Today’s employer advice is from Trevor Norton, HR Operations Supervisor at Clearway Energy Group.
Q: Tell us about your organization.
Clearway Energy Group is leading the transition to a world powered by clean energy. Along with our public affiliate Clearway Energy, Inc., we own and operate over 7.5 gigawatts of renewable and conventional energy assets across the country. As we develop a nationwide pipeline of new renewable energy projects for the future, Clearway’s 5 gigawatts of wind, solar, and energy storage assets offset the equivalent of nearly 8.8 million metric tons of carbon emissions for our customers today. Clearway Energy Group is headquartered in San Francisco, CA with offices in Carlsbad, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Houston, TX; and Princeton, NJ. For more information, visit clearwayenergygroup.com.
Clearway Energy, Inc. is a leading publicly-traded energy infrastructure investor focused on modern, sustainable and long-term contracted assets across North America. Clearway Energy’s environmentally-sound asset portfolio includes over 7,000 megawatts of wind, solar and natural gas-fired power generation facilities, as well as district energy systems. Through this diversified and contracted portfolio, Clearway Energy endeavors to provide its investors with stable and growing dividend income. Clearway Energy’s Class C and Class A common stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols CWEN and CWEN.A, respectively. Clearway Energy, Inc. is sponsored by its controlling investor, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an independent infrastructure fund manager that invests in infrastructure and businesses in both OECD and select emerging market countries, through GIP’s portfolio company, Clearway Energy Group. For more information, visit clearwayenergy.com.
Q: What advice would you give to people in midlife who want to transition to a green job?
The renewables industry is growing rapidly with jobs in several disciplines—all one needs to do is take the step and apply. For corporate individuals, there are several roles in Accounting, Finance, Sales, and more; people just have to be willing to dive into a new but exciting industry. Energy experience is the most transferrable, but other industries such as construction and real estate also provide transferrable skills. For skilled individuals in the fleet, most green companies have a baseline entry-level role that gives people the opportunity who want to transition into the industry a chance to do so—such as an entry-level Solar or Wind technician. Many companies also have apprenticeships and internship programs to give professionals experience within renewables and green energy. The biggest hurdle is taking the step to apply and make the transition. Further, most renewable companies want people who are passionate about green energy. An Accountant can work for a variety of companies—but an accountant who is passionate about clean energy is a big win. Show companies that you’re excited about the possibility of a career in green energy.
Q: What are the skills that you believe will be required most in the short-medium term in your industry?
In the short-medium term, the skills that are required most in our industry are within the amazing operating fleets. Renewable energy projects are being developed all over the country, with several new jobs added with each project. The need for skilled workers to operate and maintain the fleet and support the safe and reliable operations and generation of clean power is essential. However, this industry is still newer, and there’s not a pool of talent where a ton of individuals have worked in clean energy for 40+ years. Individuals with the skillsets to safely maintain and operate renewable power plants will be critical. Further, the ability to think outside the box and innovate is critical for all roles, but especially corporate and strategic roles. There are new developments and ideas in this industry that require adaptation and dynamic professionals to support growth all the time—such as the growth of energy storage. Professionals that can think creatively and adapt as this industry continues to develop are essential to the continued success of the renewables industry.