Anyone can join the energy adventure

There are many ways a younger person could get involved with the adventure of energy. I call it an adventure because it is.

The changes that could happen in the next decades as countries and companies push for net-zero by 2050, 2060 and 2070 will be breathtaking. There will be extraordinary opportunities for many to ride the wave of changes and transitions that are about to happen.

The recent and upcoming changes toward more renewables such as wind, solar, geothermal and energy storage, hydrogen, ammonia, smart grids, nuclear, microgrids, the Internet of things and energy, and so much more, will open the industry for more people finding routes to better lives.

As some energy systems pollute the environment and have grave effects on climate, controlling these counter-effects will be one of the biggest challenges of the lifetimes of people reading this. There will be many related opportunities to work on.

What happens in the energy industry over the next few decades may determine what will happen with water, food, health, communications, transport, cyber issues, physical security issues, geopolitics, geo-economics, diplomacy, economic development, human development, human security, and so much more.

There could be epic and world historical changes coming. The question one will need to ask: Do I want to be part of the future or do I want to keep looking at the rear-view mirrors.

When you are driving a car on a fantastic journey, it is best to keep looking at what is in front of you while also remembering what had already happened along the way. Remind yourself to keep looking forward though.

Over the years I have traveled the world, visited just about every energy type, spoke with a vast variety of people in the energy industry or connected to it, ranging from ministers and presidents to scholars, physicists, investors, and even truck drivers. Much can be learned from even the most unexpected places.

What happens in the energy industry over the next few decades may determine what will happen with water, food, health, communications, transport, cyber issues, physical security issues, geopolitics, geo-economics, diplomacy, economic development, human development, human security, and so much more.

Dr. Paul Sullivan

My first and most important recommendation to younger people: Find good and well-meaning mentors who can help you navigate the future. These may be your parents, uncles, professors, energy engineers, thought leaders, heads of NGOs, government officials, religious leaders, and even poets and writers. You might be amazed where some of the most important wisdom may come from.

My second recommendation is to read as much as you can about the energy and other fields that you are most interested in. I do not mean just textbooks and academic articles. Read the trade press. Read the best of the news media. Read government policy documents. Many of these can be quite boring but may also point to changes in policies that could be a path to success. Read about the history of energy to try to find nuggets than may give you ideas for the future.

Read voraciously. A few hours away from video games could lead to a new vision of your future. Visualizing a future is an important part of making it happen.

One can learn from video documentaries, such as the ones about great inventors, scientists, businesspeople, leaders and builders of the past. Many people learn by reading, while others by watching visualizations and videos, and some by listening. Find out the best way for you but mix the ways of learning along the way.

There are many things a young person could study to find their way into this adventure. The energy industries of the future will surely need electrical, nuclear and civil engineers. The industry will need architects, chemists, biologists, physicists, mathematicians, anthropologists, psychologists, historians, economists, and so much more.

Energy will need artists and creative thinkers to map out what the new inventions might be and how to get to them. Music can also add to thinking about energy. Energy has a lot to do with creative thinking, much like music.

My next recommendation is to think creatively, but with common sense practicality about what you want to do. Dreamers can produce ideas to change things, but doers make the changes happen.

Energy will need good managers who can think strategically and critically. It will need people who are good with financial issues and investment to connect better with the engineers and others. It will need people who can write well and clearly.

Some of the worst communicators can be scientists. Often their inventions and innovative ideas go nowhere. Why? Because usually they are unable to explain their inventions in everyday language, and they often try to apply them in various applications instead of focusing on just one or two modes of usage.

There are millions of exceptionally promising ideas that were never used because they either had no use in the marketplace or scientists could not make the leap into being communicators. The ones who can translate to managers, investors and government officials what these new inventions and improvements could bring will create excellent value added to the industry.

There is a lot of energy diplomacy needed for energy investments. Diplomats who also understand the business, science and engineering could go a long way during the momentous changes in the transitions.

Lawyers are needed for all industries, but energy needs lawyers who understand energy. They need lawyers in many cases who can work internationally in many diverse cultures.

Political leaders are supposed to be leaders — and be good at it. They normally do not have the time or inclination to understand the energy industry and energy systems. They will need good advisers and staff. Sometimes the most important people in a government are not the leaders, but the staff and the advisers who explain things.

What would you want to do and be?

• Dr. Paul Sullivan is a senior research associate at KFCRIS and non-resident fellow, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council.