New Resilient Energy Engineering Certification Program

The Energy & Geoscience Institute, at the University of Utah is proud to offer the Resilient Energy Engineering Program in collaboration with the Utah Energy and Power Innovation Center (U-EPIC), the Intermountain Industrial Assessment Center (IIAC) and the College of Engineering. This program is funded by a generous grant from the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).

The Resilient Energy Engineering program is designed to offer relevant training to energy industry professionals and interested students (undergrad and graduate) from all of the Colleges across campus.

A graduate certificate application is being prepared. Once approved, both student bodies will be awarded a Resilient Energy Engineering Certificate upon successful completion of the five courses. Matriculated students will take the courses as technical electives in their respective programs. Other students (including from other universities) may take individual courses as technical electives in their respective disciplines.

"Resilient" Energy Engineering goes beyond "Sustainability" to provide knowledge and tools for both professionals and students in adapting to disruptive technologies, regulations, and events and societal issues such as economics, disruptions, and information accuracy. The five-course program includes technical elements of carbon science, transitional geoscience, alternative energy, energy management, and societal impacts of energy use on economics, entrepreneurship and policy.

The courses will be offered starting Fall Semester 2023 and Spring Semester 2024 at the undergraduate and graduate levels at regular tuition rates. Once the online modules are ready, students from the energy industry will be able to take these courses for micro-credentials through University Connected Learning (UCL) for approximately $3,000 per course (expected cost). University students can take the program as technical electives and industry professionals can take the program for professional development. All courses are planned to be offered in-class and on-line.

The proposed curriculum integrates the multidisciplinary expertise of EGI and the Utah Smart Energy Lab at the University of Utah. Courses will be offered in Departments of Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering. The program will be managed by EGI and the U-SMART lab will provide expertise on power transmission and distribution systems, distributed generation, and energy management. The Energy Management course and the Energy Entrepreneurship, Society, and Policy course will be led by the U-SMART lab. The Hinckley Institute at the University of Utah will help develop the policy angle of these courses.

The five courses include:

Renewable Energy (CHEN 5310) by Dr. Mohanty in Fall 2023

This course will cover all aspects of renewables including hydrogen, wind, solar, bio-gas, geothermal, and next-generation nuclear. The course recognizes the importance of Utah's Renewable Energy corridor and highlights University's leadership in high and low-temperature geothermal energy. For example, EGI's FORGE (Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy) project is a one-of-a-kind research project and is an unmatched teaching and training opportunity.

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration (CVEEN 7450) by Dr. McPherson in Spring 2024

CCUS is encompassed by carbon management and is becoming an important skill set. This course will provide a background in technical, environmental, and policy issues relevant to carbon capture, as well as CO2 utilization technologies and sequestration.

Energy Management (ECE 5960-006 or CHEN 5960) by Dr. Parvania in Fall 2023

Complementary to exposure to carbon management concepts, the workforce should appreciate energy management. This course will focus on energy optimization, alternative energy usage, and smart grid technologies. Studies will be introduced to cyber security considerations relevant to the grid and energy security.

Geoscience for Energy Transition (CHEN 6163) by Dr. Sorkhabi in Fall 2023

Energy, mineral, water, soil and food resources are generated through complex, interacting sets of materials and processes operating at the Earth's subsurface, land surface, oceans and the atmosphere. This course presents an in-depth understanding of Earth's dynamic systems and substances, how geoscience techniques are employed for energy and mineral exploration and extraction, and how geoscience skillsets are essential to energy transition to low-carbon economies with environment-friendly and secure energy supplies.

Energy Entrepreneurship, Society and Policy (ECE/PIVOT TBD) by Dr. Parvania in Spring 2024

Not only is the energy landscape changing – the business landscape is changing. Startups, entrepreneurial ventures, and social consciousness are transforming as well. This course will cover the growing world of energy startups and monetization of energy technologies including policy and societal issues.

Registration for the fall semester will begin in July 2023.