U.S. Department of Energy taps UL Lafayette to lead solar energy workforce project
In Louisiana, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette said that it is among 12 entities across the country selected for a $13.5 million U.S. Department of Energy initiative designed to expand the solar energy workforce and create jobs in underrepresented communities.
UL Lafayette earned a $1 million grant from the DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, which supports solar energy research and development. Other grants awarded as part of the initiative went to industry, tribal organizations, unions, a community college system and state and local governments.
The University will lead a statewide effort that will establish Louisiana Solar Corps, a solar workforce training and apprenticeship program.
“We’re assembling a team to build out a solar workforce training program, a statewide network. The University has been working to grow the solar industry in Louisiana for over a decade, and the point of this initiative is to expand those efforts throughout the state,” said Terrence Chambers, director at the University’s Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Center.
A primary objective of the Louisiana Solar Corps project will be to train workers to install a network of solar plus battery microgrids that will generate backup power during outages.
