A consortium of Western and Central New York higher education institutions, including Buffalo State College, have been selected to receive $2.5 million in federal stimulus money to educate current and future utility workers and engineers in smart grid technology.

Buffalo State’s portion of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant will be $360,000, which will go toward the development of new courses in the electrical engineering technology and technology education programs.
 
“In addition to integrating smart grid topics into traditional power systems courses, we will be creating a course on smart homes and the control of home appliances via the Internet,” said Ilya Grinberg, professor, Technology Department. “Smart grid technology will give home owners more control over their own power consumption, saving money and conserving energy in the process.”

In order to fully utilize these new technologies, Grinberg said, the utility workers—from the technician in the field to the customer service representatives in the call centers—will need to learn new skill sets. 

“Subjects such as renewable energy sources, as well as carbon and environmental concerns, did not exist when traditional power systems courses were designed,” said Grinberg, who will work alongside Steve Macho, assistant professor of technology, on the project. “The consortium is charged with better preparing the technicians and engineers for today’s reality.”
 
Syracuse University is the consortium’s lead institution. Also participating are the University at Buffalo, Clarkson University, University of Rochester and Onondaga Community College. National Grid, which will receive $2.2 million from the DOE, is collaborating with the institutions.