The U.S. is now in the midst of a once-in-a-century transformation of its energy infrastructure and energy independence. Increasing our U.S. production begins in the electric sector and is now rapidly enveloping the areas of electrical generation, building operations, space heating, and transportation. The energy industry has a large and rapidly growing need for a skilled technical workforce, and this presents a current and future challenge for the two-year college community.
The CREATE Energy NSF ATE National Center will be a champion to lead this transition, addressing the needs of energy faculty and programs nationwide while building the capacity for U.S. industry to compete in the dynamic and growing energy marketplace that underpins the our economy.
The bulk of existing American energy infrastructure was built more than fifty years ago, and these aging systems are becoming antiquated, obsolete, increasingly unreliable, and uneconomical to operate. As a result, the U.S. is now experiencing a once-in-a-century transformation of its energy infrastructure. The energy transition began in the electric sector and is now rapidly enveloping the areas of building operations, space heating, and transportation. The energy industry has a large and rapidly growing need for skilled technicians, and this presents a current and future challenge for the two-year technical college community.
The CREATE team represents a group of schools that have extensive experience leading NSF ATE grant projects, and the team includes experienced PIs who are leaders among the NSF ATE community. CREATE’s scope, breadth, and geographical reach has steadily grown over the past several years, and the organization is eager to embrace the role of an NSF ATE National Center.
The mission of the CREATE Energy Center is to produce a skilled technical workforce necessary to implement the transformation of the world’s energy industries. This mission will be realized by empowering two-year college faculty and academic programs to champion new energy technologies and to ensure American competitiveness in this fast-changing sector.
The mission of the CREATE Energy Center is to produce a skilled technical workforce necessary to implement the transformation of the nation’s energy industries. This mission will be realized by empowering two-year college faculty and academic programs to champion new energy technologies and to ensure American competitiveness in this fast-changing sector.
The CREATE National Energy Center will bolster connections between high schools, two-year colleges, and employers to build stronger career pathways for energy technicians.
Through the PIs’ extensive networks and mentorship connections, the center will engage community colleges and institutions nationwide that are new to the NSF ATE Program. Most importantly, by driving the transformation of the American energy sector, the CREATE National Energy Center will strengthen U.S. competitiveness and deliver significant economic benefits to consumers by prioritizing energy independence. By fostering the development of domestic energy resources, the Center will enhance national energy security. Leveraging America’s abundant resources and advanced SMART Energy technologies, it will promote economic growth and ensure reliable energy access for all citizens. While focusing on national priorities, these efforts will also support global energy stability.
To learn more about CREATE, visit our About Us page.
Copyright @ 2025 CREATE National Energy Center
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #2201631. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National ScienceFoundation.
