Australia’s rush to build renewable energy fast enough to replace ageing coal-fired power stations is being fettered by the US’s own clean energy push that is luring key talent, particularly engineers, industry officials say.
“In the global energy transition, the best talent will be mobile,” the council’s chief executive, Kane Thornton, said. “The success of our own energy transition relies on making the case that Australia is an attractive place to call home and our commitment to renewable energy is solid.”Jane MacMaster, the chief engineer at Engineers Australia, said the looming skills shortage was raised by many speakers at an energy transition summit in Sydney last week.
MacMaster said the IRA was drawing US engineers home as well as those from elsewhere. Several nations were considering launching countermeasures that could further challenge the appeal of working in Australia.