Beginning this fall, officials at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College will welcome the first cohort of students into its new Sustainable Energy Management program. Citing a variety of factors, now is the right time for the college to offer the program. Policy changes at the state level are allowing for growth in the industry, in addition to federal funding for apprenticeships and prevailing wages. “People will get paid a lot more to work in the industry,” said Amy Seeboth-Wilson, director of grants at Southwest Tech.

The two-year associate degree program will focus on solar and wind energy. Course offerings will include Introduction to Renewable Energy, Project Management Fundamentals, Energy Modeling, and more. The courses will be offered face-to-face on campus during the fall semesters, with a hybrid offering of online and face-to-face in the spring semesters.