Getting Started In The Wind Industry: Seth Bryant

Green.Org sits down with Seth Bryant, a site manager at The Green Recruitment Company, shares his experience getting started in the wind industry.

Tell us a little bit about you and your background: 

I entered the wind industry in 2006, from the traditional electrical/ construction industry, not knowing what to expect but willing to take a chance. I started at the bottom as a traveling wind technician for a small company in South Dakota. I found success early by being willing to go wherever the company I was working for needed me to go and do whatever they needed me to do. At that time the wind industry was desperate for experienced people and I was fortunate to gain a lot of experience at a very rapid pace. All my experience from 2006-2009 was contract work and gave me the ability to work with amazing groups of professionals across the country and from around the world. I went from being an entry level wind technician to a commissioning lead within a couple years. When the economy changed in 2009 I transformed myself within the industry and began sourcing and selling older used wind turbines and components, and performed contract consulting for a few small projects domestically and internationally.

In 2011, for personal reasons, I took my first permanent position and moved to Wyoming. That job was the first titled leadership position that I was able to obtain. Since then I have consistently been in leadership roles in operations and construction, furthering my career through constant learning and goal setting. I went back to contract work about 3 years ago and have been working to broaden my experiences at a higher level through various roles from Construction Management to being an Owners Representative. I am currently in the process of obtaining my PMI-PMP credential to further my career in renewable energy and continue to have an amazing time in an industry that I feel is absolutely the most rewarding work I have ever done. I look forward to the future of my career and being a part of an industry that I truly believe in.

What is a fun fact about you?

I solo backcountry hunt with a bow exclusively on public lands. Usually for a week at a time. I try to go as often as possible, usually about 5 times a year.

Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today? 

In my opinion it is critical to our future and the future of our children’s children. The fact is that the population is continuing to grow and that means we will be utilizing resources at a much faster pace. Sustainability has to be a large part of the conversation to come up with a unified and executable plan to meet the needs of our communities and country on multiple levels. Energy, water, and food supply issues are some of the most important parts of the needs but how to sustain the pace and meet the needs without unnecessary waste, to me, needs to be part of the overall equation. It is a matter of national security, and should be inalienable rights to all Americans. Change in the climate is a real thing, I can certainly see the effects of it through my travels across the country and the conversations I have with ranchers and farmers in every community I visit. In many places I’ve been the winters are lighter and there is not enough snow pack for the melt into the reservoirs. In other places the summers are hotter and dryer than they have ever been before and there is not enough grass growing to feed cattle, or rainfall to grow crops. This is obviously a huge issue for our food supply.

What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?

10 years from now I envision the US having a robust offshore wind farm community. I would also imagine seeing another round of wind farms being repowered with updated equipment, like we’ve seen in the past few years. I also see the wind industry continuing to accomplish the sustainability initiatives they have already put into place through improved processes in multiple areas, further reducing the overall cost of energy and helping to lower power costs to end user customers.

What can the average person do to make a difference?

Get involved at your local level. Support renewable energy projects that can benefit your community, support local farmers and ranchers, support protecting wild lands and wild places that provide us with clean water and clean air, and understand that many of the resources we enjoy are or can become finite. Don’t waste.

Seth, thank you for sharing your experience Getting Started In The Wind Industry

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