The outreach and education initiative supports wind energy education programs at universities as well as primary and secondary schools. By targeting students, the activities selected for funding address a major challenge for the wind energy industry as identified in DOE’s “20% Wind Energy by 2030” report that estimates that three million new positions will be created if the wind industry expands to provide 20 percent of the nation’s electrical energy, underscoring the urgent need for colleges and universities to train future wind energy practitioners.

“These awards showcase NREL and DOE’s expanding efforts to create an enhanced public awareness and understanding of wind energy,” NREL’s Ian Baring-Gould said. “These education programs eventually can lead to a skilled, knowledgeable workforce that will be ready to help us solve our energy challenges in the future.”

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC.

For more information about participating in the project, contact Scanlin at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For additional information on the project, visit www.windpoweringamerica.gov/schools_wfs_project.asp.