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impact that the $156 million has on the
economy and the environment. However,
in the long term, federal funding is not
as critical for the industry as is legislation and regulatory rule making that create
a fair and equitable environment. Most of
the industry’s loudest voices have a financial disincentive to encourage energy efficiency within their customer base. If we
shift to the creation of incentives for energy
efficiency, then there will be increased
demand for district energy and CHP.
Q. One of the challenges facing the
district energy industry is an aging
workforce. What are your thoughts on
this situation, and how do we move from
a ‘mature’ position to one that appeals
to vibrant and youthful workers at all
levels?
A. The energy industry’s aging workforce is indeed of concern. I recently read
that the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the energy utility industry has
the second-highest average employee age
among dozens of industries studied.
Nearly 20 percent of industry workers
are five to seven years away from retirement. This clearly demonstrates the
importance of attracting young workers
in the coming years. Since technical operations expertise is honed through decades
of on-the-job experience, we need to get
younger workers in the queue sooner
rather than later.
Perhaps the best way to appeal to
young workers is to emphasize the ‘green’
aspects of the business, as the younger
generation is generally environmentally
aware and engaged. Our industry uses
existing technologies that can improve
the nation’s carbon footprint, and we can
also increase the emphasis on new technologies under development.
Programs such as the Clean Energy
Service Corps engage thousands of young
people in moving America toward energy
independence, along with a greater emphasis on green education. Positioning district
energy and CHP as subsets of greener
technology has great potential to attract
younger people to this industry. We do
not have to perpetuate the traditional
image of energy as a stodgy commodity
business.
Furthermore, we have to demonstrate
that the industry offers a meaningful
career opportunity and improve the
facilities that we expect our staff to work
in. In terms of what my company does
specifically, we have taken our recruitment messages directly to colleges and
schools to show the next generation they
can play a satisfying, meaningful role in
business and energy production.
The company offers employment
opportunities in the full range of environmental services – management of
energy, water, waste and surface passenger
transportation. Employees have a range
of options throughout their careers,
moving between divisions, to different
cities and from country to country. In
addition, we operate our own training
centers, Campus Veolia, in multiple countries. It is important not only to attract
staff, but to provide them with the tools
to perform, a better place to work, and a
view of the big picture, so that they can
understand why their work is important
and how they can be part of the solution.
Q. What are you most looking forward
to as a new member of IDEA’s board of
directors? What challenges and oppor-
tunities do you feel lie ahead?
A. First of all, let me acknowledge how
honored I am to become an IDEA board
member. I am excited to commence my
three-year term, and I am confident that I
will be able to leverage my decades of
experience in energy services for the
organization’s benefit. I hope to contribute by lending the perspective of a
business that operates a portfolio of
systems not only in the U.S. but around
the world.
The industry’s most immediate challenges include the economic crisis and
the difficulty of being heard by legislators. However, both of these are also
opportunities, along with climate change.
The economic crisis has highlighted the
need for businesses and cities to lower
their operating expenses, and district
energy and CHP are clearly viable, immediate solutions. Furthermore, we have a
compelling argument to make to the legislators and regulatory rule makers. Just
as we were able to convince stakeholders
to provide stimulus funding, I am confident that we will continue to gain support
as rules and laws evolve.
I look forward to doing my part with
my board member colleagues to raise
awareness of IDEA, district energy, CHP
and the energy efficiency of the products
we produce.
