There has been much discussion recently regarding the issues involved in education and research programs in the area of electric power and energy. This discussion has included the topics of reforming electric energy systems curricula both at undergraduate and graduate levels. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA) and other interested government and industry groups are developing workshops and special sessions at key conference venues to focus on topics that include: sustainable and renewable energy sources, smart grids, energy storage, efficiency, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and climate change. ECEDHA with the support of the National Science Foundation is establishing a workshop series on these issues aimed at department chairs and faculty members who are interested in developing educational and research programs in this critical area within Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). Without question a safe, dependable, secure, reliable and affordable supply of electric power is a fundamental requirement for national economic health. The corporations involved in the development and operation of the smart grid face increasing challenges in meeting the growing demand for electricity in the context of sustainable energy. The grid must be developed to accommodate new energy sources, including solar, wind, wave and other renewable sources, and support new demand patterns arising from the presence of plug-in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Industry must have access to the trained engineers who will integrate information and communications technologies into the new generations of the grid to deliver electricity more efficiently, reliably, and securely. As a result, future electric power engineers will require knowledge of topics that may be outside those offered in traditional “power” programs, including communications and network security, sensor integration, public policy, and software development. The ECE department heads have recognized the need to update and upgrade programs in power engineering and closely related fields. The workshop described in this paper brought together a diverse set of academic, government/NGO and industry participants to address a range of issues including curriculum changes, faculty development and student recruitment. Participants also discussed the role of power electronic technologies, planning, automation and control to achieve smart grid performance goals.