Shaping the Future: Workforce Strategies for Tomorrow’s Energy Needs
As the Tennessee Valley’s energy landscape evolves, local power companies (LPCs) face growing challenges that require forward-thinking strategies — especially when it comes to workforce planning. The rise of distributed energy resources (DERs); continued economic growth; the energy demands of electrification, Evs and new industry like AI data centers; along with the grid modernization goals outlined in TVA’s Valley Vision initiative — focused on sustainability, innovation and reliability — are reshaping the way your companies view future operations.
To stay ahead, LPCs must consider not only backfilling existing roles but also hiring for future positions that will help integrate new technologies, manage a more complex grid and meet the Valley’s ambitious energy goals. Planning now for the workforce of tomorrow is essential to ensure your business remains resilient and adaptable in the face of change.
At Winchester Utility System, a municipal power company serving nearly 7,000 consumers in Tennessee, preparations for implementing an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system have Human Resources Manager Jeff Mathews thinking deeply about the impacts on hiring that new technologies are bringing to this industry. “We’re a short few months away from an AMI rollout,” said Mathews. “We’re in the process of identifying what various skills that encompasses, what the ideal AMI specialist might look like and comparing that to our internal competencies. This is a unique position that will utilize both hard skills in data literacy, software and metering, and also soft skills like troubleshooting, problem-solving and interpersonal skills to collaborate with their peers.” That sense of responsibility for getting the right person in that role extends throughout the organization for Mathews and Winchester General Manager George Powell.
Powell noted some of the challenges facing LPCs as they try to find the right employees: “Grid modernization will require a much heavier emphasis on engineering, software integration and data analysis to cultivate the efficiency and operational opportunities a smart grid would offer. Renewable energy initiatives have already been reshaping the generation portfolio, so as we shift farther away from fossil fuels and [increase] the presence of solar, hydro and other renewables, it shifts the demand for subject matter experts who can maximize the benefits that renewables offer. With some of the more common renewables such as solar and wind being intermittent sources, there is also increased demand for more innovation in energy storage.”
Mathews agreed, saying, “Emerging technologies and the skills that will be needed to implement TVA’s Valley Vision have turned the recruiting and training world upside down. It used to be that the only important thing to have was some guys [who] could keep the lights on. While that is critical and still the heart of what we do, looking forward, the utility world will also be relying heavily on engineering, data analytics, and IT professionals.”
But the impact on hiring won’t stop at technical positions, he said. “At the same time, other staff like customer service, billing and HR will need to be trained up enough on these things to make their own contributions or, at a bare minimum, be able to speak the language.”
Volunteer Electric Cooperative (VEC) CEO Dion Cooper believes the industry has reached a tipping point regarding the need to understand and implement new technologies. “I believe we have largely already aged out employees [who] simply will not embrace new technology at all. Looking at our [linemen] for example, virtually all of them use technology daily to perform their work.”
From diversifying skill sets among existing employees to working with schools at all levels, Cooper believes LPCs need to be focused on driving creative workforce development strategies to stay ahead of the rapid technological advancements needed to support the growing demand for energy. “We are seeing more situations where we may hire folks with technical aptitude and technology skills that are not specific to our industry and we train them up on the electric side. We also have an opportunity to partner with our technical schools, universities and even our high schools to engage students earlier in the process. We need to help schools develop programs that can shape talent for the electric power space and drive interest in this industry.”
At Winchester, a longtime partnership with local schools has included hosting career days, job fairs and facility tours. Now, said Mathews, the company’s educational outreach is expanding. “Currently, we are exploring other ways to recruit and acquire new skills, such as work-based learning opportunities, internships and other ways of partnering with area colleges and universities.”
Mathews noted that while historically their rural utility hasn’t needed to focus as heavily on workforce development and recruitment, there’s growing concern about the future. As the demand for specialized skills rises, particularly in skilled positions, their smaller applicant pool could face additional strain. “The domino effect of that,” Mathews explained, “is the increased importance of not only recruiting for specialized positions but also retaining that expertise.” This highlights the critical role that a well-rounded employee lifecycle and a competitive total compensation package will play in attracting and keeping the talent needed to meet these emerging demands.
Butch Massey, Vice President of Engineering and Operations of Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (WRECC) in Bowling Green, Ky., also supports the idea that LPCs need to partner with school systems and educational institutions as part of their workforce development strategies. “Working with training organizations and school systems to ensure the training offered meets real-world demand is and will continue to be a critical workforce development strategy,” Massey said.
He also believes LPCs will need a greater reliance on data analysts, pointing to TVA’s Valley Vision strategies, including increased reliance on DERs for load management and grid modernization. These efforts, he noted, will require more focus on processing and utilizing collected data, leading to growth in data analysis, IT and possibly AI-focused roles. “With increasing levels of data available, positions dedicated to analyzing trends will be crucial in informing engineering activities.
” Another important trait LPCs should seek in new hires and encourage in their current employees noted by Massey is adaptability. Along with the soft skills Mathews highlighted, Massey said, “Adaptability will be a crucial skill for tomorrow’s utility worker. As we recruit and hire those employees, pre-hire personality testing will become increasingly important.”
VEC’s Cooper also placed importance on keeping current staff engaged in their growth, saying, “We lean heavily on our trade associations like TVPPA, TECA and NRECA to ensure our employees are prepared for the future.”
As the energy landscape continues to evolve, local power companies must adapt their workforce strategies to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Whether it’s integrating new technologies or ensuring long-term reliability, these companies must balance current operational needs with future demands.
Cooper pointed out that while it’s crucial for LPCs to keep an eye toward the need to increase a focus on the technologies that will enhance the ability to meet future energy demands, it can’t be at the expense of serving today’s customers. “We don’t bring on new technologies for technology’s sake; there must be a cost benefit or reliability benefit or service benefit for our members."
WRECC’s Massey shared a similar sentiment, saying, “Our core mission is to provide safe, reliable electricity to our members. Any innovations we adopt must enhance our ability to fulfill that promise to our members.”
For Winchester’s Powell, striking the balance between current system needs and the myriad challenges facing LPCs comes down to one thing: careful strategic planning. “You first need to identify an objective and how to get there. During that process, you factor in how you’re allocating budget, time, resources, headcount, etc., to make sure you are checking all the boxes: research, human capital investments, risk management, testing, retesting and generally looking at the project holistically and objectively to poke holes in it before it goes out to the world. Prioritize the needs and give yourself some landmarks to plan around.”
TVPPA: YOUR PARTNER IN PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
TVPPA’s Education & Training (E&T) department stands ready to assist with ensuring your team has the edge when it comes to developing the skills needed to tackle the challenges associated with grid modernization and growing consumer demands. Caleb Hall, TVPPA Director, Education & Training said, “Developing the next generation of leaders will continue to be crucial for all members as Generation X and millennials transition into leadership positions. Members may need to acquire technical expertise in solar, energy storage solutions and Evs to fully leverage the flexibility provided by their long-term partnership agreements. As members shift from the construction phase to the maintenance phase of their fiber rollouts, technical training for fiber technicians will become increasingly important.
” In 2025, our E&T department will be rolling out new programs and expanding others, including:
• Fiber construction
• Executive assistant certification
• Certified power engineer
• Advanced certified power engineer
For information on these and any other programs, please reach out to training@tvppa.com.