The signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained more than $60 billion (USD) toward the energy sector. The projects and initiatives cover the gamut of issues including: electric smart grid, renewable energy, carbon capture experiments, electric vehicle technologies, state and local governments’ increase of energy efficiency in federal buildings, energy efficiency research, and, most importantly, millions earmarked for training “green-collar workers.” Energy managers and energy engineers have been leading the green charge for decades. These professionals have saved their businesses, both large and small, billions in energy savings and have made their facilities/buildings more “green” in the process.

Workforce Training Act

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries offer workers new opportunities that may require additional training and certification. AEE has seen an increase in the number of people interested in the Certified Energy Manager and Certified Energy Auditor programs as these designations are required or highly recommended when performing projects or soliciting job bids. According to Albert Thumann, CEM, PE, Executive Director of AEE, “I am getting calls every day from members who want to elevate their position within their current employer and others who want to see what training avenues they need to take to gain employment in the energy/sustainable arena.”

Through the Recovery Act, a number of federal programs will receive large investments in programs and projects that could create green jobs. These include investments in renewable energy infrastructure, energy-efficient home retrofitting, bio-fuel development, and advanced drive train and vehicle development and manufacturing. The green job movement will also further build upon existing disciplines such as power plant operators; electrical engineers; heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) mechanics and installers; and roofers and construction managers. Other occupations that have the potential for significant change and growth include wind turbine engineers, solar power plant operators and wind turbine service technicians.

Green Jobs Survey & Report

The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), a non-profit professional organization of more than 10,000 members in 71 countries, was founded during the energy crisis of the 1970s. AEE recently commissioned a detailed surveyed to its members on the state of the energy industry, trends and potential for energy efficiency and green jobs. The 2009 Green Jobs: Survey of the Energy Indusrty is a comprehensive look into the mindset of active professionals and their view of the industry’s future. The results represented are based on 978 responses and are outlined in this report.

One of the glaring statics that jumps out is that there will be a heightened shortage of qualified professionals in the energy efficiency and renewable energy fields during the next five years. This is in part due to the number of experienced professionals retiring. Section five of the report lists a variety of job titles that professionals may research to see if they would be interested in pursuing these occupational opportunities within their own firms or if they are transitioning from another industry find out what jobs are expected to be in the hot growth sector. A second part of the survey, 2009 Energy Independence and Market Trends, can also be found on AEE’s website, www.aeecenter.org.