The Recruiter's Outlook (February 2025)

Never Miss Boston in February!

This February marks my 15th year attending RE+ Northeast (aka Solar Power Northeast, PV Conference & Expo, or PV America). No matter what you call it, it’s the best damn regional event in the United States and has been so for as long as I can remember. If you couldn’t make it to Boston in February, watch this recap video provided by RE+ Events.

Never Miss Boston in February!

This February marks my 15th year attending RE+ Northeast (aka Solar Power Northeast, PV Conference & Expo, or PV America). No matter what you call it, it’s the best damn regional event in the United States and has been so for as long as I can remember. If you couldn’t make it to Boston in February, watch this recap video provided by RE+ Events.

RE+ reports that 200 exhibitors set up on the exhibition floor and 4,000 professionals attended from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. But which state were people mostly wanting to talk about? Pennsylvania! I know that Pennsylvania is mid-Atlantic, and therefore technically outside of the conference’s geotargeted focus, but I heard the most buzz about this state during RE+ than any other in the region. Before 2023, Pennsylvania was barely on the solar map - now they are ranked 22nd in the country. This is largely from utility-scale net metered (and virtual net metered) projects up to 3MW, but the $156M Federal grant from the IRA is also helping to boost? Pennsylvania’s solar market.

Many project developers are rooting for the launch of Pennsylvania’s community solar program. I was lucky enough to hear State Representative Peter Schweyer (the prime sponsor on this legislation) speak at the DG Development & Finance Forum in New York last fall. Community solar bills have been around in Pennsylvania for a decade, yet lawmakers have not been able to get legislation enacted. If the Senate approves this bill, Pennsylvania can become a top ten solar state. I trust Peter is lobbying hard to get this across the line for his constituents.

When service areas become prime for renewable energy development, jobs are created. Over the past two years, EnergeiaWorks has seen an increase in the demand for solar talent in Pennsylvania. We’re currently supporting project development searches for land origination and project development permitting. Last year, we had recruiting requests for engineering services, operations & maintenance, and construction professionals across the state, and I’m anticipating this pattern to continue through 2025. Pennsylvania is the birthplace of commercial oil production, but it can soon be a powerhouse in solar production.

Hiring top talent in Pennsylvania?

If you're looking to hire mid-Atlantic or northeast renewable energy talent, reach out to us today to get the conversation started.

Receive a bonus for a referral to our website

If you are currently exploring a new job in your renewable energy career, we invite you to have a look at our careers portal. Refer a candidate to EnergeiaWorks and if they get hired, we’ll send you an EnergeiaWorks solar backpack with a $1,000 check. Visit our freshly redesigned website to submit!

William V. Liuzza, CEO, EnergeiaWorks & Founder of Renewables UnWind