U.S. DOE Names 5 University Partners for Clean Energy Programs

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will split $18.7 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law among five universities to train a new generation of clean energy tech professionals.

According to the news release last week, the universities will house Centers of Excellence for the department’s Industrial Assessment Centers Program, part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda to strengthen and diversify the talent pipeline for advanced manufacturing and other career fields in emerging technology. The new Centers of Excellence will include:

• Great Plains Center of Excellence at Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Okla.), which will involve a partnership with Northern Oklahoma College, Wichita State University and the University of Nebraska, and will use mobile apps, drones and AR/VR technology to further develop the IAC network’s tech-driven assessments.
• Southeastern Center of Excellence at Georgia Tech University (Atlanta, Ga.), which will partner with other institutions known for expertise in energy management and industrial electrification, including Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M University and Kennesaw State University.
• Mid-Atlantic Center of Excellence at Lehigh University (Bethlehem, Pa.), which will work with West Virginia University to bring unions, community colleges and trade schools into the fold and create new assessments that work better for small manufacturers.
• Gulf Coast Center of Excellence at Texas A&M University, which will focus on industrial decarbonization, electrification and resiliency planning. 
• Western Center of Excellence at San Francisco State University (San Francisco, Calif.), which will collaborate with San Jose State University, San Diego State University, Laney College and Cuyamaca College, given their expertise in data-driven tracking, to look at ways to make domestic manufacturing more competitive with renewable energy, energy management, thermal systems design, and waste and water management.

According to the news release, the department also announced $54 million in funding to extend the IAC program to community colleges and trade schools and to establish Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTACs) at higher education institutions. The news release said the combined $72 million investment is part of the Biden administration’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

“Strengthening and diversifying the pipeline for high-quality manufacturing and building efficiency jobs is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to create an economy that will allow our nation to reach its clean energy future,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a public statement. “This is a direct investment in the next generation of American workers that will help ensure America’s global leadership in advanced manufacturing and green building technologies.”

According to the DOE announcement, the IAC program exists at 37 universities across 28 states and has provided more than 20,000 assessments at small and mid-sized manufacturers (SMMs), which make up over 90 percent of the nation’s manufacturing base and much of its workforce.

The announcement added that an informational webinar on funding opportunities for new IACs and BTACs is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on April 18. Concept papers are due May 25, and full applications are due July 31.