{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://norcross.house.gov/press-releases?ID=887E6844-30A2-42BC-88E0-F86C6F8A41B9", "Norcross Announces $300K for Smart Grid Workforce Education at Rowan University", "2021-09-14", "2021", "2021-09", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Donald Norcross", "N000188", "norcross.house.gov", "norcross", "https://norcross.house.gov/press-releases", "page_html", "CHERRY HILL, NJ \u2013 Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $300,000 grant to Rowan University to enhance the power of engineering education at the university to help meet the nation\u2019s needs for a highly qualified next-generation Smart Grid workforce. The funding also supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students.\n\n\u201cInvesting in our smart grid workforce means investing in the future of this country for generations to come,\u201d said Congressman Norcross, a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the only electrician in Congress. \u201cAs an electrician who worked for years connecting power to our homes and businesses, I know firsthand the dangers these frontline workers face, and by bettering our energy grid we can create safer working environments and smarter structures. We also know that climate change is a present threat, and a smart grid will conserve natural resources and improve our environment. This funding will train engineering students for the future and equip them to join a workforce that evolves alongside modern technology.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe electricity grid has been recognized as the largest and most complex machine ever made, sending $400 billion energy a year through seven million miles of transmission and distribution lines in the United States,\u201d said Dr. Jie Li, Principal Investigator and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering. \u201cAs one of the nation\u2019s most critical infrastructures, the electric power grid is undergoing a fundamental revolution in the physical structure, management policy, and business operation, ultimately leading towards a 'Smart Grid' - an enabling engine for the nation\u2019s economy, environment, and future. In order to build a reliable, resilient power grid and to integrate renewable energy, we need to retool the power grid using more advanced techniques. Our educational programs also need to take these topics into account.\u201d\n\nThe NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science and to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare of our country. The organization supports research, innovation, and discovery that provides the foundation for economic growth in this country.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-03-30T11:08:25Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://norcross.house.gov/press-releases?ID=887E6844-30A2-42BC-88E0-F86C6F8A41B9"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5733251348137856, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}