This coming week at our 5th Annual Green Jobs Forum, Spencer Schecht, co-owner of Green Drinks DC, will be running a workshop entitled “Fear is Your Copilot: Networking in Washington DC”.
We wanted to take the time to catch up with Spencer and hear about his experience as an early-career climate and energy professional in the DC area, and his tips and suggestions for clean energy jobseekers.
Electricity markets are complex compared to other markets such as transportation and physical commodities markets, as supply and demand are required to be matched in real time. In addition to this, mismatches in electricity load scheduling can lead to serious consequences such as blackouts. Due to its high social importance, in many countries, the electricity sector was previously owned and operated by state agencies. This has however changed, and many countries have restructured and deregulated their electricity markets. Regulated and deregulated electricity markets have their pros and cons in terms of consumer price, efficiency and environmental impacts. In this article, the case of United States is examined to compare the renewable integration strategies in these two different types of electricity markets. In the United States, the Northeast, Midwest, Texas and California have deregulated market structures while other parts have regulated markets. Currently, 24 states have a deregulated generation sector and 18 of them have deregulation at retail level also.
Leaders in Energy will be holding its 5th annual Green Jobs Forum on the topic of “Growing a Regional Clean Economy” at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) on August 16th, from 5-9 pm. Pizza and beverages will be served.
As the demand for renewable energy continues to increase, the industry is looking to recruit high-caliber candidates to drive green energy business forward. For example, according to the “2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Report” published by the U.S. Department of Energy,the solar workforce increased by 25% in 2016, while wind employment increased by 32%. “Now Hiring: The Growth of America’s Clean Energy & Sustainability Jobs”, by the Environmental Defense Fund provides examples of jobs spanning energy efficiency and renewable energy, waste reduction, natural resources conservation and environmental education.
Individuals looking to enter these professions in the clean energy and sustainability sectors need to demonstrate competency in communication, an active interest in green energy, and a natural aptitude for all things technical. For those hoping to pursue leadership roles, an energy leader should be able to manage geographically diverse teams, coordinate complex technical projects and possess the ability to identify and run with new ideas.
In my previous post I introduced the concept of Community Choice Energy (CCE) business model and how cities and local governments in California are gaining momentum in leading the way towards sustainable energy transition at the local level.
There is definitely an interesting situation. Contrary to what the federal government is doing, California is moving forward with an increasing amount of renewable energy added to its portfolio standard, and doubling its energy efficiency goals. According to data collected by Bloomberg, a significant part of the U.S. growth can be tracked to California laws promoting clean energy. Indeed, ‘California clean energy companies reported annual revenue growth of 26 percent and they turned more revenue into profit with an average gross margin of 46 percent’.
In this suitable window, CCE model is gaining momentum by creating a domino effect. With eight operational CCEs, eight emerging CCEs, and more than twenty cities and counties currently exploring this opportunity, the CCE model is booming all around California.
France is in the enviable position of having among the lowest energy costs in Europe, coupled with low carbon emissions--thanks to 58 nuclear plants that provide 75% of France’s total energy consumption. As a result of nuclear investment, France is currently the largest net-exporter of energy in the world, bringing in revenues estimated at 3 billion euros annually.
But the French nuclear plants were designed with an expected 40-year life-span, and their average age is now 35 years. And France, while using a high percentage of recycled nuclear fuel in power production, still faces the problem of how to handle waste products. Thus, the government faces a choice: invest in renewing the fleet of nuclear plants or invest in renewables—or support a mix of the two. Decommissioning old nuclear plants, building a new generation of plants, developing a system of renewables—all these options come with significant price tags.
On Friday, June 8th, Leaders in Energy held its inaugural Green Leaders for Local Impact Retreat at the Potomac Overlook Regional Park in Arlington, Virginia. The event was co-hosted by the Nature Leadership Center. The purpose of this retreat was to celebrate the World Environment Day (June 5th) and examine how the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) can be translated into local actions.
How does someone get a job in the solar energy industry? 90% of employers in the Mid-Atlantic area find it either somewhat or very difficult to hire qualified individuals, according to The Solar Foundation’s 2017 Solar Jobs Census. And solar jobs pay well; an installer job pays on average $20 an hour. So how do we bridge the gap between inexperience and jobs?
The answer – job training.
Leaders in Energy just reached an exciting new milestone, with over 3,100 members in the Leaders in Energy Research, Communications, Policies & Analysis group on LinkedIn--and growing!
When new milestones are reached, we like to highlight the diverse experiences and talents of our active members and of those new to our group. Our ever-expanding network features members from around the globe, as well as those local to the Washington, DC area. We wanted to catch up with Deborah Lenny, our 3,100th member, who kindly agreed to share with us a bit about her background and experience.
Over the last few years, the conversation has changed to not “if” but “when” the vehicle electrification revolution will occur. Many of the major automakers have recently announced strategies to focus on plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). Ford, realizing “an inflection point in the major markets toward battery electric vehicles”, created “Team Edison” dedicated on developing all-electric cars and plans to introduce 13 new battery electric vehicles by 2023. GM announced its commitment to an all-electric future and will offer at least 20 all-electric vehicle models by 2023. Volvo will have an electric motor in every car it sells beginning in 2019. Mercedes-Benz plans to offer each model in an electric version by 2022.
In March this year, I wrote about the how the Italian model could unlock the great energy efficiency potential in the country’s SMEs. While energy audits are mandatory for large companies, Italy requires them for certain SMEs as well.
New data presented in the Energy Efficiency Annual Report 2017 published by ENEA, the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Economic Development, confirms how the energy audits model continues to be successful in Italy. 2016 data reveals that 20% of the total energy audits received were performed by SMEs, and shows that potential savings between 0,8 Mtoe and 1,1 Mtoe could be achieved with a payback period equal or less then three to five years respectively.
What is the secret to this success? We already know that one of the keys is that the Italian model requires SMEs to undergo energy audits in case it is an energy consuming company, and mandatory implementations of the identified measures.
Leaders in Energy conducted a 5-session Green Career Momentum (GCM), from May 17-June 21, 2018, to help those seeking to land or create their dream green job. At each session, speakers in different sectors, e.g., clean energy, circular economy, natural resources, etc. provided their expertise for participants to learn about opportunities in the green economy. The sessions included interactive exercises to practice skills and opportunities for networking. Dr. Beth Offenbacker, Principle, Waterford Inc, and Director for Training and Development, Leaders in Energy, was the instructor.
This article provides highlights from the Green Career Momentum session titled “Getting in the Door: Executive Communications, Resumes, and Cover Letter.” Skills were practiced during the session on techniques to develop rapport for successful interviewing. The session took place virtually on May 31, 2018.