Energy Industry Sponsors Four FIRST® Robotics World Championship Finalists

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Apr 24, 2015, 12:15 ET

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Opening ceremonies for the FIRST^® Robotics Competition World Championship took place last night in St. Louis, and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) congratulates all of the teams that have advanced to the final round of competition. In addition to individual company-sponsored teams, four of the finalists are sponsored by the energy industry through a first-of-its-kind sponsorship, "Get Into Energy, Get Into STEM," managed by the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD).

Through this initiative, the energy industry has developed a program to encourage students to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by supporting the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge.

"Helping America's youth reach their full academic and career potential has been a longstanding priority for the energy industry," said CEWD Chair and Vice President of People Strategy and Human Resources for Pepco Holdings, Inc. Thomas H. Graham. "This unwavering commitment is reflected in many CEWD programs and partnerships, such as the FIRST Robotics Competitions, which provide students with unique opportunities, mentoring, and motivation as they make their journey from the classroom to the workplace. We are proud to sponsor this tremendous initiative, and wish all of the teams competing in the FIRST World Championship good luck."

"CEWD congratulates all of the teams that have made it this far in the FIRST Robotics Competition, and we are especially proud of the four CEWD-sponsored teams advancing to the World Championship. The science, technology, engineering and math skills utilized in these competitions are essential to the work we do to safely and reliably serve our customers, and the utility industry's ongoing support for FIRST underscores our collective commitment to encouraging students to excel in these areas," said incoming CEWD Chair and Pacific Gas & Electric Company Executive Vice President of Electric Operations Geisha Williams.

CEWD has provided broad-based support for the FIRST Robotics Competition at the local, regional and national levels. Most notably, four rookie teams sponsored by CEWD are advancing to the World Championship. These four dedicated teams are: Blue Crew, Too, from McComb, Mississippi; MoHawk Elites from Houston, Texas; Da Vinci De Coders, from Farmington Hills, Michigan; and Zorrobots, from Ensenada, Mexico.

In addition to supporting these highly accomplished students, CEWD is sponsoring charging stations—a hands on exhibit with energy focused activities—and a first-time-ever robot doctor station that will provide the tools and expertise needed to keep all teams' robots in the competition.

CEWD member sponsors of the FIRST initiative include: Ameren, Consumers Energy, DTE Energy, Duke Energy, Edison International, Exelon, MidAmerican Energy, National Grid, NextEra Energy, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Southern Company.

CEWD is a non-profit consortium of electric, natural gas, and nuclear utilities and their associations, including EEI and many of its member companies.

EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and directly employ more than 500,000 workers. EEI has 70 international electric companies as Affiliate Members, and 270 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.

SOURCE Edison Electric Institute