CREATE Energy National Center

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Most of the current energy infrastructure in the U.S. was built in the five decades from the 1920s to the late 1970s. The U.S. is now faced with the challenge of replacing this aging and soon to be obsolete infrastructure, while a tremendous opportunity exists globally to create new sustainable industries and economies through renewable energy, energy storage, energy efficiency and other advanced, smart, and clean energy technologies. More than 80% of all new electrical generation added in 2020 was from renewable energy sources, largely in the form of wind and solar power led in large part by three of the world’s largest economies: China, Germany, and the U.S. This project will address the rapidly changing energy landscape to develop and promote exemplary programs in support of the education of a skilled technical workforce for the American energy sector. The CREATE National Energy Center proposes to become the preeminent source of faculty professional development and instructional materials for energy educators, increase the visibility of energy careers and broaden participation of groups historically underrepresented in these careers, and build academic, industry, and international partnerships to advance energy technician education. The CREATE Center will empower two-year college faculty and academic programs to champion new energy technologies to ensure American competitiveness in this fast-changing sector. The Center will: provide models and leadership in support of two-year colleges working with four-year universities, secondary schools, business, industry, economic development agencies, and government to promote a skilled technical workforce for the energy sector; establish an effective dialogue and collaborations between existing and new ATE projects in energy technology and related fields across the nation; mentor faculty to broaden the impact of ATE in the energy sector; promote energy technician careers and visibility and the public image of advanced energy technology; address energy technician knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for the evolving, converging, and emerging technical workplace including re- and up-skilling of the incumbent workforce; and provide faculty professional development opportunities in advanced energy technology and areas of rapid growth. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.