The HBCU Clean Energy Consortium’ will focus on bringing solar energy to working communities and STEM workforce development.
As part of an initiative to promote renewable energy and transformative economic development for communities nationwide, Morgan State University has joined a coalition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in signing an agreement with the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The agreement, which launches a new partnership known as the “HBCU Clean Energy Consortium,” will help advance HBCU-led measures in the innovation economy, expand the number of graduates working in STEM fields and bring alternative energy sources to communities in need.
As the nation transitions to a clean energy economy, HBCUs are playing a significant role in leading the transformation in the communities where they are located. Many of these same HBCUs have already begun initiatives that promote sustainability and a green environment on their campuses. HBCUs also play an influential role in driving greater awareness of energy efficiency and solar and renewable energies in the communities around them. Ultimately, the HBCU Clean Energy Consortium will provide a bigger platform for the DOE to engage HBCUs as key stakeholders in nationwide renewable energy initiatives.
With a signed memorandum of understanding in place, the HBCUs involved in this effort will request funding from the DOE to lead initiatives in three key regions of the country — the Southeast, Southwest and Northeast. As a model for community engagement around these initiatives, the Consortium will adopt the best practices of the Morgan Community Mile Solar Initiative at Morgan State University, which was created to engage the entire community more deeply in energy initiatives. In addition to Morgan, the HBCU participants include Coppin State University, Florida Memorial University, the University of the Virgin Islands, Southern University at New Orleans, Johnson C. Smith University, Southern University at Shreveport, Prairie View A&M University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
[Via MSU Public Relations]
