5 Things All Green Job Seekers Must Know
Posted August 1st, 2018
When commentators talk about green energy and the future of sustainability efforts, they are often foolishly optimistic, or inaccurately pessimistic. The truth of the situation lies somewhere in the middle. Our green future is promising, but there will be lots of setbacks and obstacles along the way.
For green job seekers, the conflicting characterization presented in the media can create frustration and confusion. Renewable power sources will either create the next generation of energy millionaires, or lead to a widespread bust like so many past gold rushes. Again, the reality lies somewhere in the middle. In order to help cut through the spin and conjecture, we have put together this list of five facts green job seekers must know.
Renewable Energy is a Significant Part of the Power Supply
When you combine all the country’s renewable energy sources, they contribute around 12 percent of the nation’s total power supply – a significant number considering the size of our power needs. Our capacity for wind generation alone is greater than Australia’s generation capacity from all sources combined. This number is substantial and growing quickly.
Renewable Energy Can’t Replace Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels will be a part of the power supply for long into the future, no matter how fast we advance. Even the most optimistic scenarios project that by 2050 fossil fuels will still account for 20 percent of the power supply. Most experts believe that number will be much higher.
Renewable Energy is Not Doomed by Variability
Pessimists often point out that when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining, wind and solar don’t produce power. But as these technologies have improved, become interconnected, and expanded in scope, the issue of variability has become largely irrelevant.
Renewable Energy is Cost Effective
The price of renewable energy is is only slightly more expensive than dirty sources, and it is falling fast. Coal-fired power plants produce a kilowatt-hour of electricity for around three cents. Wind costs around four cents, and is as little as two cents in some areas. Costs for building small-scale solar arrays fell 13 percent in just one year, highlighting the improvements in efficiency and productivity that are helping make renewable sources economically viable.
Renewable Energy Creates Less Jobs than Expected
We have heard for years that a wave of green jobs is coming down the pipeline, but the numbers simply don’t bear this out. Employment in the wind and solar sector is roughly equivalent to what it was in 2008, despite huge growth in power generation. The Bureau of Labor statistics reported that the U.S. had 3.4 million green jobs in 2013, but many of the jobs included – school bus driver, petroleum engineer – are green in only a tangential way. That wave may still be on the way, especially as the renewable/fossil fuel balance starts to tilt significantly, but it hasn’t arrived yet.
If you are currently working in a green sector, or thinking of starting a new career, it’s appropriate to be optimistic but important to be realistic, too. There are jobs to be had, and the number will grow, but this is not the guaranteed path to success that some have forecasted. Rely on the team at Bayside Solutions to help you find current vacancies and angle your career towards the opportunities of the future.
