Together, CEWD and the PLCA will work to increase awareness of energy careers, strengthen workforce readiness, and support the talent needed to build, maintain, and modernize the nation’s critical energy infrastructure. With this affiliation, CEWD is pleased to welcome the PLCA’s Managing Director and Chief Legal Counsel, Beth Worrell, to the Board of Directors. We look forward to collaborating to create new opportunities for the next generation of energy professionals. Read the press release.

Don’t miss your chance to save on registration for the 2026 CEWD Workforce Development Summit, taking place November 17–20, 2026, at National Harbor in the Washington, DC region. Join energy industry leaders, workforce professionals, educators, and partners for four days of peer learning, networking, and practical solutions to today’s workforce challenges. Early bird registration ends August 15—register now and secure your spot before rates increase!

Need a sneak peek to help you decide whether to register now? Just look at a few of the dozens of speakers we are excited to bring to the stage: Lloyd Yates, CEO, NiSource; Jose Miranda, CEO, Avangrid; Chair Katie Sieben, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission; Commissioner Nicole Overly, Virginia Works; Rosemary Lahasky, Director, Workforce and Infrastructure Initiatives (including America’s Workforce Academy), Meta; Todd Malan, Executive Vice President, Government Relations & External Affairs, QTS; and Craig Stepien, Executive Director, NextEra’s AI Academy.

Attendees will explore key topics including student engagement, earn-and-learn pathways, workforce strategy, and the impact of AI and technology on the future energy workforce—all while celebrating CEWD’s 20th year of service to the industry.

Careers in Energy Week (October 19–24) is fast approaching, and we encourage CEWD members and partners to participate in this year’s Congressional Site Visit Initiative. Inviting your U.S. Representatives and Senators to see your workforce in action is a powerful way to showcase your workforce development investments, highlight community partnerships, and introduce policymakers to the people who power our nation’s energy systems every day.

To make participation easy, CEWD has created ready-to-use resources, including invitation templates, sample agendas, social media toolkits, talking points, and follow-up materials. Because congressional schedules fill quickly, we recommend sending invitations by early August.

If you plan to participate, please contact [email protected] so CEWD can support and track your efforts. Start planning your visit today!

‘Dirty Jobs’ host just revealed the lucrative salary Gen Z electricians make from AI data centers—the number is eye-popping
July 16, 2026
Growing demand for electricians is creating new opportunities for young workers entering the skilled trades. The article highlights how infrastructure expansion and data center development are increasing demand for technical talent.

BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford and Google launch skilled trades workforce initiative
July 21, 2026
BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford, and Google have launched the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades to expand access to training and apprenticeships. The initiative comes as the U.S. faces a projected shortage of more than 2 million skilled workers by 2030.

Electricians are training for an AI data center boom that may be over by graduation
July 21, 2026
Applications for electrician apprenticeships are rising as demand grows for workers supporting AI data center construction. The article highlights the importance of long-term workforce planning and training pipelines to meet evolving infrastructure needs.

People are critical infrastructure, too. Utilities must do more or lose talent to tech
July 23, 2026
As electricity demand grows, utilities are facing increased competition for engineers, technicians, and other skilled workers. The article highlights the importance of workforce development, upskilling, and industry partnerships to support long-term grid modernization efforts.

Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.