Building the Human and Digital Infrastructure for the Energy Transition
This article is part three in a three-part series exploring the global challenges on the road to Net Zero.
In Part 1, we examined the physical bottleneck - why efficiency alone is no longer enough, and how reaching Net Zero depends on what type of generation is built and where it’s integrated.
In Part 2, we turned to the financial bottleneck - how policy risk, market volatility, and rising costs are reshaping the way C&I leaders and developers fund and validate clean energy projects.
The Digitalization Problem
The energy transition isn’t just about the poles in the ground. Turbines, solar farms, and batteries can only get us so far without the digital infrastructure and skilled workforce to operate them. As energy systems become more distributed, data-driven, and dynamic, the human and digital capabilities to manage this complexity are lagging behind.
- Complexity is rising: Distributed energy resources (DERs), EV fleets, and smart buildings now require real-time coordination across networks and assets. Traditional grid systems were never designed for this level of interaction.
- Workforce skills lag: Utilities, developers, and C&I energy managers often lack teams trained in data analytics, forecasting, and orchestration.
- Fragmented systems: Many organizations juggle multiple siloed tools that don’t work together to provide a comprehensive, real-time view of their operations.
- AI both accelerates and complicates progress: Artificial intelligence is creating powerful new ways to optimize operations - but it also demands high-quality data, digital literacy, and system integration that many organizations are still developing.
The result is a widening gap: clean energy is available, but the people and platforms needed to manage it are stretched thin.
Regional Dynamics
Europe
The European Union is taking bold steps with the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), officially launched in June 2024. The Act is designed to scale up the manufacturing of clean technologies and create stronger conditions for investment, local jobs, and industrial competitiveness.
The EU is also advancing two interconnected initiatives under this framework:
- Net-Zero Industry Academies - Their purpose is to train workers in what they deem as critical clean energy sectors - like batteries, hydrogen, solar, wind, heat pumps, and carbon capture. Each academy works with industry, education providers, and labor organizations to build a specialized workforce capable of supporting large-scale decarbonization projects across Europe. The first one launched is the European Solar Academy, which aims to train ~100,000 workers in the solar-PV value chain over the next three years.
- Net-Zero Acceleration Valleys - These are industrial innovation zones - essentially regional clusters designed to speed up the deployment of clean technologies. They aim to bring together manufacturers, research centers, and supply chain partners to reduce permitting time, share infrastructure, and attract private capital. The EU’s goal is to establish “at least three acceleration valleys” per Member State, acting as demonstration hubs for technologies like carbon capture, advanced renewables, and green manufacturing.
North America
In North America the digital and workforce challenges of the clean-energy transition are becoming more visible. Many organizations are integrating new technologies faster than they can build the teams to manage them.
Across the U.S. and Canada, C&I leaders are increasingly turning to partnerships with technology providers, universities, and training programs to close skills gaps in data analytics, forecasting, and energy-system modeling. Programs such as the U.S. Department of Energy’s Workforce Hubs Initiative and the Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) program are helping prepare a new generation of engineers, analysts, and technicians to support private-sector energy projects.
Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of data-intensive industries such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing is amplifying demand for both power and expertise. Developers and C&I energy teams must now plan not only for capacity but also for the digital competencies needed to operate more complex, data-driven systems.
Although progress is accelerating, many organizations still face a steep learning curve in building internal digital capabilities and cross-disciplinary teams. Industry collaboration and workforce development will be key.
Australia
Despite abundant renewable resources, Australia faces a shortage of skilled workers across both construction and digital energy management - a challenge that is slowing project delivery and driving up costs. Decades of reliance on centralized, coal-fired generation have left the grid and workforce geared toward legacy systems that now require extensive modernization.
The clean-energy push is generating increased demand for electricians, technicians, data specialists, and project managers who can design, build, and operate digitally enabled renewable and storage assets. The Clean Energy Council estimates that Australia will need over 200,000 additional workers by 2030 to meet its renewable targets.
To address this, government and industry are investing in new training and reskilling programs, including the Clean Energy Capacity Study and initiatives through TAFE colleges to build national training pathways for battery installation, microgrid management, and hydrogen systems. At the same time, organizations like ARENA and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) are funding pilot projects that integrate digital platforms, automation, and workforce training to improve operational performance across renewable assets.
For C&I companies and developers, this evolving environment means balancing innovation with capacity. While new technologies like AI-driven forecasting and advanced control systems promise major efficiency gains, many project teams still lack the trained staff to implement and operate them effectively. Upskilling and digital tools will be critical to ensure that Australia’s rapid renewable growth can be sustained.
The Common Thread: Skills Alone Won’t Be Enough
Workforce development is essential - but training thousands of new specialists will take time. The energy transition cannot wait. What’s needed now are digital platforms that simplify complexity, empowering existing teams to make informed decisions without requiring deep technical expertise.
Modern tools can enable organizations to operate at a high level of sophistication - without needing a PhD to use them.
Where Enscryb Fits In
Enscryb was built to close the digitalization gap. Through its digital twin technology platform and hands-on support services, Enscryb enables organizations to model and validate energy strategies - without requiring large digital teams or advanced in-house expertise.
- Simulate: Run “what-if” scenarios to understand how DERs, EV fleets, or industrial loads will behave under different operating conditions - normal, peak, or extreme - without needing deep modeling experience.
- Validate: Provide leadership and investors with clear, data-backed insights into ROI, emissions impact, and flexibility value before committing capital.
- Execute: Move from digital planning to live deployment with confidence, guided by Enscryb’s specialists who help set up, configure, and manage simulations for actionable results.
- Orchestrate: As operations mature, Enscryb’s platform enables customers to evolve toward real-time orchestration - ensuring flexibility is deployed where and when it delivers the greatest value.
By supporting customers throughout the simulation journey, Enscryb takes the weight off teams that may not yet have the staff or training to manage advanced digital platforms internally.
Enscryb turns complexity into clarity, empowering energy leaders to make faster, smarter, and more confident decisions on the path to Net Zero.
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