April: One Year in Miami

Welcome to the April edition of Blakely Brown Insights!

It’s been a big month for Blakely Brown in the U.S., as we celebrate one year of our Miami presence!

Beyond Miami, we’re also sharing key insights from across the AEC market, including how states like Maine are taking a cautious approach to future data center demand, even as broader growth and opportunity remain strong. We’ll also be spotlighting a recent placement that highlights the impact of aligning the right talent with the right opportunity.

With appreciation,
The Blakely Brown Team

One Year of Miami

This month marks an incredible milestone for our U.S. team: one year of Blakely Brown Miami! What started with Ross relocating and setting up our very first office has quickly grown into something much bigger than we imagined. In just 12 months, we’ve built a thriving team, expanded rapidly, and already outgrown two office spaces.

Momentum picked up fast when Jacob joined that summer, and since then the growth hasn’t slowed. Today, our Miami team is 8 people strong, with even more new starters joining us later this year.

And we’re just getting started. The next chapter is about scaling even further, building out our presence in the U.S., and bringing more ambitious, driven recruiters along for the journey.

If you’re an experienced recruiter ready to take the next step in your career, and want to be part of something growing fast, we’d love to hear from you.

Send your resume to antonia@blakelybrowngroup.com

Maine Moves to Cap Data Centers

Maine lawmakers have passed a first-in-the-nation statewide moratorium on permitting large data centers (≥20 MW) through Nov. 1, 2027. The pause is intended to give a new state council time to study impacts on grid capacity, ratepayers, infrastructure, and the environment, despite relatively limited current data center demand in the ISO New England pipeline.

The move reflects a proactive approach to managing potential future load growth tied to AI and electrification, while raising questions about economic development, project viability, and regulatory uncertainty for developers.

What does this mean for engineers?

Grid capacity and load planning will dominate project feasibility: Expect deeper scrutiny of interconnection studies, peak demand profiles, and load flexibility. Engineers will need to design projects with demand response, on-site generation (e.g., solar + storage), and grid resilience in mind from day one.
Design requirements will expand beyond traditional scope: Future projects may require detailed disclosures on power usage, water consumption, and operational characteristics. This means tighter integration between civil, electrical, mechanical, and environmental engineering teams early in design.
Electrification trends are competing for the same capacity: With regional demand projected to rise ~11% (driven by heating and transportation electrification), engineers must plan for constrained infrastructure: upgrades, phased builds, or hybrid energy strategies will become more common.

What does this mean for recruiters?

Demand will shift toward energy and infrastructure specialists: Even with a temporary slowdown in Maine, nationally the data center boom continues. Prioritize talent in power systems, transmission planning, substation design, and energy modeling.

Regulatory and permitting expertise is becoming critical: Hiring demand will increase for professionals who understand utility coordination, environmental impact assessments, and evolving state-level policies around large-load developments.
Project pipelines may become more volatile and region-specific: Moratoriums like Maine’s signal uneven growth across markets. Recruiters should track policy environments closely and be ready to redeploy talent geographically or across adjacent sectors (e.g., renewables, grid modernization, electrification projects).

Case Study: Aligning Career Growth with Strategic Expansion

Earlier this year, our consultant Joe partnered with a Project Manager in Montana who was seeking greater leadership responsibility, reduced travel, and improved financial recognition.

At the same time, one of Joe’s clients was expanding into the renewables sector and required a senior professional with strong project delivery experience to support this growth.

Through a consultative approach, Joe successfully aligned both parties, placing the candidate into a Project Executive role.

The result:

For the candidate: