfolio, is helping municipal utility workers in Knoxville, Tenn. learn how they can benefit from ergonomic health and safety on the job. Greenlee, an industry leader in tools with applied […]

  • Trust in Utilities at All-Time High; How Can Companies Capitalize?

    We cannot begin to count the number of unsung heroes that have come out of this pandemic. From frontline healthcare workers to grocery store clerks, package carriers, manufacturers, and all the other essential workers who stayed on the job, often at the risk of their own health, to enable our lives to go on with […]

  • Addressing a Skilled-Trades Gap in the Energy Sector—and How to Ease the Transition

    Increasing demands on the energy sector are driving a handful of serious workforce challenges. One of the most concerning is an aging workforce with high levels of retirement, colliding with a shortage of skilled workers to fill the gaps. Case in point—the average age of U.S. utility workers is more than 50 years old, several […]

  • Energy Transition Outlook

    As the energy sector transforms and innovates into a decarbonized, digitalized industry, it is crucial that talent pools are available with the right balance of skills and experience to deliver the projects and operations needed for a brighter tomorrow. NES Fircroft, a staffing company dedicated to providing the skilled engineers and technical workforce needed to […]

  • Ingenuity Boosts Efficiency at Colombian Gas Power Plant

    The 1993-built 610-MW Prime Termoflores gas plant in Barranquilla, Colombia, set out to boost its efficiency and ramp up performance to provide reliable backup to the region’s volatile, hydro-reliant power

  • A Life Worth Living

    I think it’s fairly common for people to reflect on the meaning of life from time to time. Often, those thoughts arise following the death of a loved one or the passing of some particularly influential person. Recently, POWER received an obituary for Ronald Stanley Redfield. Mr. Redfield was said to have been a lifelong […]

  • Career Tips for Women in Power

    The energy industry is booming, and it’s likely to stay that way as it evolves over the coming decades. This is good news for women, who make up a small percentage of workers in the sector: That means there’s plenty of room for growth. As of 2019, women filled just 6% of executive seats on […]

  • S&C Electric Company Increases Minimum Wage for U.S. Production Team Members; Now 20 Percent Above Chicago Minimum

    Company to offer $18-an-hour minimum starting wage for U.S.-based employees CHICAGO, July 15, 2021 – S&C Electric Company, Chicago’s second-largest manufacturer and a leading technology grid innovator improving power reliability and delivery worldwide, announced this week it is increasing the minimum hourly wage for U.S.-based employees to $18 per hour. In addition to the new […]