The Australian Electricity Workforce for the 2024 Integrated System Plan Projections to 2050

Two energy workers in PPE discussing something within an energy grid area.

With Australia's energy transition gaining pace, it's crucial that we have in place a sufficiently large and skilled workforce.

UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) researchers collaborated with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to model and project workforce requirements for the Australian electricity sector, in line with delivering AEMO’s 2024 Integrated System Plan (ISP). The project was co-funded by RACE for 2030 and AEMO.

It provides estimates of just how many people are needed to deliver the electricity sector transformation. The project also provided guidance on how best to develop a renewable energy workforce to maximise regional and national benefits.

The workforce projections cover electricity generation, storage, and transmission construction for the three core ISP scenarios:

Step Change includes a rapid energy transition with strong economic growth. It supports Australia’s commitment to keep global temperature rise to below 2°C.
Progressive Change reflects a constrained economic and supply chain environment, meaning less energy is required to meet the needs of a smaller economy. While meeting legislated commitments, cumulative electricity sector emissions to 2050 are 36% higher than under the Step Change.
Green Energy Exports includes an exceptionally fast rate of decarbonisation aimed at Australia making its contribution to keeping global temperatures to below 1.5°C, with a strong emphasis on a green exports economy and electrification. Cumulative electricity sector emissions to 2050 are 46% reduced compared to the Step Change.

How did we do this?

Researchers from ISF worked with AEMO to identify changes to energy generation, storage, and transmission infrastructure in each of the ISP scenarios.

The workforce per year, by energy type, workforce role and location were then calculated using employment factors. Employment factors for each technology are either related to the capacity (e.g. MW) of generation or storage installed, the kilometres of transmission line constructed, or the operations and maintenance of cumulative total capacity.

Why is this important?

We conducted this work back in 2022 for the 2022 ISP. AEMO and the wider energy sector recognised the value of having this level of understanding of workforce requirements, alongside the project infrastructure that must be built (find the 2022 reports here).

Implementing the report recommendations will increase understanding of workforce requirements, assist in reducing the boom/bust cycles associated with the renewable energy industry, support the workforce development needed for the energy transition, and enable policy development to maximise onshore and regional benefits.

RESEARCH OUTPUTS

The Australian Electricity Workforce for the 2024 Integrated System Plan: Projections to 2050 (2024) (Report)
Electricity Workforce Projections for the 2024 Integrated System Plan: Focus on New South Wales (2024) (Report)
Electricity Workforce Projections for the 2024 Integrated System Plan: Focus on Queensland (2024) (Report)
Electricity Workforce Projections for the 2024 Integrated System Plan: Focus on South Australia (2024) (Report)
Electricity Workforce Projections for the 2024 Integrated System Plan: Focus on Tasmania (2024) (Report)
Electricity Workforce Projections for the 2024 Integrated System Plan: Focus on Victoria (2024) (Report)

ISP 2024 workbook (2024) (Workbook)

ISP 2022 outputs (2022)

MEDIA

Our electricity workforce must double to hit the 2030 renewables target. Energy storage jobs will soon overtake those in coal and gas – The Conversation, September 2024

Australia faces critical skill shortages for wind, solar, storage and hydrogen projects – Renew Economy, December 2022