El Paso Electric partners with UTEP on series of exchange, energy research and community projects

Under a new memorandum of understanding, El Paso Electric and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) will collaborate through exchange programs, joint research and professional development programs, and various community engagement projects.

This educational push, which will impact faculty and students down to Kindergarten, will focus on four areas: energy research, human capital exchange, guided student research, and community engagement. On the university’s side, efforts will be led by the College of Engineering.

“EPE and UTEP are very much aligned on the conclusion that the pathway to those customer benefits depends on optimizing our human capital and utilizing first-class research,” Kelly Tomblin, president and CEO of El Paso Electric, said. “We are fortunate that we need to look no further than our very own region for institutions that create a pipeline of rich talent that will help us reach our mission. Our public/private partnership with UTEP will demonstrate the power of unity in purpose and vision.”

Initial projects have already been selected in each area of focus. In terms of energy research, a team led by Dr. Yuanrui Sang, UTEP assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, will create models to track power systems emissions in real time. The exchange of people will include a new course incorporating real-life industry challenges, co-taught with visiting lectures from El Paso Electric. At the same time, new senior capstone student projects will explore the use of electric vehicles as an alternative source of charging to reduce grid load during times of peak demand and as a consumer-side mobile power source.

“Research relevant to the world around us and engaged learning helps the community while better preparing our students,” Heather Wilson, UTEP president, said. “This partnership with El Paso Electric will generate meaningful energy research and the specialized education needed to prepare our graduates for jobs in the energy industry.”

The partners will also hit the community beginning in early 2022 with the Discover-E Trailer, a mobile classroom for K-12 students. Therein, teachers will relay engineering concepts and their real-world importance and encourage students toward engineering.