As the push for alternative energy gains strength around the nation and the world, companies are taking advantage of Wyoming's ample wind resources to develop and produce wind energy. Laramie County Community College recognizes the need to teach and train the workers who will maintain the wind turbines cropping up around the state.
In 2008, the National Science Foundation was awarded a grant in support of LCCC's wind energy program.
Comprehensive Courses of Study
- Associate of Applied Science Degree in Wind Energy
(72 credits including internship)
This degree provides the industrial maintenance courses, specialized wind power maintenance skills courses, and on-the-job experience that our industry partners need. This associate degree also includes additional advanced technical courses and general education courses required in the degree program.
- Associate of Science Degree in Wind Energy
(83 credits including internship)
This degree provides the industrial maintenance courses, specialized wind power maintenance skills courses, and on-the-job experience that our industry partners need. This associate degree also includes additional advanced technical courses, and the general education courses required in the degree program were specifically selected for transferability.
Benefits
- Great job outlook
Wyoming has wind resources capable of utility-scale production, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, but the state also has a shortage of wind technicians.
- State-of-the-art training
This program will make use of LCCC’s Integrated Systems Training Center on the main Cheyenne campus and the newly installed wind turbine on the Albany County Campus in Laramie.
- Support from the local/state/national community
Turbine maintenance companies such as the AES Corporation, Babcock and Brown, GE Wind, and Energy Maintenance Service have expressed their approval of the program. The college also has received encouragement from the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Wyoming Business Council, and Gov. Dave Freudenthal’s Energy and Telecom Advisor, Rob Hurless.
For more information about wind energy in Wyoming,
click here (Word doc).
Note: This is a new program at LCCC. It will appear in the college catalog after final approval of curriculum.