BC to host 3rd Webinar in series focused on Energy, Tech, Transfer, & Workforce Development
Friday, February 19, 2021
Bakersfield College's Energy Technology Transfer and Workforce Development (ETT&WD) will host its third webinar, this time focused on the Energy-Water-Food Nexus on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. The webinar is open to the public, but participants are encouraged register online. Industry experts and featured guest speakers will include Jordan Macknick, Lead Energy-Water-Land Analyst for National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Lois Henry, CEO and editor for SJV Water, and Brian Curtis, CEO for Concentric Power. Stuart Witt, Owner and Founder of S.O. Witt and Associates Consulting and former CEO of Mojave Air and Space Port, who will serve as webinar moderator.
The webinar will focus on future industrial and agricultural development and potential implications for energy and water throughout Kern County. Agrivoltaics, for example, are one strategy that combines renewable energy through solar panels with crop growing, better utilizing our land for two types of production.
The college is eager to learn more directly from one of the topics leading researchers. Liz Rozell, BC's Director of Energy Technology Transfer and Workforce Development, says, “As Bakersfield College continues to explore the impact of energy issues in relation to the Kern County landscape and workforce, we are pleased to engage in conversations with knowledgeable experts in our popular ETT&WD Webinar Series. Next week's webinar will look at new research in agrivoltaics, the intersection of water and energy, and innovative microgrid technologies being implemented.”
Last fall, the Kern Community College District and Bakersfield College announced a partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the County of Kern to explore innovative workforce development opportunities for the Kern County region. To enhance the discussion, the group has been conducting a series of webinar presentations focused on energy, technology transfer and workforce development. The first of the series introduced the collaborative to attendees and included discussion between Dr. David Mooney of NREL and Lorelei Oviatt of Kern County's Planning and Natural Resources. The second showcased the future of fuels featuring presentations by NREL, SoCalGas, and Shell Oil Company.
Rozell adds, “It's a very exciting time to be exploring and discussing directions and solutions that will lead Kern County into a productive and prosperous future.”
Recordings from the webinar will be available on the BC website. Bakersfield College and the ETT&WD partners look forward to the next webinar taking place in April 2021. To learn more about Bakersfield College's Technology Transfer and Workforce Development, visit the Bakersfield College webpage.
