This year, we at Aneo have as many as six nominees for this year's Power Woman Award – something we are, of course, proud of. But what do the nominees themselves think, and how can such an award drive renewable efforts across all of Norway? We talked to some of them about how they started in the energy industry, and how Power Women highlights the career opportunities available for young people out there.
The nominees for Aneo are:
Ellen Krohn Aasgård – Head of Department, Energy Management
Ella-Lovise Hammer Vold Rørvik – Machine Learning Engineer, Technology and Development
Solveig Ulseth – Head of Project Development, Wind and Solar Power
Karen Byskov Lindberg – Senior Advisor, Technology and Development
Gøril Forbord – Group Director, Technology and Development
Kristin Sæterø – Managing Director, Aneo Build AS/Aneo Mobility AS
Ellen Krohn Aasgård – Head of Department, Energy Management
What is your background and how long have you worked at Aneo?
I have been working at Aneo since October 2022, so a little over a year. I have a background in Industrial Economics at NTNU and previously worked as a researcher at SINTEF where I tried to figure out smart ways to plan hydropower.
What attracted you to the power industry?
Actually, it was a bit by chance that I ended up in the power industry. I had a friend in my studies who had a summer job at Agder Energi, and she was supposed to write a master's thesis for them. We wanted to write the thesis together, so I just jumped on board. So I've been lucky – both with the topic for the master's thesis, plus having a good friend!
How do you find working life in the renewable energy industry and at Aneo?
It's almost become cliché to say that working with renewable energy is incredibly exciting. But it truly is exciting, because there is always something new to learn or figure out! Previously, I worked mainly with hydropower, but since I joined Aneo, I've also learned a lot about wind. We need all forms of renewable energy, so I think it's important that we at Aneo work broadly with multiple technologies.
Why do you believe events like the Woman of the Year in Energy are important?
I think it's great that talented people are appreciated and celebrated. The work and effort are what's important, but I think it's very nice to highlight those who are good role models. We need all kinds of people who can contribute to the power industry.
What do you believe is the most important factor in recruiting more women – of all ages – into the power industry?
It's simply about telling people what it's like to work in this industry. There are so many exciting challenges – so much to learn and achieve! Considering the past two years, where things have been a bit more turbulent than usual in the energy sector, it feels even more important to continue the work.
Ella-Lovise Hammer Vold Rørvik – Machine Learning Engineer, Technology and Development
What is your background and how long have you worked at Aneo?
I have a master's degree in cybernetics and robotics from NTNU, where I specialized in autonomous systems. I started in 2018 as a summer student at Aneo. From there, I got a part-time position until I started full-time in January 2020.
What attracted you to the power industry?
I took a course in AI at NTNU where a professor was looking for summer students interested in working with AI towards the critical societal sector. I thought it seemed interesting to use AI for something beneficial and practical for society, so I applied for the summer job. When I found out that the summer job was at TrønderEnergi, I became very curious about how AI could be used in the power sector. Through the summer job and part-time job, I learned a lot about how the power industry functions and saw AI in practice! It was fun to see how interdisciplinary teams came together to solve several complex issues!
How do you find working life in the renewable energy industry and at Aneo?
First and foremost, I get to be a part of exciting, interesting, and innovative projects, where we use interdisciplinary teams to solve various challenges. And it's a plus that it's fun to work with so many competent and eager people!
Why do you believe events like the Woman of the Year in Energy are important?
A lot of good work has been done to create more diversity in workplaces, but there are still several sub-areas within the power industry that have a low proportion of women, for example among technicians. It's also not uncommon for me to have few female representatives in external meetings. A good foundation has been laid, but we must continue to work for even more diversity in the industry.
What do you believe is the most important factor in recruiting more women – of all ages – into the power industry?
I find that many people are unaware of all the opportunities and challenges that the power industry faces, and if we spread more knowledge, I believe more people will be attracted to the industry.
Additionally, we need to showcase good role models: Good role models show that there is space, and we need more types of people in the industry.
Solveig Ulseth – Head of Project Development, Wind and Solar Power
What is your background and how long have you worked at Aneo?
I am a graduate engineer from Energy and Environment at NTNU, with a specialization in energy use and planning. In the 19 years since I started working, I've gained experience from various roles in the energy industry; from high voltage operations operator to energy advisor in aid, project development and management, as well as several leadership roles before I started at Aneo in 2022.
What attracted you to the power industry?
I started with a study in development but realized that if I was going to truly contribute to a better world, I had to focus on the energy industry. Developing renewable energy sustainably is, to me, an obvious part of the solution to major global challenges related to climate, environment, and social and economic inequalities.
How do you find working life in the renewable energy industry and at Aneo?
The renewable industry is exciting! There are so many different types of jobs and fields you can develop in. Something is always happening here, the company has big ambitions, willingness, and the ability to execute. I find that we, as employees, have significant influence and a real opportunity to make a difference.
Why do you believe events like the Woman of the Year in Energy are important?
Such events make visible what can be achieved, female role models were almost invisible in the industry 20 years ago. As a fairly new graduate, I attended a conference where we were only two women among over 100 participants; this wouldn't happen today.
Nevertheless – we women are still in the minority, both at educational institutions and workplaces. Thus, equality is not just about gender balance and equal pay, but also about the small, practical things in everyday life. The selection of protective equipment tailored to women is an area where I still find there is room for improvement.
What do you believe is the most important factor in recruiting more women – of all ages – into the power industry?
I believe the most important factor is having women at leadership levels, so we also have women recruiting into the industry. Otherwise, it’s crucial to highlight what a job in the energy sector can entail, and to showcase good female role models.
Karen Byskov Lindberg – Senior Advisor, Technology and Development
What is your background and how long have you worked at Aneo?
I have a master's and Ph.D. from NTNU in Electric Energy. I have been working at Aneo for 1 year and 4 months (started in October 2022).
What attracted you to the power industry?
At 19, I knew I wanted to work with energy challenges related to the climate crisis. I chose the Energy and Environment line at NTNU. Since then, I've been in the energy sector – first as an energy analyst at NVE, then as a senior researcher at SINTEF Community, and now finally as a subject manager for Energy Flexibility at Aneo.
How do you find working life in the renewable energy industry and at Aneo?
This is an industry in enormous development. From 2005 when I started at NVE until today, much has happened on the power production side – both solar and wind.
Going forward, we need more focus on the consumption side – both energy efficiency (heat pumps are crucial!) and how we can use energy more flexibly – meaning shifting consumption over time.
AI and smart technologies, together with the energy sector, will make it possible to adapt consumption to production and available capacity in the grid. Aneo is uniquely positioned with expertise in production, consumption, trade, and AI. High competence and incredibly pleasant people are what make it rewarding to work at Aneo.
Why do you believe events like the Woman of the Year in Energy are important?
Equality in the workplace is one of my key issues! Equality is about equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, age, orientation, and ethnicity. For me, it means promoting those who do a good job so they get good career opportunities – regardless of gender, age, orientation, and ethnicity.
Today, we need networks like "Kraftkvinnene", but the goal is for such organizations to no longer be necessary one day. Until that happens, I believe we need female role models in the power industry and more success stories from the energy industry where women make a difference.
What do you believe is the most important factor in recruiting more women – of all ages – into the power industry?
Studies show that young people today are more likely to choose jobs with meaning rather than salary than before. The power industry directly contributes to solving the climate crisis by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and making energy use more efficient and electrified. If we can manage to communicate this message, I believe more – both women and men – will choose the power industry.
