Capital expenditure among the largest U.S. utilities could reach a staggering $184 billion just this year in order to meet the demands of an increasingly dynamic system and conduct much-needed grid modernization . And as automation plays an increasingly greater role in managing the real-time flow of energy to meet customer needs, non-stop connectivity is essential to keep advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) online, not to mention other key functions like crewing and operations management to respond to storms and other natural disasters.

As a result, utilities are increasingly turning to private telecommunications networks over public carriers, taking ownership of their communications to prioritize system resiliency and security with a utility-grade network purpose-built for the unique demands of the industry. It’s a big investment: A 2023 analysis projected that utilities will invest nearly $2 billion in private network infrastructure from 2023 to 2026. After all, telecommunications outages and cybersecurity incidents could have catastrophic effects for grids that rely on a constant stream of data and real-time monitoring.

But utilities companies looking to take control over their own communication networks and systems may find that their workforce lacks the skillsets needed to support this transformation, particularly amid a shortage of grid modernization talent. In fact, a 2024 survey found that 89% of energy professionals said skill gaps are the main challenge to accelerating digital technology adoption. Here’s how utilities can adapt.

With Changes Come Challenges for Digital Utilities

New smart devices and owned telecommunications networks are generating a need for new skills in the utility industry at all levels, from planning to engineering to installation. Here are key areas where the workforce will need to innovate alongside technology.

Planning: From Yearly Averages to Minute-by-Minute Updates

Historically, utilities conducting planning exercises would look at the energy capacity of a line system using a yearly average, designing and building the system to handle increases in energy demand based on growth projections for each circuit or segment. They were expensive investments, but there wasn’t a better alternative.

Not anymore. Now, utilities are increasingly looking to non-wire alternatives and distributed energy resources (DERs) to help ride through times of high energy demand, something that both smart devices and advanced telecommunications networks working in tandem help make possible.

To do this effectively, however, engineers need to be able to see and analyze capacity needs in minute-to-minute intervals rather than yearly averages. This is a big shift from an analytical perspective, requiring talent not only with a robust power systems engineering background, but also a strong foundation in data analytics.

Engineering: Distributed Data Collection for Improved Monitoring and Response

The granular data that allows for better monitoring of system performance comes from smart devices like capacitor banks, voltage regulators, substation reclosures and line sensors, supplementing substation data with feeder circuit data that can help accurately predict, pinpoint and respond to potential system overloads and other problems—even before an outage takes place.

This adds a layer of complexity to existing systems, requiring engineers to define the function of these line sensors and decide where to place them to best collect data in real time—new skills for a new technology.

Installation: A Different Kind of Hardware

All of this granular data necessitates a robust two-way communications system to transmit it to decision-makers and make real-time updates in response. However, even though both energy and telecoms use a combination of towers and poles, telecommunications networks have different conditions for design and installation.

Running fiber from substation to substation, for example, is not like running electrical wires. The hardware is different from those used to install electrical conductors, and utility calculations—such as determining the thickness of the electrical conductor to determine its energy capacity—aren’t useful when determining fiber’s bandwidth.

Utilities looking to develop their own communications networks need employees with experience designing, installing and maintaining these systems—something they’re unlikely to encounter in their existing workforce.

Additionally, as these technologies continue to evolve, it’s important to have employees with the curiosity and flexibility to adapt.

How Utilities Can Build the Telecommunications Skillsets They Need

Finding those with experience in both telecommunications and utilities is like discovering a unicorn.

However, this doesn’t mean utilities are without options to develop the talent they need. Here’s what they can do to get started:

  • Look to the telecom industry for key skills. The utility sector isn’t the first to go through an evolution in communications networks. Public carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile have decades of experience installing new technologies and building networks. Telecommunications employees with the know-how to build and maintain these systems can apply that experience to building networks specifically for the utilities industry. They might just need a little extra help understanding industry-specific needs.
  • Leverage internal training and certifications: While many of the technologies utilities are looking to deploy are still new, it doesn’t mean that existing employees can’t learn the skills they need. Developing internal training programs and providing the resources for employees to get external certifications like TCM, Network 5 or CCNA can help bridge this skill gap in the long term.
  • Work with third-party experts. Particularly in the short term, utilities without the necessary skillsets to build or maintain their own communications networks can bring on a strategic services partner to help stand up these systems.
  • Build a cross-functional team: One person can’t do it all. Integrating diverse teams can help. Traditional IT groups are increasingly being combined with the business functions they support, such as energy delivery, helping to design and operate digital and connected systems. Bringing together talent with backgrounds in data analytics, telecommunications and power systems engineering can be the brain trust utilities need to get their telecommunications networks up and running.

As the utility sector continues to make substantial investments in new digital technologies and communications networks, now is the time to invest in skill building, be it by bringing in new talent, turning to experts, or upskilling existing employees. Done successfully, these skills can help utilities create a better, more resilient and more dynamic energy sector for years to come.

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