Abstract

Princeton Energy Resources International (PERI) is teaming with a local a community college and two rural electric cooperatives to provide training and workforce development to accelerate the use of sustainable energy resources in the Mid-Atlantic region. Working with Worchester and Wicomico Community College, PERI is developing and implementing an Associate degree program in Electrical Engineering, an Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Environmental Engineering Technology, and a certificate program in alternative energy. A distance learning component will be added to the program to provide further outreach to electric cooperatives. The PERI team is also assisting Salisbury University in the development of a Rural Energy Business Administration Certificate program that focuses on business issues related to sustainable and renewable energy. To further enrich the learning experience, Choptank Electric Cooperative is implementing hands-on training at their wind and solar data collection laboratory. Mentorships and scholarships are supported by the Maryland Energy Administration and the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative.