Regional Collaboration Receives National Recognition

“Green Pathways = Green Paydays” is a collaboration between Riverside Workforce Development, College of the Desert, and the regional chapter of GRID Alternatives that has proven very effective in addressing workforce needs of the region’s renewable energy industry.

Employment in the Green Economy

As Deputy Sector Navigator (DSN) for Advanced Transportation and Renewable Energy (ATRE), Larry McLaughlin has maintained a partnership that began several years ago with the author of this program, Regional Director Wendy Frederick, to develop renewable energy job training. With the support of a talented outreach and placement staff, the partnership has focused on getting those who are unemployed back to work in the region’s growing green economy.
Workforce training conducted under the Green Pathways = Green Paydays program has included solar energy, residential energy rating, and advanced lighting controls. Each has yielded important industry credentials that help participants compete more effectively in the regional job market.
The program has also partnered with employers to conduct job fairs and recruitment events. In November 2014, more than 300 residents of Blythe, California attended a job fair for the large-scale McCoy solar power project. There were 125 job offers made. This program has helped usher in a new age of renewable energy for California by working with contractors and labor unions to place skilled workers in some of the world’s largest solar projects being constructed in Riverside County.

Semifinalist in National Competition

The Green Pathways = Green Paydays program was recently recognized as a 2015 semifinalist in the Innovation in American Government Awards program, a national competition recognizing excellence and creativity in the public sector. The award includes the use of the Innovation in American Government Semifinalist Seal on the Riverside Economic Development, Workforce Development website and marketing materials. A profile of the program is also featured on the Government Innovators Network through the Harvard/Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.
For more information about Green Pathways = Green Paydays, contact Larry McLaughlin at lmclaughlin@collegeofthedesert.edu.

ATRE Supports Local Drone Training

Students of the Digital Design and Engineering Academy at William J. “Pete” Knight High School in Palmdale, California are steeped in aerospace history and tradition. Inspired by their school’s namesake as well as the flight test aircraft that regularly soar overhead, students have endeavored to compete in an international autonomous aircraft challenge, to make history of their own. And they have done just that. Read More →

Declining Cost of Acquiring and Storing Wind and Solar Energy

The World Energy Council reports the declining cost of acquiring and storing wind and solar energy will lead to increased energy storage deployment. The clean energy revolution continues to gain momentum, with record-breaking wind and solar capacity added in 2015. In California, solar power became the number one source of renewable energy last year, accounting for nearly 10% of the state’s electricity. In response to this growth, the ATRE delivered a well-timed energy storage and PV training program on January 12-13, 2016.
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20 Million Gallons of Biodiesel a Year

The newly opened facility will produce up to 20 million gallons of biodiesel each year, and create jobs in partnership with West Hills College.

The San Joaquin Valley is now home to the world’s first fully sustainable liquid biofuel facility. Biodico Westside began production in December, 2015 and operates entirely on renewable heat and power.

(From Right to Left) JJ Rothgery, Chairman of the Board at Biodico; Russ Teall, President and Founder of Biodico; Janea Scott, California Energy Commissioner; John Diener, President and CEO, Red Rock Ranch; Jim Costa, U.S. Congressman; Jim Houston, Undersecretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture; Dr. Frank Gornick, Chancellor of the West Hills Community College District; and Captain Monty Ashliman, Commanding Officer, Naval Air

Biodico Created an Internship Program Specifically for West Hills Students

Many of the jobs at Biodico Westside are created in partnership with West Hills College, which is located in a region with high unemployment. Biodico created an internship program specifically for West Hills students and frequently hires graduates of their two-year Industrial Technology Program, which gives many farm laborers higher skills and more lucrative employment.

“Biodico Westside Facility is a result of years of research and development to produce biofuels that make good environmental, social and business sense,” said Biodico President and Founder Russ Teall. “Today we are forging a new path in biofuel production by utilizing sustainable solutions to convert diverse feedstocks into renewable sources of fuel and energy.”

In addition to processing multi-feedstocks, including used cooking oil, vegetable oil, and animal fats to name a few, the facility also utilizes anaerobic digestion, gasification and an advanced utility scale solar cogeneration system.
Read original article here.

KidWind Challenge: College of the Desert Assists with the Region’s Sixth Annual Competition.

Students compete in the KidWind Challenge, scheduled for February 27, 2016 at Desert Hot Springs High School.

Approximately 100 students from high schools and middle schools in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties will build and demonstrate their working wind turbine models as part of this sixth annual event. Student projects will be judged by local industry partners and community leaders.
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Hoover High School SABE Academy Prepares Students for Tomorrow’s Global Challenges

The demand for highly skilled engineers, renewable energy experts and development specialists is growing in the San Diego region and across the globe.

The new roles for environmental engineers, scientists and green technical occupations will become increasingly more critical within the next decade, and students at Hoover High School in San Diego are being prepared to fill these jobs.

Sustainable Academy of Building and Engineering (SABE)

Students in all grade levels are participating in the Sustainable Academy of Building and Engineering (SABE), part of Hoover’s Green Technology and Engineering Program. The program provides students a challenging hands-on approach exploring engineering, renewable energy and green technology related careers. Learning activities include several experimental hands-on student built projects, ranging from solar boats to solar greenhouses.
Greg Newhouse, the region’s Deputy Sector Navigator of the Advanced Transportation and Renewable Energy (ATRE) Sector has been an integral part of the SABE program implementation, providing resource support and industry advisory board input. Additional key program partners are the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 569, Grid Alternatives, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, California Center for Sustainable Energy, and Strategic Energy Innovations.

Student participation in SABE continues to increase each year.

Last year enrollment included 106 freshman, 76 sophomores, 32 juniors, and 28 seniors. During 2015-16 SABE has grown to have approximately 76 students at each grade level.  Graduating students advance to many of the community college programs in the region as well as to universities.
For more information about the SABE Academy and ATRE, contact Greg Newhouse at gnewhous@sdccd.edu.

Over 1 Million Drones Sold

The drone industry continues to grow in both the recreational and commercial markets. Just this past holiday season, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) projected that over 1 million drones would be sold, likely to recreational users. And to date, more than 2,800 FAA Section 333 exemption requests have been granted to commercial drone flight operators.

California’s economy has already received a boost from this emerging industry.

Time Structures, Inc. reports that the economic impact was approximately $398 million in 2015, making the drone sector a significant piece of the economy. Currently there are more than 90 drone-related businesses in California, and that number is expected to increase substantially after the release of finalized regulations by the FAA that would accommodate commercial drones.

More Than 300 Drone Applications

And there is no shortage of possible drone applications. Unmanned Vehicle University has already identified more than 300 uses for drones spanning a variety of economic sectors. We may soon be using drones for search and rescue efforts, traffic monitoring, and disaster management, just to name a few possibilities.

Preparing Students for Careers

It’s clear that there is a need to prepare students for careers in this fast-growing industry. After researching the opportunity to align ATRE training with the emerging needs of California’s drone industry, Peter Davis (ATRE Statewide Director) and Greg Newhouse (ATRE Deputy Sector Navigator of the San Diego region) met with Max Moore of San Diego Miramar College to discuss the development of training for technical jobs in the drone sector.
As the program director of Miramar’s Aeronautical & Aviation Department, Moore was eager to investigate the opportunity. He quickly began making connections with local Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) companies and has attended several seminars, including a three-day training held during the winter break. Moore has also been included on a task force assembled by the San Diego Flight Standards District Office.

“The task force was assembled to inform the public and incorporate drones into our airspace. We’re still in the introductory stages, but it is taking shape. I’m in contact with a lot of the UAS talent in San Diego as part of the task force,” said Moore.

All of these connections will serve Moore well as he works to develop curriculum for Miramar students as part of its FAA pilot school program. Safety, flight characteristics, and flight operations are all important components of the program, and necessary skills for commercial drone pilots. Depending on the curriculum development process and industry assistance, Moore hopes that Miramar College could start offering this training as soon as summer or fall semester in 2016.

Interested in training UAV pilots and technicians on your campus?

Contact Peter Davis, Statewide Director of the ATRE at outrchpd@me.com.

The California Energy Commission is providing $2 million in funding to the California Community Colleges through its Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology program.

Image source: afdc.energy.gov (US Dept of Energy)

Miramar College’s Advanced Transportation Technology and Energy Center was chosen to lead the state effort

Miramar College’s ATRE Center was chosen to lead the state effort in large part because of its prior work with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Energy Commission. The partnership worked together to assess the college system’s readiness to provide alternative fuel and advanced transportation training throughout the state. One of their key findings was that these programs need to be available across the state, both in rural areas and in regions with a high concentration of advanced transportation employment opportunities, including Shasta, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Sutter, and Imperial counties.

“This contract recognizes the importance of keeping community college technician training on the same path as alternative fuel and advanced transportation technology development, thereby ensuring that new vehicles on the road truly work to achieve the state’s fuel use and emission-reduction goals,” said Greg Newhouse, Director of the Advanced Transportation Technology and Energy Center at Miramar College.

Funds for the Purchase of New Equipment, Curriculum Development and Program Delivery

Colleges receiving a grant award can use the funds to purchase new equipment for alternative fuel and advanced vehicle technology training purposes, such as medium and/or heavy duty vehicles, vehicle fueling equipment, and lab training aids like alternative fuel engines and natural gas cylinders. Funds can also be used for curriculum development, the delivery of training programs, and faculty professional development associated with purchased equipment and/or new course materials developed.

Application instructions and additional details will be posted at www.atreeducation.org.

Interested college faculty and administrators are encouraged to contact Peter Davis, Statewide Director of the ATRE at outrchpd@me.com or Greg Newhouse at gnewhous@sdccd.edu for more information.