THE AGING GRID’S TWO-PART PROBLEM
Not enough parts, not enough people, and why scale is the answer
Ask anyone working on the power grid what’s slowing them down, and you’ll hear two answers: there are not enough parts, and there are not enough people. The two problems feed each other. A transformer that takes years to arrive is no use without a crew to install it, and an idle skilled crew costs as much as an empty warehouse.
For utility leaders, the challenge is not simply securing more resources. It is deploying the right resources at the right time, with the coordination needed to keep work moving.
The part everyone is waiting on
Transformers are the workhorses of the grid, stepping power up and down so it can travel safely to homes and businesses. For years, they were obtainable without much thought. Now lead times for the largest units can stretch as long as four years, and prices have multiplied several times over.
The pressure comes from all sides. Electricity demand is rising again, driven by data centers and new industry, while much of the existing infrastructure is aging. Supply cannot flex to match it. The U.S. imports many of its large transformers, new plants take years to build, and the work resists shortcuts. Units are largely wound by hand, and custom orders prevent factories from running at full speed.
A shortage of people who do the work
Equipment is only half of the story. Roughly 45 percent of experienced lineworkers are projected to retire within the decade, taking with them valuable years of knowledge and experience. Availability for training is expanding, but some schools still turn away as many as 10 applicants for every seat, and about three in four energy employers still report a skills gap. The work is physical, often outdoors, and cannot be done remotely.
There is cautious optimism but no quick solution. The shortage has pushed the industry into its biggest manufacturing buildout in decades. The worst of the high-voltage shortfall could ease by 2030, though smaller transformers may remain difficult to procure, and high prices are likely to be the new normal for years to come. On workforce, enrollment and wages are rising, but experience cannot be manufactured overnight.
Where scale changes the math
When parts and people are scarce, scale becomes a strategic advantage. Organizations able to move resources where they are needed and keep crews working rather than waiting are better positioned to deliver. A deep bench connects veterans with newcomers to ensure successful knowledge transfers.
It is also where vegetation management and infrastructure services work together. Clearing the right-of-way is part of the same reliability effort. When one organization can clear the lines, maintain the assets and assemble field trained crews, what would normally take multiple calls and contractors becomes one coordinated effort.
This is where the One Asplundh® approach delivers value. We connect the utility vegetation management services our customers know and trust with utility infrastructure, digital innovation and storm/emergency restoration services — all through a single point of contact. Utilities gain access to the people, technology and resources needed to solve complex challenges at scale and keep critical work moving.