The wind energy industry in the United States is poised for significant growth in the coming decades, both on land and offshore. However, a recent report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) highlights a looming challenge: the shortage of properly trained workers to meet the increasing demand.
According to the NREL report titled “National Wind Workforce Assessment: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Needs,” commissioned by the US Department of Energy's Wind Energy Technologies Office, the demand for wind energy workers could surge to 258,000 by 2030. However, the supply of full-time workers may only reach 134,000, leaving a shortfall of approximately 124,000 skilled workers.
Jeremy Stefek, an NREL researcher and co-author of the report, emphasized the importance of addressing this workforce gap as the nation strives for a 100% net-zero-carbon economy by 2050. Stefek and his team developed a new system dynamics model, a mathematical tool to quantify the gap between supply and demand in the wind energy workforce, marking the first time such a model has been employed for this purpose.
The report integrates insights from a survey of wind energy stakeholders, including students, industry companies, employees, and education and training programs. Key challenges identified include a lack of experienced applicants, insufficient job applicants, and geographic mismatches between job openings and candidate preferences.
Despite these challenges, the report outlines strategies to close the workforce gap. Recommendations include raising awareness of wind energy career opportunities among students, expanding training programs and internships, fostering connections between industry and future workers, and promoting inclusivity and diversity within the sector.
Stefek emphasized the need for concerted efforts to bolster education and training while improving perceptions of wind energy careers among students. Complementary presentations tailored to different stakeholders aim to facilitate dialogue and action towards narrowing the workforce gap.
