ECEDHA Energy and Power Educational Programs Development Workshop, November 2010

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A safe, secure, reliable and affordable supply of electric power is a basic requirement for economic health. Canada and the United States have a common interest in this area through the interconnected power grid spanning the US-Canadian border. The utilities that operate this grid face increasing challenges in meeting the growing demand for electricity in the context of sustainable energy. The grid must evolve to accommodate new energy sources such as renewables and support new uses such as plug-in electric vehicles. Utilities need to integrate information and communication technologies into the next-generation grid to deliver electricity more efficiently and effectively. As a result, the next generation of electric power engineers will require knowledge of topics outside the traditional curriculum including communications, sensor integration, policy, software development and security. Intellectual Merit: The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA) and their member departments in the United States and Canada have recognized the need to update and upgrade programs in power engineering. The workshop described in this proposal is the first in a series of ECEDHA workshops that will bring together a diverse set of academic, government, NGO and industry participants to address a range of issues including curriculum changes, faculty development and student recruitment. The audience will primarily consist of university educators; however, the workshop results and recommendations will be widely disseminated (via web and conferences) to all stakeholders, including government agencies and NGO?s responsible for increased Canada-U.S. regulatory harmonization. The workshop centers on the urgency for ECE educators to update and upgrade university-level power engineering programs to advance fundamental knowledge and prepare the next generation of engineering professionals in this critical field. Broader Impact: The broader impact of the workshop is reflected in the international scope of the issues to be addressed at the workshop, and by the serious attention that the workshop will devote to recruiting, retaining, and mentoring undergraduate students, graduate students and young faculty, while drawing as much as possible from underrepresented groups in engineering.