Smart Grid Jobs: Smart Grid Technology Articles: Eco20/20

Smart Grid Jobs

In today's struggling economy, the amount of jobs that will be generated from the introduction of Smart Grid technologies is a sign of promise and hope to many. And with our growing concern and need to make changes to reduce our impact on the environment, there has never been a better time to look into the job opportunities that research, introduction, and maintenance of Smart Grid technologies will provide.

Smart Grid technologies cross a variety of industries from computer software development, to engineering, construction, public relations, and even customer service. It is easy to see that there are many opportunities available in the Smart Grid world for individuals who possess a wide array of job skills.

With incentives from the Federal government, opportunities to launch small "green" businesses have never been a more plausible option. Earlier this year, the Energy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy announced that they would be providing $100 million of grant support just for training of individuals who wish to work within the Smart Grid field. President Obama has introduced a large number of incentives to allow companies to expand their research, production, and development of Smart Grid technologies which is bringing new life to many ailing companies and also providing much needed jobs to the citizens of the nation.

Computer management and analysis software needs to be developed to meet the needs of different power companies and this will provide a slew of much needed jobs to the many out of work programmers in the U.S. Engineers need to create new transmission technologies as well as the new infrastructure that will be needed to provide more efficient and farther-reaching electrical generation to the nation.

There are already a vast number of green construction jobs that deal with the building of renewable energy infrastructure. This new infrastructure also requires a large number of highly trained specialists who can then maintain the new systems.

There will be a need for knowledgeable computer operators who can manage and troubleshoot the new system's digital communications networks.

An increase in production jobs can be expected too, as appliance manufacturers produce more intelligent products that integrate with the new Smart Grid system. Automobile manufacturers that are beginning to turn towards the all-electric vehicle will need more trained specialists to help design and manufacture vehicles that will fit within the new Smart Grid structure.

Basic office jobs like secretarial work, office managers, and customer service will need to be up and running to provide technical and other support to customers and power companies. Public relations specialists will have the opportunity to educate and promote Smart Grid technologies to further their credibility and acceptance in the marketplace.

The introduction of Smart Grid technologies will bring many high- and low-tech jobs to millions across the nation. These much needed jobs will not only reduce unemployment and help repair our ailing economy, it will also allow us to begin to reduce our impact on the environment with respect to our electrical power consumption. Even today, with Smart Grid technologies still in their infancy, there are already job opportunities and training programs available to those who want to make a career switch. As the technology advances and begins to come into use, more and more jobs will be created to handle the maintenance, customer service, and to further technological advances needed within the Smart Grid industry.