Power Engineering Talent Shortage Puts Progress at Risk
▼ Summary
– Rising electricity demand and renewable energy expansion are stressing power grids while a severe talent shortage threatens the energy sector’s ability to meet these challenges.
– The global power sector needs 450,000 to 1.5 million more engineers by 2030, with 40% of executives already reporting hiring difficulties due to competition and insufficient skills.
– Key causes of the shortage include retiring baby boomers, declining university enrollment in power engineering, and high turnover driven by burnout and more attractive tech fields.
– Companies are responding by increasing internships, using technology like augmented reality for training, and investing in upskilling programs to develop and retain talent.
– Without enough engineers, critical infrastructure upgrades, grid reliability, and the clean energy transition are at risk of delays, potentially leading to more service disruptions.
The global energy sector confronts a critical challenge as rising electricity demand from renewables expansion and data center growth collides with a severe shortage of qualified power engineers. This talent gap threatens to undermine grid modernization, delay clean energy integration, and compromise system reliability just as infrastructure needs intensify. A recent joint study by consulting firm Kearney and IEEE projects the global power sector will require between 450,000 and 1.5 million additional engineers by 2030 to properly build, implement, and operate essential energy infrastructure. Already, 40% of power executives report significant difficulty hiring skilled workers, pointing to intense talent competition and insufficient skills as primary obstacles.
This emerging workforce crisis carries serious implications for energy security and climate goals. Industry leaders warn that engineering shortages could postpone crucial infrastructure upgrades precisely when grids must evolve rapidly. More frequent service disruptions may occur as extreme weather tests aging equipment while electricity consumption continues climbing. Hiring bottlenecks also risk slowing timelines for clean-energy projects, transmission expansions, and nuclear facility maintenance, potentially jeopardizing both grid stability and decarbonization progress.
Multiple factors converge to create what industry observers term a “perfect storm” for talent shortages. Baby boomer retirements are accelerating while insufficient numbers of younger professionals enter the field, creating widening workforce gaps. Kevin Miller, chief technology officer for North America at software company IFS, notes utility companies face “a perfect storm of a labor crisis, with an aging workforce and lack of younger employees to replenish them.”
Workforce retention presents another major concern. Nearly half of all power engineers changed jobs, employers, or left the industry entirely over the past three years, with burnout and limited creative problem-solving opportunities cited as leading reasons. In the nuclear sector, where reliability demands are particularly stringent, turnover reaches 58%.
Educational pipelines show worrying signs of contraction. University enrollment in power engineering programs has stagnated as students increasingly gravitate toward high-tech fields like data science, software engineering, and artificial intelligence, often perceived as more exciting and financially rewarding. Even when companies successfully identify candidates, extended onboarding processes create further delays. Manual practices and lengthy training cycles prolong timelines, while errors require supervisors to divert attention from core operations.
Engineering firms employ various strategies to manage these workforce challenges. At Black & Veatch, among America’s largest engineering companies, early-career recruitment forms a cornerstone of staffing strategy. The organization converts 85-90% of interns into entry-level hires, with last summer’s conversion rate reaching 93%. Ryan Elbert, the firm’s executive vice president and global director of engineering and development services, explains they invest heavily in cultivating their talent pool, with interns and recent graduates comprising 10-15% of engineering teams.
Smaller firms face particularly acute pressures. With limited resources, they frequently compete directly with industry giants offering superior compensation and benefits. Heather Eason, CEO of Select Power Systems, describes how a junior engineer, hired directly from college and trained in substation design, was recruited by a competitor within six months for merely five dollars more per hour. “Money speaks,” Eason observes, especially for younger professionals.
The lengthy credentialing process for professional engineering licenses may further exacerbate talent shortages. Becoming a licensed professional engineer requires a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, completion of both Engineer-in-Training and Professional Engineering examinations, and four years of relevant work experience between tests. While these certifications aren’t mandatory for employment, they significantly enhance career advancement prospects. This demanding process can deter engineers from pursuing licensure, potentially limiting their professional development, particularly for women balancing career and family responsibilities. Eason acknowledges, “I never got my PE registration, and it has definitely limited me. I didn’t have the ability to just stop being a mom to four kids so I could study for six months for an 8-hour exam.”
Technology adoption offers one pathway to maximizing existing workforce capabilities. Some utilities deploy augmented reality tools enabling senior technicians to guide less experienced colleagues through real-time troubleshooting. Companies are also investing in upskilling initiatives like Power Academy, a utility worker training program operated by global engineering firm TRC Companies. Anna Campbell, director of technical services, notes rapidly growing demand from utilities and data centers for expertise in protection, controls, and substation engineering. “There simply isn’t enough talent to meet the need,” Campbell confirms.
Knowledge transfer receives increased emphasis as experienced engineers approach retirement. In the United Kingdom, Excitation & Engineering Services structures its graduate recruitment program to ensure young engineers work alongside seasoned professionals from their first day. “It shortens the learning curve but, most importantly, it passes on that knowledge from senior engineers while it’s still available,” explains EES director Ryan Kavanagh.
Educational partnerships aim to strengthen the talent pipeline. Programs like the education division of Bentley Systems provide university students with complimentary access to engineering software, online courses, and global competitions that prepare them for energy sector careers. “The more we can embed innovation deeper into education, the faster we can deliver on sustainable, resilient infrastructure projects,” says Chris Bradshaw, the infrastructure engineering software firm’s chief sustainability and education officer.
Looking forward, university initiatives encouraging engineering students to pursue energy sector careers, combined with technologies like generative AI and workplace cultural shifts, represent promising approaches to alleviating talent constraints. However, utilities and engineering firms face mounting pressure to address workforce gaps before project delays become unavoidable. As one study participant warns, “If the gap persists, the industry simply won’t be able to deliver on its potential. The strength of the energy workforce will go a long way in determining how competitive and reliable the power sector, and the economy it underpins, can be in the next decade.”
(Source: Spectrum IEEE)
