Hartford Business Journal

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | HIGHER EDUCATION HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 13, 2025 33 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK | ENERGY and art history. Quinnipiac is also using AI to improve university operations, such as identifying incoming or continuing students who may be at risk of falling behind academically, or streamlining services and back-office operations. "These evolving applications require experimentation as well as astute governance of these new frontiers," Olian said. Fairfield Universi- ty's Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Rob Schnieders said two facets of AI that will see increasing focus in 2025 will be its use to improve student services and how to ensure students are correctly using the technology within their research, to avoid plagiarism or other information misuse. Workforce development partnerships Boosting workforce development partnerships with state businesses will also be a major focus in 2025, college leaders said. University of Hartford President Lawrence P. Ward said his school's corporate partnerships have grown substantially in recent years, with orga- nizations like Cigna, Pratt & Whitney and Hartford HealthCare. UHart recently announced a $3 million scholarship commitment from Stanley Black & Decker to support top incoming Greater Hartford students. In addition to tuition support, "Stanley Black & Decker Scholars" will get access to the New Britain-based toolmaker's employees for monthly mentoring sessions, résumé-building workshops, and leader- ship development programs. The scholars are also guaranteed first-round interviews for internships. Fairfield University is forming talent partnerships with companies and nonprofits to upskill their workforces with degree, certificate and custom learning experience offerings, said Schnieders. He said many organizations are looking to leverage large language models and generative AI to accelerate their business strategies. In response, Fairfield's Dolan School of Business has developed a multistage workshop in which business leaders can gather to explore the possibilities of AI within their particular sector and businesses. Meantime, amid the escalating debate about the value of college, universities in the coming year will focus on articulating the return on investment of earning a degree and developing new pathways that help students secure post-graduation opportunities, UNH's Savage said. At UNH, all incoming students are required to submit their résumé during their first semester. In the subsequent years, the focus turns to helping students update their résumé to capture the skills and experiences they've obtained while at school. Pandemic adjustments It's been nearly five years since the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed not only the way people live and work, but how they learn. Higher education institutions, like many businesses, are accepting that hybrid models of learning are here to stay. In particular, universities will increas- ingly deliver degree programs to global remote audiences, especially as barriers to language translation are reduced via AI-enabled services. For example, in addition to having over 400 U.S.-based learners in online and graduate programs, Fairfield University is offering its MBA and master's in business analytics programs to executives in Shanghai, with further global expansion planned for 2025 and beyond. Savage said UNH believes the pandemic also put a spotlight on the importance of student mental health. In 2025, colleges must focus on providing resources that support students' mental health and well-being, she said. Pullman & Comley LLC chair Lee D. Hoffman. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Judy Olian Rob Schnieders Does CT have a zero carbon energy future? Yes. By Lee D. Hoffman T he bulk of New England states, including Connecticut, have significant zero carbon energy goals to be achieved in the next 15 to 25 years. Massachusetts and Rhode Island made progress toward those goals last year, but Connecticut was more cautious, citing concerns about the cost impacts of future investments in clean energy. Is Connecticut's new-found reticence for zero carbon energy a long-term trend, or is it merely a speed bump on the renewable energy highway? The answer may very well be both. Because Connecticut was a leader in moving the state to a zero-carbon future, it may have felt some of the costs more quickly than its neighbors. Ultimately, however, Connecticut may be taking a more holistic approach to energy planning that will get it back on track. If New England is going to achieve its zero-carbon future, it will need to double its electricity production in the next 30 years to power not only homes and businesses, but also vehi- cles, building heating systems, and now data centers to meet the acceler- ating demands of the AI industry. One data center can consume hundreds of megawatts of electricity, and, as previously reported, these data centers can face stiff opposi- tion from neighborhood groups and regulatory officials alike. Still, AI is the future, and Connecticut needs to be prepared to power these large facilities to be part of that future. Balancing act Connecticut originally planned on developing additional zero-carbon resources, notably energy storage projects (batteries) and offshore wind projects, but both efforts have stalled. Although there are a few energy storage projects that have been approved, and a few more that are seeking approval, these projects fall far short of the 1,000-megawatt goal that Connecticut was to achieve by 2030. Part of this is due to the fact that Connecticut's long-awaited energy storage RFP decision still sits in limbo, prompting developers and energy policy advocates alike to wonder when such a decision will happen. Connecticut also abstained from selecting any offshore wind resources in a three-state RFP that included Massachusetts and Rhode Island. While Massachusetts and Rhode Island selected thousands of megawatts of wind energy, Connecticut is still considering what it will do. Gov. Ned Lamont has recognized the need to balance electricity costs with a zero-carbon future, and is weighing his options as to how to manage that balance. Federal impact While the balance is considered, there are new clouds on the horizon for developers of clean-energy systems. When Donald Trump takes office in January, he is likely to target zero-carbon initiatives and subsidies, such as those found in the Inflation Reduction Act. Because those subsidies benefit red and blue states alike, the Trump administration may find significant opposition to such rollbacks, but the rollbacks are a distinct possibility. Even if they do not occur, it is a near certainty that Trump will not be promoting new green initiatives during his second term. Gov. Lamont has correctly noted that by ensuring a certain rate of revenue for the Millstone nuclear power plant, Connecticut has guaran- teed the continuation of the largest single source of zero-carbon energy not just for Connecticut, but for all of New England. He is looking to other states, primarily Massachusetts, to provide a share of the payment stream to Millstone in exchange for Connecti- cut's participation in the offshore wind RFP. This is a solid first step that should bear fruit. Massachusetts has as much to lose as Connecticut if Connecticut ceases to be a leader in zero-carbon resources. It should therefore be willing to share the burden of such choices. Although it may not seem like it, offshore wind is the easy part of the equation. Energy storage, the siting of new solar projects, and the devel- opment of such new technologies as state-of-the-art waste-to-energy plants and modular nuclear reactors will be more challenging. It will require policy advocates, developers, regulators and utilities to all work in a coordinated fashion to provide real solutions. This has not been Connecticut's recent experience. However, with groundwork laid by a successful (if delayed) wind procurement, Connecticut may have a path to get back on track for its zero-carbon future. Lee D. Hoffman is an energy and environmental lawyer and chair of law firm Pullman & Comley LLC.

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