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Centralia Community College

Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy: SMART Grid Workforce Development

Abstract

The project establishes the Pacific Northwest Regional Center of Excellence for Clean Energy within Washington State’s Centralia College. A collaboration of consumer-and investor-owned utilities, the Bonneville Power Administration, the Pacific Northwest National Lab, community colleges and universities will design and deliver educational programs for: instrument control and relay specialists; generation, load and substation operators; line workers, substation wiremen and mechanics; meter technicians, and, secondarily, energy conservation program administrators and resource conservation managers. Training will be provided through satellite centers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. In addition, the Utah-based WestCAMP will develop safety and hazard prevention guidelines and training programs for all line workers, manufacturing and construction personnel or technicians who will be working with Smart Grid technologies.

Contact Information

Deborah Buterbaugh
Project Manager
National Energy Technology Laboratory
3610 Collins Ferry Road
Morgantown, WV 26507-0880
304-285-4164
Deborah.Buterbaugh@netl.doe.gov

Barbara Hins-Turner
Principal Investigator
Centralia College
600 Centralia College Blvd.
Centralia, WA 98531
360-736-9391 Ext. 477
bhins-turner@centralia.edu

At-A-Glance
Recipient: Centralia Community Colleg
HQ State: Washington
NERC Region:
Total Budget: $11,831,977
Federal Share: $4,998,859
 
Funding Program:
Project Type:
 
Equipment:
Targeted Benefits:
  • Offers training opportunities through partner satellite programs with simulator laboratories on Smart Grid technology across five states
  • Non-targeted occupations such as system designers, energy planners, dispatchers, and construction engineers may also benefit from collaboration
  • Re-trained displaced workers and prepare them for careers in the high-tech electric power industry
  • Active industrial participation in power energy education
  • A highly skilled, electric power workforce trained in cutting-edge Smart Grid technologies
  • Job retention and employee growth
 

The Department of Energy's Office of Electricity (OE) recognizes that our nation's sustained economic prosperity, quality of life, and global competitiveness depends on an abundance of secure, reliable, and affordable energy resources. OE leads the Department of Energy's efforts to ensure a resilient, and flexible electricity system in the United States. Learn more about OE >>

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