Power and Energy Careers Fuel our Future
Power and energy engineers work with some of today's most exciting technologies, developing solutions to problems that affect our lives and lifestyles.
The PES Scholarship Plus Initiative provides scholarships and real world experience to undergraduates who are interested in power and energy engineering careers. Our undergraduate engineering scholarships aim to accomplish this goal by attracting highly qualified engineering students to the field. These students are the very individuals who will one day develop new green technologies, build the smart grid and change the way we generate and utilize power.
The IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative supports these promising students through financial assistance in the increasingly expensive enterprise of undergraduate studies. You can apply for the PES Scholarship as early as your first year in college. First year students are very much encouraged to apply. You are eligible to receive the scholarship if:
- You're currently enrolled full-time at a university/college or community college.
- You'll be working toward an electrical engineering bachelor's degree (or first professional degree).
- You'll be a full-time student in the coming academic year at a university or college in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or Canada that offers undergraduate courses in power engineering.
- You're willing to take at least three of the power engineering courses for a total of nine or more credits.
- You're a U.S., Puerto Rican, or Canadian citizen or permanent resident and reside in IEEE Regions 1 through 7.
IEEE PES and the Scholarship Plus Initiative
The IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) provides the world's largest forum for sharing the latest in technological developments in the electric power industry, for developing standards that guide the development and construction of equipment and systems and for educating members of the industry and the general public. Members of the Power & Energy Society are leaders in this field, and they and their employers derive substantial benefits from involvement with this unique and outstanding association.
The IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) has a long history as a leading provider of information on power and energy for the betterment of humanity. A volunteer-based, not-for-profit organization, PES is a cornerstone society of IEEE, comprising of over 26,000 engineers and scientists worldwide, from all areas of the power and energy fields.
Within the next decade, the U.S. electricity grid will undergo enormous changes. There is a national commitment to replacing aging infrastructure. New green technologies and the smart grid will change the way power is generated, transmitted, distributed and utilized. Compounding these challenges is a projected energy workforce shortage of critical proportions. It's been estimated that the power and energy industry will experience as much as a 50% turnover in engineers, and there's increasing concern about the availability of highly-skilled, quality engineers to revitalize the nation's power grid and prepare us for a clean energy future.
The need for additional workers in the power industry is reinforced in the Quadrennial Energy Review which was released in April 2015. The report notes "Significant new investment in U.S. energy infrastructure is anticipated over the next few decades. The resulting changes in the transmission, storage, and distribution (TS&D) infrastructure—discussed throughout this report—will create new job opportunities for skilled workers. At the same time, the current TS&D infrastructure will need to be maintained. These factors, expansion of the energy sector, requirements for workers with new skills, and anticipated workforce retirements will create demand for new workers in energy-related jobs."
The January 2017 release of The Second Installment of the QER: Transforming the Nation’s Electricity System noted "Workforce retirements are a pressing challenge. Industry hiring managers often report that lack of candidate training, experience, or technical skills are major reasons why replacement personnel can be challenging to find—especially in electric power generation."
PES is committed to shaping the future of the power and energy industry. The society is in a unique position to assist in reducing the impact of power and energy engineering attrition. Our members span both industry and education and are highly motivated to address the challenges facing the industry. The PES Scholarship Plus Initiative brings together all stakeholders - government, industry, educators and students-to directly address the power and energy workforce shortage by attracting qualified engineering students to the field.
IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Steering Committee
| David Zabetakis | Chair | |
| TBD | Region 2 Application Review Committee Chair | |
| Subhadarshi Sarkar | Region 1 Application Review Committee Chair | |
| John Hoffman | Region 6 Application Review Committee Chair | Burns & McDonnell |
| Julia Matevosjana | Region 5 Application Review Committee Chair | ESIG |
| Hasala Dharmawaqrdena | Region 3 Application Review Committee Chair | |
| Brianna Swenson | Region 4 Application Review Committee Chair | Alliant Energy |
| Keith Brown | Region 7 Application Review Committee Chair | |
| Luis Alberto Tatis Morales | Region 9 Application Review Committee Chair | |
| Babak Enayati | PES Vice President - Education Activities | National Grid |
| Chris Root | Immediate Past Chair | Vermont Electric Power |
| Dennis Ray | Member Emeritus | Retired - Power Systems Engineering Research Center |
| Wanda Reder | Member Emeritus | Grid-X Partners, LLC |
| Peter Sauer | Member Emeritus | University of Illinois - Champaign Urbana |
