2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Clean Energy (CE) Education is the evolution of traditional disciplines to educate candidates in the multidisciplinary field of clean energy. This paper summarizes significant findings and recommendations from CE Education research that determines curriculum supporting a pathway from workforce training through baccalaureate degrees. In addition, CE education action plans designed to provide graduates with skills to secure jobs supporting the global energy transition away from fossil fuels while providing living wage opportunities for underserved communities are outlined in this paper. Growth in clean energy technologies and manufacturing increases the demand for engineers and technicians trained in these areas. This study benefits the industry by receiving well-trained technicians to close employment gaps, academia through increased enrollment in clean energy-related industry training, and finally, students who enter the clean energy education pipeline and gain living wage employment.
The conclusions contribute to curriculum development by gathering and evaluating the skills essential in the rapidly changing clean energy sector. The study provides educational action plans for clean energy companies, trainers, and academic institutions. It describes what a robust CE education program, enrollment strategies, and community support will look like.
The findings also address cultural resistance, as acceptance of climate action science is necessary for the success of CE initiatives, and it will also support science dialogue against political polarization. The program recommends increased social justice by understanding workforce development challenges in low-income communities and using strategies to recruit underserved candidates into technical training that can be a path to upward social mobility. The program promotes community collaboration since community, industry, and higher education leaders must communicate and agree on action plans to invest in clean energy technicians. Organizational change strategies are presented for project leaders to address institutional resistance to change, as well as energize and win over stakeholders, particularly in conducting higher education program modifications as recommended by the research.
The research study will be a living document, updated through an iterative process designed for non-traditional and underserved learners to enter CE educational programs such as apprenticeships and degrees culminating in living wage employment. Future research should follow technological advancements in clean energy, as it is crucial for research and development to continue in education programs that support and follow the evolution of clean energy technology.