The U.S. hydropower industry faces an oncoming wave of retirements, and a new, diverse workforce is critical to the industry’s ability to sustain operations and grow to support a carbon-free power grid by 2035 and a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050, according to a new report.
In addition, more hydropower-focused educational and training opportunities are needed to address recruitment and hiring challenges.
U.S. Hydropower Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), analyzes these and other workforce trends and needs based on data collected by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Hydropower Foundation.
