Oklahoma to Develop Wind Industry Safety Curriculum

State foresees 18,000 new jobs within 10 years

June 2009

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce was recently awarded a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Wind Energy Program to develop a wind technician safety curriculum. This curriculum will be designed and implemented with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education and the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education. "This ...grant and the wind industry training program to be developed fit perfectly with Oklahoma's strategy to become a hub of wind industry activity—manufacturing, research, and education," said Commerce Secretary Natalie Shirley. " The state-of-the-art wind industry safety program will be the latest in an ongoing effort by Commerce, CareerTech, and the State Regents Office to train a new generation of renewable energy workers and create green career pathways for Oklahomans."

Several Oklahoma postsecondary institutions have implemented wind turbine technician training programs—offering two-year degrees and certification—but there is a critical need for a centralized curriculum for safety training. This collaborative project will develop a standardized safety curriculum and a delivery model for wind industry technicians nationwide.

The Department of Commerce expects the state's emerging wind industry to create 7,000 jobs over the next five years and as many as 18,000 jobs within 10 years, a significant number in Oklahoma's advanced manufacturing sector.

For more information about this training effort, read the Oklahoma Department of Commerce May 12 press release.

Energy Office Submits Plan for Recovery Act Spending

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma State Energy Office recently submitted a comprehensive application to DOE recommending 24 projects to receive $42,245,028 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) State Energy Program (SEP) funding. If all 24 projects are approved, the department expects that 745 jobs will be created or saved.

An advisory committee evaluated 211 proposals submitted from all over the state and ultimately selected 4 projects to receive loans from the ARRA-SEP funds and 20 to receive grants. Projects range from compressed natural gas vehicle conversions to furthering smart grid technology to building energy efficiency to energy education.

For more information, read the Oklahoma ARRA-SEP Plan on the Department of Commerce Web site.