BESS Recruitment USA: The Skills Behind America's Energy Storage Expansion
Battery Energy Storage Systems are becoming an increasingly important part of US power infrastructure.
And the pace of development is significant.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, operational utility-scale battery storage capacity reached nearly 52 GW by June 2026.
During the first six months of 2026 alone, operators added another 8.3 GW.
The EIA also reports that operators currently plan to bring an additional 54 GW of battery storage capacity online through 2028.
But every new BESS project requires much more than batteries.
It needs people.
From development and grid interconnection through engineering, construction, commissioning and long-term operations, BESS requires a broad range of specialist technical skills.
For employers, understanding where those skills come from could become increasingly important as the market expands.
The BESS workforce begins long before construction
When people think about energy storage jobs, they may immediately picture engineers standing next to containers of batteries.
The actual workforce requirement begins much earlier.
Before construction can start, developers need people capable of progressing projects through development, permitting, interconnection, engineering and commercial stages.
Depending on the project, that can create requirements across:
- Project development
- Grid interconnection
- Electrical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Project management
- Procurement
- Commercial management
- Permitting
- Utility coordination
And once a project moves into delivery, the technical workforce expands considerably.
Electrical Engineering
BESS is fundamentally an electrical infrastructure market.
Projects require engineers capable of understanding systems including:
- High-voltage and medium-voltage infrastructure
- Transformers
- Switchgear
- Substations
- Protection
- Power conversion systems
- Electrical distribution
- Grid connections
- Auxiliary systems
This creates an important recruitment advantage.
The US doesn't need to create an entirely new electrical engineering profession specifically for BESS.
Many of the underlying skills already exist within Power Generation, utilities, Renewable Energy, transmission and distribution and other electrical infrastructure markets.
The challenge is identifying which experience transfers effectively into storage.
Grid Interconnection
One of the most important skillsets can exist before a battery is even installed.
BESS projects need to connect into increasingly complex electricity networks.
Professionals with experience across interconnection studies, utilities, transmission systems and grid requirements can therefore be particularly important during project development.
These candidates may come from:
Utilities
Solar & Wind development
Power Generation
Transmission & Distribution
Engineering consultancies
Independent power producers
As storage deployment expands, competition for people who understand how generation, storage and the grid interact is likely to remain significant.
Protection & Controls
A BESS project isn't simply a large battery.
It is an integrated electrical system.
Protection Engineers and Controls Engineers can play critical roles in ensuring that equipment operates safely and interacts correctly with the wider electrical network.
Relevant expertise may include:
- Protection relays
- Protection coordination
- SCADA
- PLCs
- Controls integration
- Communications
- Power monitoring
- System testing
These skills are already highly transferable across Critical Infrastructure.
Construction Management
Once a project enters construction, employers need people capable of turning engineering designs into operational infrastructure.
Construction Managers and Site Managers may coordinate:
- Civil works
- Electrical contractors
- Equipment installation
- Substation works
- OEMs
- Safety
- Schedules
- Quality
- Commissioning readiness
Previous BESS experience can be valuable, but strong electrical infrastructure and Renewable Energy construction backgrounds may also transfer well.
Commissioning
Commissioning is one of the most important stages of any BESS project.
Individual components need to work.
Then the entire system needs to work together.
That can require expertise across:
- Electrical testing
- Protection
- Controls
- Power conversion systems
- Battery management systems
- SCADA
- Substations
- Grid interfaces
- Integrated system testing
Experienced commissioning professionals can therefore become some of the most valuable people on a project.
And importantly, they are also in demand across Power Generation, Data Centers, Advanced Manufacturing and other Critical Infrastructure.
Battery & OEM Expertise
Some roles do require more storage-specific knowledge.
Battery technology introduces technical considerations around battery management systems, thermal management, degradation, state of charge, system performance and safety.
Employers may therefore need people with direct experience from:
- Battery manufacturers
- BESS OEMs
- System integrators
- Energy storage developers
- EPCs
- Existing operating storage assets
This is where the candidate pool can become significantly more specialized.
Operations & Maintenance
The workforce requirement doesn't disappear once the project reaches commercial operation.
Operating BESS assets require monitoring, preventative maintenance, troubleshooting and performance management.
Depending on the operating model, teams may need experience across:
- Electrical maintenance
- HV/MV systems
- SCADA
- Controls
- Battery management systems
- Thermal systems
- Safety procedures
- OEM maintenance requirements
- Remote monitoring
- Fault response
As more assets move from construction into operation, the market will increasingly need professionals who understand not just how to build storage, but how to operate it reliably over its full lifecycle.
Safety expertise matters
BESS also introduces specific safety considerations.
Employers need people who understand the risks associated with high-voltage infrastructure and battery systems and can work within appropriate procedures, standards and emergency-response frameworks.
That can make experience from safety-critical environments particularly relevant.
Candidates from Power Generation, utilities, industrial electrical systems and other Critical Infrastructure environments may already bring a strong safety culture, even where their direct battery experience is more limited.
Where will the BESS talent come from?
This is perhaps the most interesting recruitment question.
Some roles genuinely require direct battery storage experience.
But many do not.
Relevant talent can potentially come from:
Solar & Wind
Renewable Energy professionals may already understand project development, grid connections, EPC delivery and utility-scale electrical infrastructure.
Power Generation
Power professionals can bring experience across electrical plant, substations, operations, commissioning and safety-critical environments.
Utilities & T&D
These markets contain deep expertise in high-voltage systems, protection, substations and grid infrastructure.
Industrial Automation
Controls Engineers can bring PLC, SCADA, integration and troubleshooting expertise.
Data Centers & Critical Power
There can also be crossover in areas such as electrical infrastructure, UPS systems, controls and commissioning.
The key is understanding which parts of the candidate's experience are genuinely transferable rather than simply matching job titles.
Texas is particularly important
Texas remains one of the largest areas of BESS development in the United States.
Earlier in 2026, the EIA expected Texas to account for more than half of planned US utility-scale battery storage additions during the year.
That level of activity means employers in Texas aren't only competing with other BESS projects.
They're also operating in a market with major Data Center, Power Generation, Renewable Energy and industrial infrastructure investment.
The recruitment strategy therefore needs to consider the wider Texas technical labor market.
Recruitment should follow the project lifecycle
A BESS developer shouldn't wait until commissioning to think about recruitment.
Different skills are required at different stages.
Development: interconnection, development, engineering and project leadership.
Construction: site management, electrical construction and project delivery.
Commissioning: testing, controls, protection and systems integration.
Operations: maintenance, monitoring, performance and asset leadership.
Mapping those requirements early gives employers time to understand where the relevant talent sits and where competition will be greatest.
Storage growth requires workforce growth
The US battery storage market has expanded rapidly.
But physical capacity alone doesn't deliver reliable energy infrastructure.
The industry needs people capable of developing projects, connecting them to the grid, constructing them safely, commissioning complex systems and operating those assets for years afterwards.
Some of those people will come from within BESS.
Many will come from elsewhere in the energy and Critical Infrastructure markets.
The employers that understand that wider talent ecosystem will have significantly more options as the market continues to grow.
Building a BESS or Energy Storage team in the US?
MC Technical Recruitment supports organizations across BESS, Renewable Energy, Power Generation, Data Centers and wider Critical Infrastructure throughout the United States.
Our specialist networks cover development, engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, maintenance and technical leadership.
If you're developing a new storage project, expanding your team or looking for specialist technical talent, speak to us about mapping the relevant US candidate market.
US: +1 346 613 1774