Energy transition saps supply of electricians as projects delayed

The energy transition is leaving many renewable projects struggling to source electricians – and industry figures say urgent action is needed to prevent more setbacks.

Major renewable projects face ongoing delays amid a shortage of skilled workers and Australia will need to train tens of thousands of skilled tradespeople to prevent even more setbacks, industry figures have warned.

Labor’s plan to more than double current renewable capacity by 2030 has seen a rush of new wind and solar projects come to the market, triggering high demand for skilled workers such as ­electricians.

Essential Energy – responsible for building, operating and maintaining Australia’s largest electricity network – is concerned about its future works program as it services some of NSW’s sprawling renewable energy zone ­developments.

“We already know there is a shortfall because contractors and suppliers are struggling to respond, and that’s why some projects are getting delayed,” Essential chief executive John Cleland told The Australian.

“Over the next five years, when we look at our works program, we know there’s going to be challenges.”

NSW has developed five proposed green zones to contain large-scale wind and solar power projects to minimise the disruption of building high-voltage transmission lines across the state.

Each zone will contain large-scale renewable energy generation, all of which will require skilled electricians to ensure it is connected into the grid.

Essential Energy will need to expand its network, which covers much of NSW, as new large-scale renewable energy projects come to fruition – and more and more homes are built in regional areas.

While Essential Energy said it was managing for now, others have not been so fortunate.

Labour shortages and a series of industrial action have combined to cause major delays.

Since August 1, more than 80 per cent of Ausgrid’s customer connection jobs have been cancelled, with unionised electricians refusing to switch off power at construction sites or connect sites to power as part of their industrial action, putting multiple projects on hold.

Snowy Hydro’s new Kurri Kurri power station will be forced to run on diesel for several months after construction was delayed, while the $2.1bn extension of the M1 motorway is unable to commence due to electrical assets needing to be removed.

Heightened industrial action comes amid a cost-of-living crisis, with unions emboldened by tight supplies of skilled workers.

A worker checks newly constructed metal frames for photovoltaic modules at a solar farm on the outskirts of Gunnedah, New South Wales. Photographer: David Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Centre for New Industry at Per Capita said the crisis would worsen over coming years. It estimates 100,000 new electrical workers will be need by 2050 for the energy transition alone.

Australia is struggling to train sufficient workers and is increasingly having to rely on migration to fill many shortages.

Per Capita executive director Emma Dawson said transition workforce readiness was a critical part of Australia’s energy transition pathway. “Australia can become a renewable energy superpower, but we need the workforce to deliver it. An electrical workforce development plan tailored to our energy system will underpin Australia’s energy transition by ensuring good, secure jobs to thousands of Australians.” said Ms Dawson.

Transgrid, the developer and manager of Australia’s high voltage infrastructure network, said the company could provide employment opportunities, but training was needed.

“The rapid growth of the energy transmission sector is driving demand for highly skilled workers and technical expertise, particularly in regional locations where there are plenty of workers readily available with highly transferable skills,” the company said.

Electrical Trades Union national secretary Michael Wright said more than 40 per cent of trainees did not finish their training, primarily due to low pay, and action was needed if Australia was serious about developing a workforce suitable for the future.

“We are on the cusp of a jobs boom in renewables but we risk squandering it because we aren’t training enough electrical apprentices or creating secure, rewarding paths for skilled renewable energy workers,” Mr Wright said.

Australia will need to install 16 times its current capacity in batteries and pumped hydro by 2050, while large-scale wind and solar generation will have to jump sixfold if the country is to achieve a transition to net-zero emissions by 2050.

In the near term Labor has set an ambitious target of having renewable energy generate 82 per cent of the country’s electricity by 2030. To hit that target, 6GW of capacity must be added every year. However, the Australian Energy Market Operator said delays meant only 2.4GW of projects achieved market registration last year.

Originally published as Energy transition saps supply of electricians as projects delayed