EPCE News and Information

EPCE Commerates Ten Years

Energy industry organizations commemorate over 10 years of collaborative effort as part of the Energy Providers Coalition for Education at the August 2011 coalition meeting in Philadelphia.

EPCE's DOE Grant Opens Up New Career Opportunities for High School Students in Hartford, CT

Through our recent Smart Grid Workforce Training grant from the Department of Energy, EPCE, along with VHS, Northeast Utilities, and the CBIA, have partnered to provide this exciting opportunity to students at the Academy of Engineering and Green Technology in Hartford, CT. Twenty-two students were selected to participate in the two-year project, which includes industry-specific online courses and a hands-on internship.

EPCE Announces Operation Considerations for the Smart Grid Online Course for the Technical Utility Workforce

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.

EPCE Announces Online Smart Grid Course for Customer Service Reps as Part of DOE Grant

EPCE is pround to announce the launch of Smart Grid, Smart Customer a new online course that provides a non-technical overview of smart grid for customer service and call center employees as well as anyone who would like to know more about smart grid.and helps utility industry employees respond to questions about smart grid and alleviate customer confusion about the new technology as it is introduced.

WPI and EPCE Partner to Offer Graduate-Level Education in Power Systems Engineering – Entirely Online

To help the energy industry meet expanding professional workforce needs, the Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to offer online graduate degree programs in power systems engineering beginning in fall 2011. WPI becomes the fourth educational partner to join EPCE's national coalition, which represents two-thirds of the utility industry.

First Online Nuclear Degree to Align with the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program

The Energy Partners Coalition for Education (EPCE)'s Associates Degree in Nuclear Power Technology offered by their educational partner, Bismarck State College (BSC) National Energy Center for Excellence (NECE), has been approved by the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program (NUCP) for the non-licensed operator track, allowing prospective students and employees greater access to critical nuclear training. This is the first ever online education program to align with the NUCP.

An EPCE Student's Firsthand Experience Taking the Clemson University BSEE Courses Online

Greg Cizin has made education a lifelong pursuit. Greg's latest challenge to himself is tackling the Clemson electrical engineering courses, online through EPCE.

EPCE Announces Launch of First Online Smart Grid Course as Part of DOE Grant

November 15, 2010, Denver, CO - EPCE is excited to announce that the first of three online courses on the smart grid has launched. Renewable Energy Sources and the Smart Grid was developed as part of the Department of Energy Smart Grid Workforce Training Grant.

EPCE Awarded Smart Grid Training & Development Grant

June 17, 2010, Denver, CO - CAEL's regional office in Denver, which facilitates the Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE), was notified that the 'EPCE - Workforce Preparedness for Smart Grid Deployment' proposal was awarded a $2.549 million Department of Energy grant.

CAEL/EPCE's Light up Your Future high school program featured in Electric Co-op Today

"Reaching Out to Entice Young Co-op Workforce Recruits," focuses on how co-ops are utilizing methods to recruit high school students for the energy industry. "The target for us is high school students [who] are looking for opportunities," said Jo Winger de Rondon, vice president of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). CAEL administers the Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE) which has been working with Virtual High School (VHS) to create courses for young adults.

Partnership with Clemson Brings Electrical Engineering Courses to the Energy Industry

EPCE has partnered with Clemson University to bring their Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E.) to the energy industry.  Clemson’s Electrical Engineering courses will be available online starting in the summer 2009 term.

This program is appropriate for students who work for or plan to work for electric utilities, electrical equipment manufacturers, or companies which rely heavily on electrical energy.

South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company Joins EPCE

EPCE welcomes the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) as a new member to the coalition. STPNOC consists of twin reactors located 90 miles from Houston. They manage the power plant for owners, Austin Energy, CPS Energy, and NRG Energy LLC.

Virtual High School, Inc., an EPCE partner, receives National Accreditation

On April 25, 2008 the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools voted unanimously to grant Virtual High School accreditation with no stipulations or conditions, for 5 years. Virtual High School, the education industry's leader in providing high-quality online courses to high school students has partnered with EPCE to promote online education to high school students that wish to prepare for an exciting career path in the energy.

EPCE partner, Excelsior College offers the first virtual student chapter of the American Nuclear Society (ANS).

Excelsior College joins the American Nuclear Society as the first virtual chapter. The purpose of ANS is to promote the awareness and understanding of the application of nuclear science and technology. The ANS allows students and faculty to tap into resources with in the nuclear power industry that include job opportunities, current industry news and trends. The ANS is comprised of over 11,000 engineers, scientists, administrators, and educators working together to create a place to share common ideas regarding nuclear science and technology.

Tuition Rates Lowered for Orientation to the Electric Industry Course

The class Orientation to the Electric Industry has been reformatted for 2008. The improvements to the course are: new lower tuition rate- only $140 for EPCE members, now a self-paced course for increased convenience, and new sessions now begin monthly.

Ideal for new hire orientation and employee training programs, this course is useful for all positions in utility companies, including managers, engineers, technicians, non-technical staff such as, accounting, finance, legal, and anyone else interested in an overview of the electric industry.

Nuclear Renaissance Presents Employment Opportunities

Carol Berrigan, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) director of industry infrastructure testified the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee about the workforce development needs being created by the expansion of the nuclear sector. Meanwhile, the industry is still facing an aging workforce with nearly half the workers 47 years old or older.

EPCE provider, Bismarck State College, designated the National Power Plant Operations Technology and Education Center

This designation is a mark of excellence from the Federal Government for BSC's cutting-edge education and training programs.

EPCE is pleased to welcome Constellation Energy to its membership

By joining EPCE, Constellation is part of an industry wide coalition working together to solve workforce development issues through industry-sponsored online education.

Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station Joins EPCE

Palo Verde is operated by Arizona Public Service (APS) and is owned by a consortium of seven utilities in the Southwest.  APS owns 29.1 percent of the plant.  Palo Verde expands the APS membership in EPCE, joining APS’s Energy Services division in utilizing the EPCE-sponsored online education programs for workforce development.   Palo Verde has been the largest power producer of any kind in the United States since 1992. Its three units are capable of generating nearly 4,000 megawatts of electricity.  By joining EPCE, Palo Verde is supporting its strategic objective to develop employees from within by increasing the knowledge of existing staff and streamlining the “basics” training for new hires. 

EPCE Welcomes Northeast Utilities

The EPCE industry coalition welcomes Northeast Utilities to its membership. The company serves Connecticut, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and joins its industry partners in developing and promoting industry-driven online education to current and future employees through EPCE.  By offering the EPCE-sponsored programs to its employees and local communities as convenient, quality online educational opportunities, the utility sees EPCE as a resource to support and build its workforce.

JEA Joins EPCE

The EPCE industry coalition welcomes JEA to its membership. The JEA electric system is the eighth-largest community-owned utility in the United States and currently serves more than 360,000 customers in Jacksonville, FL and parts of three adjacent counties. JEA joins its industry partners in developing and promoting industry-driven online education to current and future employees through EPCE. By offering the industry-sponsored programs to its employees, JEA and other utilities make use of EPCE as a resource to support and build their workforce.

EPCE Partners to Offer A Bachelor’s In Nuclear Engineering Technology

The Excelsior College BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology is TAC-ABET accredited and widely known across the nuclear power industry. This degree offers the next logical step for graduates of EPCE-sponsored fully online AAS in Nuclear Power Technology at Bismarck State College. For individuals with nuclear industry training and other college credits, this degree completion program is a great opportunity to earn a BS degree in nuclear through a recognized, adult learner centered institution.