Is Green Energy the Future of the US Utilities Sector?

Although the take up of green energy sources has not been uniform in the United States, there can be little doubt that states like California have gone for more renewable energy production from sources like wind power in a big way.

Although the take up of green energy sources has not been uniform in the United States, there can be little doubt that states like California have gone for more renewable energy production from sources like wind power in a big way. Many countries around the world now see green energy as a way of combatting climate change as well as providing a greater level of energy security.

Is green energy the future for the entire US? In order to establish how green energy might be the future of electricity and natural gas supplies in the country, it is first imperative to examine the current state of the utilities industry in America. Read on to discover more about the green energy market and how it is meeting the challenges it faces to successfully integrate with conventional supply networks.

The Energy Business in the USA 

The US is a world leader in production and supply of energy resources and also among the largest consumers of energy. To generate electricity in sufficient quantities, it is still necessary to rely on fossil fuels – fuel ultimately derived from organic sources – as well as renewable resources, like wind, solar, biomass, and wave technologies – the so-called green energy sources.

Indeed, with growing consumer demand and a world class innovative and competitive workforce in its supply chain, the US has become one of the world’s most attractive markets for investment programs in the sector where new projects are being developed all the time.

After all, the US generates the second-largest amount of energy in the world. In fact, according to a US Energy and Employment Report from 2017, 6.4 million Americans work in the energy sector. That accounts for almost two percent of the entire population of the nation.

What’s it Like Working in This Sector? 

The energy industry is playing a key role in global development at home and overseas. Thanks to the growth of alternative and renewable sources of green energy, it has become an important source of new job opportunities. In fact, the sector produced more new jobs in the last few years than nearly any other. This is partly because the energy sector covers so many sub-divisions of employment, such as oil, electricity, nuclear, gas, coal, water, waste management plus the green energy industry.

It should be said that, particularly in the green energy sector, investment in training to pass on information is rife. Hands-on training and knowledge transmission for newcomers to the green energy sector is now the norm. Many gain new and transferable skills due to their work experience and on-the-job training in green energy, thereby helping them to provide a range of engineering and business solutions in the future. In fact, many people who have been trained in the green energy sector go on to find work in related industries down the line, such is the quality of education they receive.

In addition, it ought to be pointed out that training in green energy does not simply come down to engineering opportunities and the chance to develop new technologies. All sorts of skill sets are required in the sector. These include people who want to find opportunities in sales and marketing, for example, as well as those who want to learn how to install of equipment.

Power Quality Issues 

Like any large sector, such as transportation, quality plays its part in customer satisfaction but the good news is that the energy supply industry takes providing top-quality services seriously. Whether it is dealing with the impacts of installer error on the network or coping with adverse weather that might affect supply, the sector addresses all of the issues it faces.

For example, a solar array that has been connected to the grid to lower emissions from carbon-based energy sources can sometimes inject disturbances – for example, harmonic or inter-harmonic distortion, voltage fluctuations etc. – into the distribution networks. This problem area is now a key area of work. Engineers are currently developing the best ways of delivering these types of green energy in such a way that they will integrate seamlessly with conventional electrical production without causing any disruption at all.

In fact, from one ocean to the other, there is no less focus than on this particular issue – of how to deliver electrical supply with efficiency, without power disturbances and in a way that is safe for workers to manage when they are conducting repairs to the supply infrastructure. In green energy, these are certainly exciting times where opportunities come in many forms!

This is a promoted article.

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