Program Overview & Goals
The Southeast Community Energy Futures Academy (SCEFA) aims to create participatory educational opportunities for people from a wide range of sectors, including communities, nonprofits, government, academia, and industry. It focuses on developing innovative clean energy solutions that both tackle climate change and provide tangible benefits to local communities. The program emphasizes the importance of educating researchers, community leaders, and industry specialists and preparing them to engage collaboratively and equitably in climate change, clean energy, and carbon management discussions and decision-making.
Program Goals:
- Empower Community Leaders – to actively participate in clean energy and carbon management dialogues and decision-making
- Educate Industry & Technology Specialists – to engage with community leaders as equals and experts
- Build Diverse, Unlikely Coalitions – to develop and advance innovative, community-centered clean energy solutions
- Develop Resources – to support ongoing learning and action at the intersection of clean energy technologies and communities
The impetus for this program was Georgia Tech's participation in the Southeast Direct Air Capture (SEDAC) Hub, led by the Southern States Energy Board and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The program is co-sponsored by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, Direct Air Capture Center, Renewable Bioproducts Institute, and Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech.
