News

Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

PCGS is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC). This significant initiative is sponsored by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). “This partnership will further strengthen our USF PCGS collaboration with our public sector organizations and offer our graduate students real-world technical experience,” remarks Kelly Gaskell, Director of PCGS Student Development. This collaborative effort will include Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County, and the City of Largo.

On June 10, PCGS hosted an informational session on this partnership. Key projects for our students include energy assessments of structures identified by each county, technical training for students on the REopt Tool, and case studies. Faculty lead Dr. Pradeep Haldar comments “We’re excited to partner with the TBRPC as part of their Department of Energy “Clear Sky Tampa Bay” Project to develop a framework for enhancing resiliency through solar and energy storage implementation. It is a tremendous opportunity for our students at the Patel College, who will learn by researching cutting edge renewable energy technologies and its impact on public safety. They will also contribute by conducting assessments on resilience and energy using tool kits that will assist in building innovation networks and create impacts at a regional and national level.” Opportunities such as this project, help our students gain real-world experience and expertise that will greatly benefit them in their future sustainability careers.