Utilities Risk Losing Skilled Workers to Tech as AI Demand Surges
Utilities are losing skilled engineers and technicians to tech companies racing to build AI infrastructure, and the sector’s response so far has been inadequate, according to an opinion piece in Utility Dive by Stefan Hirniak, president of Specialist Staffing Group US. Hirniak argues that as data center electricity demand climbs toward a projected 426 TWh by 2030, utilities are competing directly with hyperscale tech firms for the same transmission engineers, protection engineers, relay technicians and project managers needed to expand and modernize the grid. He warns that up to $1.4 trillion in U.S. STEM-related economic output could be at risk over the next decade if the talent pipeline doesn’t keep pace, and notes nearly half of U.S. engineers are now 50 or older, widening a looming knowledge gap. Smaller and rural utilities face the steepest climb, often lacking the resources to compete for specialized talent against better-funded rivals.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Firms staffing transmission engineers, protection engineers, relay technicians, and project managers should expect intensified bidding wars for the same workers utilities and tech/data center developers are now chasing, particularly on substation and transmission-upgrade packages.
- With nearly half of U.S. engineers aged 50-plus, subcontractors relying on senior field leads should build mentorship and knowledge-transfer programs now, not after retirements hit project schedules.
- Smaller and rural utility clients may increasingly turn to local trade schools, community colleges, and apprenticeship partnerships rather than open hiring markets, an opening for subcontractors that build direct pipelines with regional workforce programs instead of competing purely on recruiting spend.
