Power Systems Engineering Certificate of Graduate Study

Rowan University

The U.S. electricity grid is poised for a dramatic transformation, enabled by Smart Grid technologies, to address national and worldwide existential necessities: meeting the increasing electric energy needs, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, and thus restoring and boosting the economy. The 2020 World Energy Outlook from the International Energy Agency estimates that the current value of the U.S. electricity grid is over $1 trillion, and the total cost of replacing it with a Smart Grid is $4~5 trillion. If a Smart Grid is fully deployed across the U.S., the country could expect to save $130 billion annually. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE) Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) found that 1.5 million new jobs across the energy sector will need to be filled by 2030, with many of these positions paying 50 to 80 percent more than the average annual salary. However, achieving the goals of ''Smart Grid'' is hampered by a growing shortage of qualified electric power and energy engineers. With an aging workforce and looming retirements, the power and energy industry continually faces a hiring gap and reports that they cannot find skilled workers to fill open positions. According to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural resources, 77% of energy companies find it difficult to hire qualified employees.

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering