How Leadership & Seizing Opportunities Can Supercharge A Clean Economy Revolution

Joe Biden has pledged to create 10 million new jobs in the clean economy.

The president-elect has also outlined an ambitious goal of spending $2 trillion on clean energy and sustainable infrastructure, while achieving net zero carbon emissions in the power sector by 2035.

For this unprecedented transformation to succeed, highly talented people and innovative companies in the power and renewable energy sectors will need to achieve extraordinary feats. Let’s explore the keys to succeed:

Empower ‘Green’ Leaders

To achieve Biden’s ambitious green plan, renewable energy firms and clean power companies will need trailblazing entrepreneurial leaders. These brilliant leaders must be innovators with deep understanding of next-gen technologies and systems, along with extensive knowledge of the ever- evolving energy frontier. 

Since the industry represents the future, its leaders must be forward thinking, visionary, and dynamic. They must possess exceptional skills as people leaders who energize employees with their own passion and drive. And they will need to imbue nimble, fail-fast-and-learn cultures with purpose-driven workforces.

As executive search consultants specializing in Power, Renewable Energy and Infrastructure, we can attest that finding the best leaders requires extensive industry knowledge, enduring relationships with both existing and up-and-coming executive teams, and most importantly, a true partnership between the search firm and the organization(s).

Fueling a Skilled Workforce

Alongside brilliant leaders, companies will need to recruit highly skilled talent to realize the green economic boom Biden’s team envisions. A host of civil engineers, geoscientists and energy specialists will be required to propel green infrastructure. Solar Finance Professionals, Wind Project Developers, Battery/Energy Storage experts, Electrification / Electric Vehicle Pioneers and a litany of other roles, will be in great demand and will require both technical skills and people savvy to succeed.

Data illustrates some of these positions are already in demand. For example, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wind Technician and Solar Panel Installer are amongst the fastest growing jobs in the U.S. right now. These trends may skyrocket as the new government takes shape.

Tapping into the Opportunities

While the potential of the clean economy could reach far and wide, certain fields stand to win big, if they play their ‘green’ cards right:

Grid and Utility Infrastructure

It’s no secret the current power infrastructure across the country is running out of steam, so to speak. Not only is it old, but there are major security gaps and a large portion of the workforce is aging. Therefore, businesses that specialize in repairing, upgrading and innovating electric grids have a bounty of opportunities to strike it big.

Home and Building Retrofits

Biden’s plan includes such goals as building 1.5 million sustainable homes and housing units, upgrading 4 million buildings and making 2 million homes more energy efficient over his four-year term. As such, everything from businesses that produce solar panels for rooftops, to low-carbon

technologies that supply buildings’ energy needs, have infinite potential under Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ plan.

Electric Vehicles

Automakers and related industries focused on electric vehicles are looking forward to policies that put the brakes on gas and shift gears towards electric cars and trucks.

Bloomberg recently reported the president-elect wants to restore a $7,500 tax credit for consumers who buy electric vehicles and build 500,000 charging stations. “Automakers plan to offer 121 models in the U.S. market by 2025, according to LMC Automotive... That’s more than four times the number the U.S. industry sold last year.” The road ahead for electric vehicles could indeed be a profitable one.

The Biden administration’s vision to fundamentally transform the power and renewable energy sector is ambitious and progressive. If start-ups and established companies find and groom top talent and seize the opportunities presented to them, the green revolution may very well take full flight.