Engineering the Future: Workforce Strategies for a Changing Utility Industry

A technical panel at the 2026 IEEE PES T&D Conference will take on one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: building and sustaining a workforce capable of supporting a rapidly evolving grid.

Titled “Engineering the Future: Workforce Strategies for a Changing Utility Industry,” the session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, from 12:30–1:50 p.m. in Meeting Room S401bc. The panel will examine how utilities are responding to mounting workforce pressures driven by an aging labor pool, shortages of mid-level engineers, and accelerating retirements.

Against a backdrop of rising demand from electrification, AI-driven load growth, and grid modernization, the session will explore how these converging forces are creating critical talent gaps across the sector. Many utilities, according to the session description, are also contending with limited succession planning, gaps in knowledge transfer, and a lack of visibility into future workforce needs.

Panelists will discuss approaches for assessing current workforce risks, forecasting future demand, and designing strategies to attract, develop, and retain engineering talent. The conversation will also highlight best practices in institutional knowledge mapping, career pathing, and leadership development, as well as the role digital tools can play in workforce planning.

Speakers include Raj Beasla of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Wayne Bishop of Danovo, Rachel Dowling of Insight Global, Mona Fazel of Danovo Energy, Jason Hawkins of Dominion Energy, Angela Schuler of ComEd, and Luka Strezoski of DerMag Consulting.

The panel, part of the Industry Technical Support Leadership Committee track, will also feature real-world case studies from across North America, showcasing strategies aimed at strengthening workforce resilience, reducing operational risk, and ensuring continuity in delivering safe and reliable power.