You can read Faith Birol's commentary here: www.iea.org/commentaries...

Some of the challenges are that building new hydropower requires community engagement, especially since some hydro resources are in areas where communities don't want a plant, and you have to account for droughts, reducing the amount of generation hydro can provide during certain years.

Download OLADE's report here -> www.olade.org/en/publicaci...

Those countries are Paraguay (100%), Costa Rica (100%), Uruguay (98%), Brazil (95%), Venezuela (92%), Colombia (91%), Ecuador (90%), Belize (77%), and Panama (71%). This region is rich in renewable resources and continues to demonstrate the value of renewables as a least-cost electricity source.

They won't meet all of your power needs, but they can be helpful in an emergency.

Yeah compensation at most utilities is not competitive with a job in tech, so you're right that anyone pursuing that path is likely taking a pay cut

Most definitely! I knew of a handful of people going from CS to power during grad school and they were master's students. Some were also in the ESTP program at Carnegie Mellon: www.cmu.edu/engineering/...

There would be quite a few power electronics and power systems classes someone with a CS/tech background would need to take but it's certainly doable and someone with that background plus the power knowledge would be very valuable to a utility

Here's the IEEE Spectrum article on the energy sector talent shortage: spectrum.ieee.org/power-engine... #energysky

I'm doing my part by starting the Latimer Enterprises K-12 Energy Education Program (the first pilot will be in 2026), designed to equip young students with the foundational, hands-on skills in energy systems, data analysis, and critical thinking needed to meet our future energy demand. #energysky

You can convince a handful of people with scholarships, research programs, apprenticeships, and other incentives, but you won't significantly change outcomes this way.