Clean Energy is a Growth Opportunity for Business Students
Utilities face complex challenges in switching to clean energy that require creativity and problem solving. MBAs can help find innovative business solutions that take into account all the moving parts. Lauren Magin (MBA 鈥21) Project Manager, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, NREL
The clean energy sector is growing and there is high demand for MBAs. While national energy policy remains fluid, the clean energy economy shows no signs of slowing down. As new technologies hit the market, and demand from corporations and consumers increases, there is a global race to hire talent with relevant skills.
The market advantages of being based in Colorado
Colorado, and Boulder/Denver particularly, have a terrific talent pool of highly educated renewable energy experts to choose from.
The geography of Colorado, combined with state and regional policy, have made this an incredible location for clean energy companies. Colorado has both 听which has led to significant investments in clean energy infrastructure. In 2004, Colorado also became , which established a minimum percentage of renewable energy that utilities are required to sell. In 2020, Xcel Energy, Colorado鈥檚 largest utility, included 37% renewable energy on its grid, and has . Colorado is also included in The Bureau of Land Management鈥檚 Solar Energy Program, which identifies Solar Energy Zones (SEZ) appropriate for large-scale projects.
This physical and political environment has led to renewable power development and jobs at all levels of the sector. Colorado today is home to innovative companies including ,, , , , , , , , and , among others, all of which have Leeds MBAs on staff. That concentration of talent, in turn, creates another reason for clean energy companies to base themselves in the state.听
鈥淭here is a large concentration of renewable energy specialists in the Front Range - ranging from developers, independent power producers (IPPs), consultants and 听bankers. Having those resources at our front door is invaluable,鈥 says Director of Finance at Catalyze Energy.
Where is the next wave of growth going to come from?
During a recent program at the Leeds School of Business, leaders from Scout Clean Energy noted plans to develop in-house battery storage solutions, among other initiatives. Global Renewable Energy Strategy Manager, Schneider Electric (SE), shared that he also believes that the next wave of innovation will be in technologies such as battery storage. SE is also working on carbon capture technologies, and optimizing the current renewable energy resource mix with new grid control and distributed energy resources (DERs) strategies.
Those emerging technologies are linked to op