Australian Electricity Workforce for the 2022 Integrated System Plan

Chief Investigators

Jay Rutovitz  (UTS)

Purpose of project

This project will develop comprehensive workforce modelling required to deliver the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) 2022 Integrated System Plan (ISP), the industry-leading 30-year roadmap of investments required in the National Electricity Market.

The 2022 ISP informs Australia’s energy transformation based on optimal development of essential transmission investments to efficiently enable low-cost, firmed renewable energy to replace exiting coal generation. However, the electricity sector transition will not progress without a sufficiently large and adequately skilled workforce to support it.

The research team will work with AEMO to access the ISP scenarios, identifying changes in energy generation/storage and location to understand changes in electricity and transmission infrastructure required. The workforce per annum, by energy type and workforce role and location, will be calculated using employment factors, a standard approach used by industry to do workforce planning.

Impact of project

Good quality projections of energy sector employment by occupation and location can lead to a more organised management of the energy transition and maximised benefits to the Australian economy. The projections will allow stakeholders, including state governments, training providers, and the electricity industry to understand the employment implications of alternative energy investment scenarios.

Detailed workforce projections are important stakeholder information. Employment projections by technology and location enable:

• Workforce planning to ensure sufficiently trained personnel are available, to avoid delays and to maximise opportunities for Australian workers.

• Policy development to maximise national, regional, and local economic benefits from electricity infrastructure transformation.

• Workforce planning to assist in an equitable transition for coal and gas workers.

Project partners – industry and research

UTS (Lead), AEMO, DELWP, OECC

Industry Reference Group members

Australian Power Institute, CEC, DCEW, DELWP, DEM, Energy Consumers Association, Energy Networks Association, EPW, NSW DCCEEW, UNSW