For Immediate Release
Contact: Scott Bates, 303.804.4675, sbates@cael.org

As Part of DOE Workforce Grant, EPCE Energy Industry Coalition Announces Online Course Aimed at Technicians Working the Smart Grid

August 18, 2011, Denver, CO - As part of a $2.5-million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE) has launched a new online course designed to provide important training for the technical workforce responsible for installing, controlling, monitoring, and maintaining the smart grid.

Operation Considerations for the Smart Grid is designed to provide technicians working on the smart grid a balanced understanding of smart grid operations both from the utility perspective as well as the customer perspective.

"I'm impressed with the breadth and depth of material this course covered," said Sandy Simon, smart grid expert and consultant, who recently took the course in a pilot run. "Overall, I thought it was excellent and will be a valuable educational tool for the industry."

This course is designed for technicians, line workers, electricians, system operators, transmission planners, IT-cyber security officers, engineers, and anyone else with a technical background interested in learning about renewable energy and the smart grid. It will cover general topics such as various potential operating strategies of the smart grid and benefits of this technology to main stakeholders, as well as dive into the technologies and systems used for the smart grid, the technical skills necessary to maintain it, and safety precautions for operating the smart grid.

This 10- to 12-hour online course was developed in collaboration with EPCE's education partner, Bismarck State College's National Energy Center of Excellence, as part of a U.S. Department of Energy workforce training and development grant administered by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) on behalf of the EPCE coalition. Because it is online, students can access the course anytime, anywhere.

This course is part of a series of online smart grid courses (information available at www.epceonline.org/smartgrid) being developed to provide workforce preparedness training for thousands of current and prospective energy utility employees with the support and expertise of EPCE's DOE grant partners: Arizona Public Service (APS); ComEd, an Exelon Company; JEA; Northeast Utilities; Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OGE); and PJM Interconnection. EPCE association partners, the American Public Power Association (APPA), Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA), and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), are providing additional support for the program.

Representing approximately 70 percent of the industry workforce, EPCE is a unique coalition of industry organizations that partner with higher-education to develop, sponsor, and promote online learning programs to help the energy industry meet its workforce needs.

"With this funding, we, along with our energy partners and our founding education partner, have co-designed new online curriculum to help prepare the energy workforce for rapid technological changes coming to the industry," said Jo Winger de Rondon, vice president of CAEL. "Leveraging the historical success of the national EPCE Coalition provides a 'shovel-ready' infrastructure to quickly develop and deliver this new online curriculum."

About EPCE
The Energy Providers Coalition for Education (www.epceonline.org) is a national alliance delivering solutions to attract and engage the energy industry's workforce through quality online education. These programs offer interested candidates and incumbent workers technical skills as well as academic knowledge needed for industry career paths in electric utilities and nuclear power. EPCE members champion industry needs in their joint efforts to develop and sponsor online curriculum with qualified accredited high schools, colleges, and universities. EPCE celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2011.

About CAEL
The EPCE program is a signature initiative of CAEL, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (www.cael.org), an international non-profit organization with more than 35 years experience in creating and managing effective learning strategies for working adults through partnerships with employers, higher education, the public sector, and labor. CAEL is headquartered in Chicago and has regional offices in Denver and Philadelphia.

About Bismarck State College's National Energy Center of Excellence
Bismarck State College's National Energy Center of Excellence offers online and classroom training for the energy industry. Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degrees can be earned, or courses can simply be taken for professional development and training. Classes are available in Electric Power Technology (distribution), Electrical Transmission Systems Technology (system operations), Power Plant, Process (refining, gasification, ethanol, biodiesel), Nuclear Power and Renewable Generation (wind, solar, tidal, hydro, biomass) Technologies. In addition, a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Energy Management is available entirely online. The classes are offered in a convenient block-style format, giving students the opportunity to complete a class in 3-6 weeks. The National Energy Center of Excellence is also known for their non-credit offerings such as apprenticeship programs, customized training and NERC CEH courses.

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