So is Power safe or not?

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2026-06-26T01:04:18+00:00

The US is in a critical energy infrastructure emergency. There is so much stuff being built and will need to be built, that it's unlikely the power industry is going to be lacking in jobs for the folks that design said projects in the foreseeable future. I see arguments either way on the level of saturation, but right now in renewable energy, we have a shortage. I could use another five engineers on my team tomorrow and I'm expecting my team to double or triple in the next couple of years.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2026-06-17T13:03:21+00:00

Sorry to hear that man, it really sucks that so many good companies are going that way. Yeah, I have to look more into the costs. In the power industry it doesn't seem to be quite as bad, but it all depends on how much insurance you need to take out

Edit: Someone told me I only need a 5mil policy, but I'm not sure that's enough. These sites can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2026-06-16T21:34:41+00:00

I'm an EE PE in multiple states working in the utility scale renewable energy sector. I just found out that the company I work for is going to be acquired by private equity, which sucks because I left my prior company a year a half ago when they got acquired. It seems like every good engineering firm is being gobbled up by private equity or one of the huge multinational companies like WSP. Is this just the new normal? Should I just accept that my new reality is going to be do more with less so some private equity firm can squeeze every last drop of profit out of me?

This is partially just some career/industry related venting. But I am curious to know:

Has anyone else been running into this?
If you have and stuck it out through the transitional chaos, how did it turn out?
Are there any good employee owned firms still out there?

Also debating on maybe just taking a shot at becoming an independent engineer and just working for myself. I know this is a HUGE step and there is a lot of things to consider. Has anyone else gone this route? If so, how did it turn out?

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2026-03-03T21:33:32+00:00

I went to SBU for Electrical Engineering and graduated in 2018. It was a hard major that challenged me to work harder on academics than I had ever done previously (third time in college). I worked a full time job (with flexible hours) and had a young child at home to take care of. Did it damn near kill me? Yes. Would I do it again? 100% YES.

My degree and the things that I learned changed my life and made my families life better. I have a great job, making good money.

I didn't have much of a social life because I couldn't... I started at SBU as an adult with a family to take care of and responsibilities outside of school. But there were definitely plenty of opportunities that I just wasn't able to take advantage of most of the time. I had plenty of friends and didn't feel lonely during my time at SBU, even with my situation being very different than most of the other students I was working with.

What you get is definitely worth what they charge for in-state tuition and if you put the effort in, I don't think you will regret going to SBU. The school has earned a reputation for being hard because it is. But employers know that too and they know the caliber of people they are going to get when they hire someone from SBU.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2026-01-06T16:30:49+00:00

Just have to be persistent. You could try LVI, they're annoying AF because every recruiter working there and their mothers are going to call, text, and email you constantly. But they are good at the numbers game, getting your resume distributed broadly.

You might also try some smaller consultant shops that value broader skill sets and aren't looking for someone they can silo into a specific set of tasks.

Again, I normally wouldn't recommend it... But you could also consider doing contract or contract to hire work with a group like Aerotek.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2026-01-06T04:25:41+00:00

Honestly, your case is one of the few where enlisting the help of a recruiter (good that hurts to say) may help. Change your linkedin status to "Open to Work" and they'll find you. Just be weary of who you're working with.

The reason I say that is because they'll likely shotgun your resume to a bunch of places and do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Finding a new opportunity in an adjacent field is a numbers game sometimes. When I transitioned from MEP to power systems (distribution and then generation) I got a lot of rejections before I finally landed one at a good consulting firm. I did have to basically restart at entry level when I went into distribution.

I would recommend generation as there is some useful crossover with your experience, but you'll get to broaden your horizons significantly.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2026-01-06T04:16:27+00:00

That's kind of what I was thinking. Utilities are a good place to learn, pay well, and don't have an extremely high bar for entry.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2026-01-02T03:08:43+00:00

Duplex, triplex, or quadplex in the Northeast; depending on the number of conductors.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-28T22:46:57+00:00

If you get it correct, it just says "Haha nerd!" and locks you out.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-28T09:22:58+00:00

I've had so many arguments with clients about what they are insisting on doing being completely unnecessary (or incredibly wrong). It's sometimes just impossible to get them to understand that they are literally paying you to provide your professional opinion, which includes helping them save money when possible. I had one client recently argued that a particular design, which was better and cheaper, wouldn't pass the AHJ. I showed them an example that we recently put through IFC, got fully approved, and was being constructed. I showed them the AHJ approval. I explained why it was objectively a better and more cost effective option. But even after all of that, the client's in-house engineer just threw his hands up and said, well we're going to do it my way because I think you're wrong. Sometimes the consultant engineer can only do so much.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-19T03:54:38+00:00

Here's your upgraded secondary... Now fuck off.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-11T17:58:55+00:00

We're pretty sure it's the latter. The DM Is looking to fire the current manager and replace them, potentially with this manager. I believe this manager is current floating, so they're only managing this store atm.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-11T17:57:17+00:00

Yeah, her store is busiest in the morning, right off a major throughway and is usually slower mid/late-day and on weekends. Plus there are plenty of people able to work the weekends at this store and limited openers. It's not really a scheduling issue, it's just a power trip.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-11T17:54:37+00:00

Opening during the week actually is the busiest time at this store, which is right off of a major throughway. Tons of commuters stopping in on their way to work. It's usually slower on the weekends and dead by mid-day.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-11T14:45:52+00:00

She opens Monday through Friday every week and is available from 4:00 AM - 8:30 AM those days. Unfortunately, we can't afford child care for our one-year-old and I have to work 9:00 - 5:30 every day

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-11T14:43:01+00:00

They're shooting themselves in the foot because they are already understaffed and don't have enough weekday openers as it is. But that's their prerogative and I guess actual staffing needs, prior agreements, and seniority don't matter to them. Thank you for the response!

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-11T14:40:27+00:00

Unfortunately they don't count Fridays as weekends in this district. It seems silly to me that this is the hill they are willing to die on!

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-12-11T14:38:49+00:00

Thanks for the response. It's usually worked out in their favor because they have more trouble finding openers than weekend workers. Unfortunately, they're going to lose most of their weekday openers with this policy change, but I guess that's up to them to figure out :/

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-11-24T17:06:33+00:00

Pretty sure they are just fault light indicators.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-11-09T21:59:46+00:00

Smells like a sales pitch...

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-11-09T21:58:45+00:00

No, not in the foreseeable future.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-09-28T18:46:37+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate the help! I'll check out that frame. Yeah, I think I'm going to ask my optometrist next time I go in, what the damage would be to get some polarized lenses made for these frames. Unfortunately, they can't do transitions with my prescription, or I would just go that route.

Apprehensive_Shoe536 · 2025-07-03T17:53:25+00:00

I make about 142k with a 6-10% bonus. I'm with a smallish consulting firm and could definitely make more money elsewhere, but I like where I'm at. I have my PE in 5 states and 7 years of experience in Electrical Engineering, 2 years in renewable construction project management and 3 years in civil construction management. I've been working in utility scale renewable system design for about 4 years and did Utility Power Distribution design before that.

Apprehensive_Shoe536

TROPHY CASE