In an effort to increase the use of green power electricity, President Barack Obama recently spoke at the University of Miami, outlining the benefits of the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Assessment Program.

The program involves manufacturers in university-based Industrial Assessment Centers, which arm students with the skills and training to assess the energy use of companies. The IACs are credited with saving manufacturers nearly $6 million in energy costs.

"This is why the Energy Department invests in innovative initiatives like the Industrial Assessment Centers that help to train the clean energy workforce of tomorrow, while cutting energy waste for American businesses and making our manufacturing companies more competitive," said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Through the training program, engineering students acquire the expertise to administer industrial processes, energy assessment procedures and energy management principles.

Another learning opportunity to support the deployment of green energy solutions is through the Advanced Energy Conference put together by the Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center, which will take place in late October in New York City.