Energy & Utilities

Energy companies need to balance supply and demand in real time. Electricity cannot easily be stored, so producers and grid operators must constantly forecast how much power will be needed and ensure supply matches it. This creates a continuous demand for forecasting and optimisation work.

The daily work involves working with time series data on energy production, consumption, and prices. You build models to forecast demand and supply, optimise how assets like power plants or wind farms are scheduled, and assess risk from price volatility. As renewable energy grows, the variability of generation from wind and solar adds complexity to these models.

The main tools are Python and R for modelling, SQL for data, and Excel for reporting. Knowledge of energy markets and how electricity prices are set is useful. Optimisation methods are common in roles focused on grid management or asset scheduling.

In the Netherlands, the energy transition is creating new roles in areas like grid planning, renewable energy forecasting, and carbon accounting. The sector connects to the Consultancy sector, where firms advise energy companies on the transition, and to roles like Data Scientist, Operations Analyst, and Quantitative Analyst.