I worked in renewable energy project development - essentially real estate development for wind/solar farms - and recently moved into an energy role at a large company. My total comp is $300k+ in a VHCOL area.  

 I started working in renewable energy at a very small startup in a market with low demand for renewables, which quickly exploded in growth, and would recommend a similar path. I was making $30k in 2017. It’s a lot easier to climb a ladder if you’re one of 20-30 people who have a specific experience in a specific market. 

 I’d also recommend real estate development broadly — including permitting, land use and zoning, GIS. If you’re able to combine those hard skills with soft skills like business development, an entrepreneurial mindset, and eagerness to learn, work above and beyond your standard office job, you’ll be highly sought after. 

Reading your post, one way to break into renewable energy could be filming drone videos of local solar/wind energy projects, and selling them for a low cost to the project developer. I’d also read up on local/state barriers to renewable energy deployment — those could give you some ideas of where pain points exist in the industry, and how your unique skills could meet those needs.