08/31/2026
AI is increasing demand for electricity and putting new attention on the infrastructure needed to generate and deliver power.
That raises an interesting workforce question for our millwright students: who installs, maintains and repairs the machinery behind that infrastructure?
In Alaska, that question is especially relevant. Our communities and industries depend on complex power generation systems, heavy equipment and industrial machinery operating in some of the most demanding conditions in the country.
Sometimes you have to look past the headline to see where the skilled trades fit into the story.
Engineers, machinists, welders, electricians, millwrights and many other skilled professionals are all part of the infrastructure that makes modern technology possible.
At PWSC, our millwright students are learning how to work with the machinery and systems that keep industry moving.
The machines may be enormous. The need for people who know how to install, maintain and repair them is just as significant.
This CNBC video takes a look inside a gas turbine manufacturing plant and explores the growing demand for these machines.
It made me think about the people behind the technology — and how a story about AI and electricity can also become a conversation about skilled trades, industrial maintenance and workforce opportunities in Alaska.
Watch the video:
CNBC's Seema Mody got an exclusive look inside GE Vernova's largest...
