Wind turbine to stir up renewable energ...( ilitation of a community anaerobic dige...)

A mix of university, state, federal and private funding is being sought to complete these core systems. The wind-to-hydrogen project at the WCROC has received initial funding from the state Commerce Department, the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (pending) and the university's Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE). This system will stimulate the use of renewable hydrogen in applications like fuel cells and localized fertilizer production. In the future, the facility will conduct research and demonstration projects on wind storage and on-demand renewable energy systems such as biomass and biodiesel generation, in addition to hydrogen fuel cells.

The WCROC was a pioneer in ethanol research, building Minnesota's first ethanol research facility in the early 1980s. The state's ethanol industry is now a national leader, with 14 plants producing 300 million gallons of ethanol a year and annual sales running at $380 million.

"Our belief is that the renewable energy research and education we are doing now will deliver a great benefit to Minnesota," said Cuomo. "Renewable energy is poised to become an important part of our state and nation's energy future, and Minnesota will be a leader in this work."

The University of Minnesota Renewable Energy Research and Demonstration Center is led by the university in partnership with stakeholders in rural west-central Minnesota. IREE has provided leadership and funding to develop the research and demonstration systems. IREE is a key part of university President Robert Bruininks' Initiative on the Environment and Renewable Energy (PIERE). For more information on IREE, see www.umn.edu/iree. For more information on PIERE, see www.umn.edu/pres/01_init_env.html. For more on the Morris energy projects, see '"/>


14-Apr-2005