A national workshop on clean energy education took place at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, on October 13, 2011. The workshop is the first in a series of activities that will bring together experts in energy education to lead the nation in creating an energy literate citizenry for the 21st century. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the workshop was organized by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in collaboration with the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois-Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory and the Illinois Green Economy Network of Community Colleges.  Participants included experts across the P-20 spectrum, members of government, and representatives of industry to answer the question “What are the crucial elements in a national program of clean energy education, and what are the best practices that such a program should adopt?”

 

Carl Wieman, Associate Director for Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Nobel laureate, gave the keynote address, speaking from his Washington office.  A five-member panel then discussed and debated the goals and challenges of clean energy education from diverse viewpoints. The closing address by Juergen Scheffran, University of Hamburg, Germany, expand the issue to the international stage. See the video recordings of these and other talks given at the workshop. Current and planned educational activities at the collaborating institutions were highlighted in poster presentations.

 

In the afternoon, invited participants worked in breakout sessions to draft recommendations for the national report.  These participants included faculty from approximately 30 universities, community colleges and schools, as well as leaders from business and industry, government and non-government organizations.  The workshop represented a unique collaboration between public and private institutions in an effort to address a topic of critical national need.

 

The findings, to be summarized in a soon-to-be released workshop report, are intended to inform decision-makers about the education programs that would provide the most added-value to the progress of the nation, either through more efficient use of existing resources or through highly targeted new programs. For example, it is already evident that a network between educational institutions will allow each to offer a much wider scope and quality of programs in energy science, engineering, and technology.

 

 

 

Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently outlined the administration’s strategy for producing 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from clean sources by 2035 as part of the President’s plan for America to “win the future.”  Comprehensive programs in clean energy education are needed to guide the nation towards a future in which our system of energy sources, distribution and use is resilient, affordable, and reduces the risks associated with climate change.  The term systems is featured because real solutions involve the deeply intertwined issues of energy resources, technologies, demand and utilization, water resources, land use, economics and business, policy and regulation, environmental impact, safety and security. 

 

The transition to clean energy calls for the development of a national strategy for energy education designed to keep our citizens and our nation informed about energy sources, uses and choices.  An energy-educated citizenry does not mean every person is an energy expert.  Rather, it refers to an informed public that is capable of connecting public or private energy actions to the environmental, social and economic consequences.  Job creation at the local level is also a national goal: energy education will prepare those in the workforce to innovate, manufacture, install and operate clean energy systems.