Energy leaders from across the region gathered at UWM’s School of Continuing Education for the annual Transmission Summit, co-presented by the Midwestern Governors Association and the Organization of MISO States. The summit, held June 2-3, focused on advancing U.S. energy goals and building a strong, future-ready workforce in the rapidly evolving energy sector.
UWM’s College of Engineering & Applied Science organized the event in partnership with UW-Madison.
Dean Brett Peters opened the summit with welcoming remarks. He highlighted the university’s role in preparing the engineering workforce to support the transformation of how energy is transmitted, distributed, and stored. Representing the next generation of energy professionals, Will Koebel (’23 MS, electrical engineering) – now an energy markets engineer at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission – served as a session moderator.
The summit also spotlighted the collaborative efforts between UWM and UW-Madison to support innovation in the energy sector. Three key research centers are leading this work with a multidisciplinary approach:
- GRAPES (GRid-connected Advanced Power Electronics Systems): UWM serves as the Midwest partner in this NSF-funded, industry–university research center. Electrical engineering Professor Robert Cuzner, director of UWM’s Center for Sustainable Electrical Energy Systems, also leads the campus’s GRAPES initiatives, focusing on advancing power electronics for a more reliable and efficient grid.
- WEMPEC (Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium): Based at UW-Madison, this center is supported by over 60 corporate sponsors and is a national leader in electric machines and power electronics research.
Together, these centers are training engineering talent and delivering the applied research that industry needs.