UWIG Opens 2010-2011 Scholarship Application Cycle

Initiative meant to help address workforce needs for electric power, wind industries

Reston, Va. – October 29, 2009 – The Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG) announced today that it is opening the 2010-2011 application cycle for its scholarship program for students working towards careers in the electric power and wind industries.

The UWIG Board of Directors voted in 2008 to implement a policy to support the education of students enrolled in accredited college or vocational schools in programs related to power engineering, wind energy, or the maintenance of wind turbines. To be eligible for scholarship assistance, a student must be currently enrolled at a U.S. or Canadian trade school or college in a field of study that could lead to a career related to utility power engineering or operation and maintenance of utility-scale wind equipment. These scholarships are intended to encourage completion of a college education, or vocational degrees and programs.

UWIG may award up to three scholarships each year. One to two $2,000 scholarships will be granted to undergraduate students enrolled in accredited engineering schools who are pursuing a career in power engineering with a focus on or major in wind generation, and one $1,000 scholarship will be granted to a student enrolled in an accredited wind technician program. The UWIG Board will determine the winner of each scholarship based on grade point average and a short essay explaining why the student is pursuing a career related to wind generation. The recipients of these scholarships will be recognized at UWIG’s Annual Membership Meeting each spring.

For information on application instructions, click here. The application cycle for scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic term ends January 29, 2010.

The Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG) was established in 1989 to provide a forum for the critical analysis of wind technology for utility applications and to serve as a source of credible information on the status of wind technology and deployment. The group’s mission is to accelerate the development and application of good engineering and operational practices supporting the appropriate integration of wind power for utility applications through the coordinated efforts and actions of its members, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, its National Renewable Energy Laboratory and utility research organizations. UWIG currently has over 150 members from the United States, Canada, Europe, and New Zealand, including investor-owned, public power, and rural electric cooperative utilities; transmission system operators; and associate member corporate, government, and academic organizations.