DOE to fund $4.5M training for first responders, safety officials

A total of $4.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy will be put toward the training of emergency response and resilience planning professionals, the department announced this week.

Such training is meant to keep these responders, owners, and safety officials at the top of their game during distributed energy adoption and technological evolution, thereby easing the path forward and reducing installation costs. As technologies like hybrid electric vehicles gain greater shares of the market and solar and storage demands rise year after year, the department is looking more seriously at the professionals that help integrate such technologies into their communities’ larger plans.

“These professionals are at the frontlines of a rapidly changing energy system,” Daniel Simmons, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Assistant Secretary, said. “Through this training program, DOE can help these professionals easily understand and manage distributed energy systems so that they can focus on keeping America safe.”

To encourage these professionals, the DOE will fund two to four awards between $1 million and $2.5 million each, to be distributed through the Educational Materials for Professional Organizations Working on Efficiency and Renewable Energy Developments (EMPOWERED) program. The EMPOWERED program is a joint effort of the EERE Solar Energy Technology Office, Vehicle Technologies Office, and Building Technologies Office.

Projects that stand to benefit are those focused on the development, testing, and spread of educational materials, along with those working with established training organizations within targeted professional groups.

The DOE is asking for concept papers, which will be due on May 5.