MMPEI in the news
June 2008
- MMPEI's Gary Was Urges 'Energy Security'
- Michigan's Future Depends on Alternative Energy Development
May 2008
April 2008
- MMPEI Experts Interviewed for WWJ and University Research Corridor's Earth Day "Embracing A Green Michigan" Conference
- MMPEI: Part of University Research Corridors Plans
February 2008
- MMPEI Fellow Survey on Michigan Residents' Views on Global Warming and Energy
- Energy Researchers Elected to National Academy of Engineering
January 2008
December 2007
October 2007
- Running on Empty
- URC Presidents Outline Actions to Aid Michigan's Economy
- Hail, Hail to the Research at Michigan
September 2007
- Plug-in Hybrid Study Planned
- With Energy Dept. grant, studying electric cars
- DOE to Provide Nearly $20 Million to Further Development of Advanced Batteries for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles
- DTE Energy Foundation gives $1.5M to UM
- DTE Foundation donates $1.5 million to U-M
August 2007
- More states harness power of renewable energy
- More than 10,000 contribute to Consumers Energy's Green Generation program
May 2007
- Force of government is needed to cut greenhouse emissions
- Professor teaches energy industry new tricks
March 2007
February 2007
- U.S Energy Secretary Applauds U Energy Initiative
- Remarks by Energy Secretary Bodman at U-M Energy Symposium
- Government alone can't solve energy problems, official says
- Energy Secretary Bodman keynote for inaugural symposium
- Energy Secretary to speak at U-M
December 2006
September 2006
- A University of Michigan Initiative Takes on a Global Challenge
- UM Moves Ahead with Energy Research Site
- Race for alternate energy: City, state could be the leaders, but much needs to be done
- With revision, Phoenix Project rises from ashes
- U starts Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute
May 2007
Force of government is needed to cut greenhouse emissions
May 24, 2007
By Gloria Helfand
Ann Arbor News
With a steadily increasing number of organizations embracing voluntary actions to reduce global warming, do we need federal government regulations?
Yes, and many of these organizations will agree that federal regulations are desirable. Every time each of us emits greenhouse gases, we are changing our climate and the climate of everyone else in the world. Each one of us individually has a small effect, but together we have a large and growing effect. Collective problems require collective solutions. Collective solutions arise from collective action, which is something government regulation is particularly effective at coordinating.
Voluntary abatement is a very valuable initial step in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, but it cannot be the final step. We expect individuals and businesses to undertake voluntary abatement, such as energy efficiency investments, when those investments reduce costs or increase profits. Some of those opportunities exist today. Additionally, individuals and businesses that invest in abatement activities gain valuable experiences. These "first movers'' may discover technologies or practices that they can later sell profitably to others who want to reduce their emissions.
Professor teaches the energy industry new tricks
May 19, 2007
By Marisa Schultz
Detroit Free Press
Levi Thompson tinkered with just about everything as a kid in Philadelphia -- radios, his dad's drill and toy cars.
He became so fascinated with his chemistry kit -- especially the burning experiments -- that his mother took it away. Engineering was in his blood.
"You just gravitate to certain things," Thompson says. "That was the only thing I was really interested in."
Decades later, Thompson is still just as passionate about science. He's become a highly recognized chemical engineering professor at the University of Michigan who has inspired students and pioneered cutting-edge research that could help transform the energy industry.
March 2007
'Holistic Approach to Energy Research: New U-M Institute to Unite Disciplines
March 18, 2007
By Dave Gershman
Ann Arbor News
A new institute dedicated to interdisciplinary research on energy at the University of Michigan will lead to more partnerships between the university and the automobile industry, U-M professors say.
Renovations are about to begin on a building on North Campus that used to contain the university's nuclear reactor to create a hub for the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute.
Planned to open in 2008, the renovated lab building, called the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Laboratory, will provide shared space and resources for faculty who are interested in research into a variety of energy fields - including advanced nuclear power systems, batteries, hydrogen and solar technologies.
The institute also provides an intellectual focus for other faculty without physical science research backgrounds - such as business and public policy faculty - to collaborate and tackle the complex issues surrounding the development of alternative energy sources.
One floor of the Phoenix lab building will be devoted to the hydrogen energy technology laboratory. The new lab won't be reserved for a single researcher; it will be available to any faculty member wishing to pursue hydrogen research, said Levi Thompson, a professor of chemical engineering and mechanical engineering and director of the hydrogen lab.
While researchers at U-M already are trying to solve the many problems in using hydrogen, other researchers might have ideas they want to test out but don't have easy access to hydrogen and the specialized equipment.
The new lab will give researchers a chance to try out new ideas that have a high probability of failing, but would bring great rewards if they work.
Lab stations will have hydrogen-on-demand, and there will be space devoted to research with fuel cells, fuel processors and other systems.
"In principle, it's a university resource that is available to anybody that's interested in doing hydrogen research," said Thompson.
An executive board will help decide how to allocate the space among researchers. Thompson said he's hopeful that small amounts of seed funding will be available to encourage the research. There is space for about 20 people to work in the laboratory at the same time.
"I see it as an enabling opportunity for those who are interested in doing hydrogen research," he said. "Certainly it's not going to solve all the problems - these are huge issues we're dealing with - but I would love to see our most clever people involved."
Developing hydrogen for use in automobiles is just one direction of the research. Hydrogen fuel cells could be used first in household devices, such as refrigerators, said Thompson.
U-M's energy institute is being created as other universities across the country are also devoting more resources to energy research. Gary Was, director of the institute, said the variety of expertise that will be tapped on campus will set U-M's effort apart.
"We feel that the energy issue goes beyond a solely technological answer," said Was, who cited questions of economics, public policy, regulation and consumer attitudes that need to be addressed.
Just having developed great technology isn't enough to get it put to use, he said.
"With the breadth and depth of our schools and colleges, we can provide a more holistic approach to the energy challenge than can most of our other competitors," said Was, who is also a professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences and professor of materials science and engineering.
The renovations to the laboratory building, paid for by state capital outlay dollars and university funds, will cost $11 million. The institute is being launched with another $9 million. U-M already spends about $35 million on energy research. The new institute is expected to increase grant funding on such research, as well.
©2007 Ann Arbor News
February 2007
U.S. Energy Secretary Applauds U Energy Initiative
February 19, 2007
By Joe Serwach
University Record
Students at the nation's leading research universities are "voting with their feet and energy is the leader, the focus of the day ... something that captures the interest and imagination of today's students," U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman told a U-M crowd at the start of a major two-day energy symposium.
Bodman used his U-M keynote address to announce that his department is releasing a draft Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology Management Plan to guide federal research efforts over the next several years.
Sales of hybrid vehicles began to soar after gas prices topped $2 per gallon and flirted with $3 over the past two summers. U-M researchers, as well as the auto companies and others at the symposium have been making a concerted push to come up with alternative hybrid and electric vehicle technologies. The Chevy Volt concept car, which would plug in to a conventional home 110 volt electric outlet, was one of the most talked about cars at last month's Detroit International Auto Show.
Remarks by Energy Secretary Bodman at U-M Energy Symposium
February 13, 2007
I am very pleased to be at the University of Michigan -- which is not only one of our nation’s premier research universities, but it is also a partner with our Department in some important automotive and energy research projects. I’ll say more about that in a moment. I’m also going to make an announcement about a significant step our Department is taking this week in the area of vehicle technology development.
But first let me say that I am particularly pleased to be speaking at this conference of the Phoenix Memorial Energy Institute. When I received the invitation to join you here today, I called my friend Jim Duderstadt to find out a bit more about the Phoenix Institute -- how it was started, and what it is you do here. He explained to me that, back in 1948, the University’s Board of Regents established a memorial in honor of the students and faculty who lost their lives in World War II. I believe he said there were 585 altogether.
As part of that memorial--that tribute--the Regents created something called the Phoenix Project, which was devoted to examining the peaceful uses of the atom. And from that early project grew the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, which as I understand it, was formed last year to build upon and broaden the work you have done in atomic energy -- and address the whole range of energy challenges we face today.
Full Transcript of Secretary Bodman's Remarks
Government alone can't solve energy problems, official says
February 14, 2007
By Jenny Rode
Ann Arbor News
If America is to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, it will take more than government to do it; academia and the private sector will play important roles.
That was one of the messages put forth Tuesday afternoon in a keynote address by U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.
He was on the University of Michigan campus as part of "Energy, Science, Technology and Policy: Facing the Challenge,'' a two-day symposium addressing topics such as climate change and fuel diversity.
More than 500 people attended Bodman's presentation at Rackham Auditorium.
His talk addressed what the Bush administration is doing to promote alternative energy and how the government is working with the private sector, universities and research facilities to solve the energy challenge.
He said the Bush Administration has committed $15 billion to developing cleaner, cheaper and more reliable sources of energy.
A key focus is to reduce U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent in the next 10 years by increasing the supply of renewable and alternative fuels and reforming vehicle fuel economy standards.
"We expect these measures will help reduce America's dependence on hostile or unstable regimes, and also check the growth on carbon emissions,'' Bodman said.
He said both academia and the private sector will be needed to pursue high-risk research that will produce new technology such as hydrogen fuel cells and hybrid-electric cars.
He also said the Department of Energy's 2008 budget asks for $75 million a year for five years to fund three bioenergy research centers to study the latest technology. The centers have not been identified yet.
During a question-and-answer session with the audience, Bodman - a former venture capitalist with a doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology - was asked for a prediction on future oil and gas prices.
He declined to make a judgment, saying it's a complex system and a huge undertaking to make those predictions. But he did mention the importance of market supply.
"We use about a quarter of all the oil in the world every day,'' he said. "If you think about it, that's just huge. Let's keep the markets well supplied and in the meantime we need to get busy and develop alternatives.''
When asked what the average consumer or business can do to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil, Bodman said energy conversation is key.
"All of us need to be more efficient,'' he said. "The simplest way to deal with energy is to save more energy. We are now wasting (energy). As a society, we've been used to inexpensive energy, and I think it's fair to say we need to pay more attention.''
Energy Secretary Bodman keynote for inaugural symposium
February 5, 2007
By Laura Bailey
University Record
U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman will deliver the keynote speech when the University hosts a wide-ranging energy symposium to kick off the recent establishment of its multidisciplinary initiative in energy research.
The two-day event, "Energy Science, Technology, and Policy: Facing the Challenge," will feature speakers from around the country in academia, industry and government. The free public symposium will be held Feb. 13-14 at Rackham Graduate School. Registration is requested. For details see www.mmpei.umich.edu.
Gary Was, director of the new Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute (MMPEI), says the symposium will raise the profile of energy research at U-M among academic colleagues at other universities, within the campus community, as well as with government and industry.
"Michigan will draw some of the most outstanding people in the country to address this topic," Was says, "and that sends a message about our strength in the field. We will bring some of the nation's top scholars and practitioners together to share their perspectives on the energy challenge."
The symposium is organized by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the MMPEI, and is sponsored by DTE Energy.
In describing the symposium, organizers note that there are "few contemporary challenges facing humankind more threatening than the unsustainable nature of our current energy infrastructure," and that the situation "poses a particular challenge for the state of Michigan" because of its historic and current reliance on the automobile industry.
The challenge further is intensified by the fact that the Great Lakes States are the largest consumers and producers of electricity, an energy source now reliant on unsustainable fossil fuels.
In September, the University announced its energy research initiative, and the formation of the MMPEI, a new umbrella organization for energy research on campus. MMPEI will focus its expertise on advanced energy sources, energy efficiency, energy policy and global sustainability. The institute will coordinate and support energy-related research across academic disciplines, with the interdisciplinary approach serving as a key element to its uniqueness and impact on energy problems, Was says.
For instance, at a recent energy workshop on campus in January, 77 faculty members from 11 schools, colleges and units delivered 87 talks on their research projects, he says. The event was sponsored by the MMPEI, Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute, and the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, and attracted more than 250 attendees.
"The workshop was structured as an internal event designed to connect faculty engaged in energy research across this campus," Was says. "This is a huge campus and people working in one department might not have the foggiest idea what's going on in units at the other end of campus."
U-M has an energy research portfolio of more than $35 million in the areas of nuclear power systems, solar power, hydrogen technology, fuel cells, battery research, low-power electronics, transportation systems, and energy and pollution policy. For more information on MMPEI research activities go to www.mmpei.umich.edu/res/area.html.
Energy secretary to speak at U-M
Policy changes, fuel diversity among symposium topics
February 10, 2007
By Jenny Rode
Ann Arbor News
U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman will speak next week at a University of Michigan symposium that will address the science, technology and policy challenges of energy.
Bodman will deliver the keynote address at the symposium at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday at Rackham Auditorium, 915 E. Washington St., on the U-M campus.
"Energy, Science, Technology and Policy: Facing the Challenge'' is a two-day event featuring about two dozen sessions on topics ranging from U-M's approach to the energy challenge to fuel diversity and the future of nuclear power.
Bodman will discuss the importance of research and development in advancing America's competitiveness and President Bush's energy initiatives, including reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil, said Gary S. Was, director of U-M's Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, which is organizing the symposium. The $20 million research center opened last fall at U-M's former nuclear reactor facility.
One of the symposium's objectives is to stimulate interest across campus and the community and bring together some of energy's leading thinkers, Was said.
"This is such a unique opportunity with this broad and deep a collection of people,'' Was said of the speakers. "... I would call it a rare opportunity for our community to listen to individuals, who have spent the better part of their careers on this, talk about these topics."
Presenters are a mix of U-M researchers and government and business leaders, with representatives from General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and the Environmental Protection Agency scheduled to speak.
The event is free and open to the public. For the schedule of speakers, go to mmpei.umich.edu and click on the links for the energy symposium.
December 2006
Gary Was to head U-M Energy Institute
The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, will significantly expand efforts in energy research with the creation of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute. Under the leadership of U-M faculty member Dr. Gary S. Was, the institute will coordinate existing energy research that is distributed across campus in a variety of disciplines and locations. Was is the former research associate dean for the College of Engineering, and former chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences and the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. His research focuses on the effect of radiation and the environment in the development of materials for the aggressive conditions encountered in power generation systems.
from “Members in the News”, Advanced Materials & Processes, December 1, 2006 Pg. 51(1) Vol. 164 No. 12 ISSN: 0882–7958
September 2006
A University of Michigan Initiative Takes on a Global Challenge
Fall 2006
By Bill Clayton
Michigan Engineer
For nearly three decades following World War II, the U.S. economy boomed. Family income for the poor, the middle class and the elite, adjusted for inflation, roughly doubled. But following the oil crisis of 1973, income and living standards for the vast majority of Americans leveled out. From that time forward, energy has been a force that drives not just the economy but international relations, global health and environmental stability.
Steve Forrest, William Gould Dow Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and the University of Michigan vice president for research, explained that this dependence is “a huge problem with potentially catastrophic consequences. The world’s oil production is leveling off. Fossil fuels aren’t sustainable. Yet we’ve erected our energy infrastructure on them. Society’s number-one priority must be to shift away from such a dominant reliance on fossil fuels and make the move to clean, affordable and flexible energy resources.”
Dave Munson, Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, picking up that thread, said, “Not only will we run out of fossil fuels, but the use of these fuels loads the atmosphere with carbon, which is leading to climate change. And U.S. dependence on fossil fuels has undesirable geopolitical consequences. I foresee that Michigan Engineering will play a major role, working with other units on campus to identify and improve alternative energy sources, and to develop strategies for carbon remediation.”
Forrest, who also is a professor in the departments of Materials Science and Engineering, and Physics in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, noted that the University is “one of the few institutions, worldwide, that has both the breadth and depth of excellence to make a significant and broad impact on energy science, technology and policy. So, one of my early goals is to see Michigan's expertise in this area lead to its distinction both nationally and worldwide. To do this, we needed to create a focal point, and we did that by establishing the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute.”
Race for alternate energy
City, state could be the leaders, but much needs to be done
September 25, 2006
By Mike Ramsay
Ann Arbor News
Can Ann Arbor and Michigan be the center of gravity for alternative energy research and development in an environment where dozens of states are vying to lead?
Leaders in energy research and economic development say it could happen, but the state needs more funding for alternative energy start-up companies, a powerful advocate for energy in the state who can bend the ear of politicians and companies, and cooperation across research institutions’ lines.
“We see Ann Arbor as being absolutely critical. If Michigan is going to succeed as attaining a leadership position in alternative energy, U of M will have to be a major part of that success,” said Jim Croce, CEO of NextEnergy, the alternative-energy business accelerator and research group based in Detroit.
With the state in constant search for new industries to replace jobs lost in manufacturing and the growing need to free the nation from dependence on foreign oil, alternative-energy research and production makes a lot of sense for this region, leaders say.
Michael Finney, CEO of Ann Arbor Spark, Washtenaw County’s economic development arm, said southeast Michigan has unique advantages with alternative energy because of the auto industry, but the state hasn’t made funding energy development a priority.
Jerry Mader, the director of Transportation Energy Research at UM, said he thinks the state needs an energy czar, a leader to push the state to give alternative energy the same emphasis that other high-tech businesses have received.
“We have things like the Life Sciences Corridor and things like Automation Alley. We need a Michigan Energy Future Inc. that pulls things together and makes it happen,” he said.
UM Power
No asset in energy research and development is more powerful than the University of Michigan. Even before the school announced the creation of a new, $20 million Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, the school was spending $35 million annually on energy research.
It has the top nuclear engineering program in the country, a strong hydrogen research arm, advanced automotive engineering and a program already devoted to transportation energy research. The university is planning to strengthen its solar, lighting and energy-storage programs.
“What we have going right now is good, and just being able to organize it is important,” said Gary Was, the newly minted director of the energy institute. “But the second part is identifying the areas that are missing and build those up.”
Was said one of his top priorities will be landing a few key partnerships with major industry players that could provide the type of funding needed to put UM on the same level as some of the other colleges.
Although there are no plans for a fund-raising campaign right now, the group that recommended the creation of UM’s energy research institute suggested raising a $70 million endowment.
Missing from that array of strengths at UM are biofuels, which are getting a lot of attention nationally. The energy institute at UM will be working collaboratively with other colleges in the state, including possibly Michigan State University which has one of the top research programs in biodiesel and ethanol in the country.
Maria Thompson, president and CEO of T/J Technologies, knows the value of UM. Her husband, Levi Thompson, is a hydrogen researcher there, and along with Mike Wixom the three formed T/J back in 1991. T/J develops lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells.
“You get very good interns through the Ross School of Business Marcel Gani program at a lower rate, that is subsidized by the program; you can hire directly from U of M; U of M also has hourly rates for the use of some of the laboratory equipment,” she said.
But despite the advantages UM has, universities in other states have a big lead in energy research.
For example, Stanford University has been endowed with $225 million for energy research, mostly from Exxon Mobil Corp. and other major companies. Last Tuesday—the same day Michigan announced the creation of the $20 million Phoenix Energy Institute—Chevron Corp. pledged $25 million to the University of California-Davis for alternative-energy research.
In the past several years, Texas A&M has established the Center for Electrochemical Systems and Hydrogen Research, Georgia Technical University has set up the Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technology. Georgia Tech has even recruited away a few of Michigan’s top researchers. Ohio pledged a three-year, $100 million investment in fuel-cell research, some of it going to help establish the Case Advanced Power Institute at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently established the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment.
Auto industry
Beyond UM, no asset is more important than the auto industry. With more than 200 automotive R&D offices in southeast Michigan and more than 30 in Washtenaw County, the infrastructure is in place for the commercialization of alternative fuel and powertrain technologies.
Many of those R&D centers blossomed here because of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor.
Its primary purpose is to make sure vehicles don’t pollute the air, so its research is heavily aligned with alternative fuels. It employs 400 people in testing and research, is a major developer of clean-fuel technology and holds 50 patents on technology that can be spun off into businesses.
Some of the technology developed there has fostered the growth of companies like Sensors Inc. in Pittsfield Township, which has developed a highly accurate measurement for tiny solid pollution particles emitted by engines during use. Ford Motor Co., one of the county’s largest employers, spends about two-thirds of its research money on advancing “green” technologies, most of it in Dearborn, said Nick Twork, technology spokesman for the automaker.
The hydrogen fuel cell-powered Ford Focus in the city of Ann Arbor’s fleet was designed and built in Dearborn. Twork said the automaker is likely to announce partnerships in alternative energy development with local universities in the near future, and that could mean UM. Right now, Ford has research partnerships with Northwestern University and MIT.
It’s in those collaborations where the real opportunity lies. Doug Rothwell, the CEO of Detroit Renaissance, an organization made up of business leaders from southeast Michigan, said alternative energy gives the automakers a reason to invest in the region.
“It’s something that is a real priority for the region because its something that would enable our most important industry [automotive] to invest additional research dollars in this area,” Rothwell said.
Rothwell said the region is now missing out on big Department of Energy research grants because of a lack of collaboration between different entities working on alternative energy.
“One of the things we are trying to work on is identifying ways to work together collaboratively to get those dollars,” he said.
State interest
Michigan has begun to focus on alternative energy, but not with the speed or force of some states. Only since the rapid rise in gas prices has alternative-energy production or research been highlighted in the state. This year, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a package of legislation that lowered state taxes by 36 percent on ethanol blends and by 20 percent on biodiesel blended fuel. It also provided grants to service station owners to retrofit pumps to accept ethanol and for new biodiesel pumps. The legislation also created zones where businesses could get tax credits for the creation of biodiesel and ethanol production facilities.
One of the first efforts in fostering alternative-energy development is the creation of the 21st Century Jobs Fund, a state program to foster tech company development. Alternative energy was one of four areas eligible for funding. The results of the first round of funding, which sent $101 million to 61 companies or groups, shows the paucity of companies in the state eligible for the funding compared with the other technologies. Of the 500 companies that applied for funding, about 80 fell in the alternative-energy category. Of the 61 awarded money, just four were in that category—three from Washtenaw County.
Green Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor would welcome the mantle as home of green energy.
The city has had an Energy Commission for 21 years. Energy Director Dave Konkle is constantly seeking ways the city can use renewable and clean energy. The city has a goal of moving 30 percent of the city’s energy use to renewable energy by 2010 and getting the entire city to use 20 percent renewable energy by 2015.
It has a fleet of vehicles that run on compressed natural gas and biodiesel. The city has commissioned a feasibility study for building a biodiesel refinery at the landfill on Stone School Road.
The city also has worked hard to get biodiesel pumps set up at two area Meijer stores on Ann Arbor-Saline and Carpenter roads, two of the first retailer pump sites in the state—and an E85 ethanol pump site in Ann Arbor. “There is impetus behind it in this area, thanks to the lead of Ann Arbor,” Konkle said.
With revision, Phoenix Project rises from ashes
New energy institute envisioned as central hub for like-minded researchers on campus
September 25, 2006
By Kelly Fraser
Michigan Daily
True to its name, the Phoenix Project is undergoing a resurrection.
When it was founded in 1948, the project's mission was to find safe uses for atomic energy. After 1956, the North Campus lab even housed a nuclear reactor, which was later shut down.
Fifty-eight years later, the University Board of Regents has tweaked the project's mission. Now instead of advocating peaceful fission, the project will be responsible for coordinating energy research across campus.
The lab will be called the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute. The University is allocating $9 million to the creation of the institute.
Engineering Prof. Gary Was, who will be the institute's first director, said Phoenix will help connect researchers working on similar projects.
"(The institute) will provide a unified voice and a focal point for energy research," Was said. "Sometimes just collecting and getting the researchers together is a significant challenge."
The laboratory space itself is undergoing an $11 million facelift funded by money from the state and University. Regents approved the renovation in May.
The Phoenix Project was originally part of a memorial to 585 students, alumni, faculty and staff members who died in World War II. The idea was to find ways to use the nuclear technology that ended the war not for destruction, but for human welfare.
Once completed, the lab will house Engineering Prof. Levi Thompson's Hydrogen Energy Technology Lab as well as common space for the institute's projects.
"At the present time, the institute is not going to be enormous in terms of its bricks-and-mortar presence," Was said.
The lab won't be used as much for research space as it will as a collaboration center.
Was said that in addition to researching new methods for sustainable, clean and affordable energy, the institute will also work in the public policy sector.
Was said the University could be a leader in public policy and the social aspects of the energy development.
Historically, the University has been known for its automotive and nuclear energy programs. Was said the institute is aiming to strengthen research in other fields such as hydrogen and solar energy, as well as how those technologies could interact with public policy.
Was will have three associate directors in the categories of science and technology, public policy and outreach. He will report to Stephen Forrest, the University's vice president for research.
"The interdisciplinary culture compared to other top research institutions gives us a big advantage because energy research is interdisciplinary in nature, and draws upon disparate fields," Forrest said in a written statement. "This institute will bring together U-M's energy research activities to achieve maximum impact."
Once established, the institute will principally be funded through private foundations, industry partnerships and federal government project bids, Was said.
The University hopes to recruit top faculty to the institute. Some of the institute's funding will be devoted to creating new chair positions and fellowships in LSA, the College of Engineering and the Rackham Graduate School.
Was said he also hopes to attract big names in energy research to campus by hosting an energy symposium in February at Rackham Ampitheatre.
As the institute launches, Was said he will focus on making sure researchers and faculty across campus become involved through a series of workshops designed to advertise the project's opportunities.
Was said he will also hire new faculty to strengthen key areas of research.
The re-establishment of the institute was a key recommendation from the Michigan Energy Research Council, a commission led by former University President James Duderstadt to find ways to strengthen hydrogen energy research.
Phoenix basics
- The offices of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute will be housed at 2301 Bonisteel Blvd. on North Campus.
- The institute will bring together researchers from across campus as a central hub for energy research.
- The University has allocated $9 million to establish the institute.
U starts Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute
September 25, 2006
By Laura Bailey
University Record
The University will expand efforts significantly in energy research with the creation of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute.
The institute will coordinate activities, serve as an international authority and resource in energy-related issues, assist in developing funding sources and attracting faculty, manage the facilities, engage industry and provide a unified voice and focal point on energy research, policy and education.
“Finding renewable sources of energy is one of our most urgent global problems, and the University of Michigan is in a unique position to make an immense contribution to finding solutions,” President Mary Sue Coleman says.
"Our exceptional programs in nuclear engineering, automotive engineering, as well as our longstanding industry partnerships, will provide the scope and scale of expertise to make a real difference in areas such as advanced nuclear power systems, solar power, hydrogen technology, fuel cells, battery research and low-power electronics.”
UM Moves Ahead with Energy Research Site
Institute could put U-M, region at forefront of development
September 19, 2006
By Mike Ramsay
Ann Arbor News
The University of Michigan is expected to announce today a $20 million energy research center at its former nuclear reactor facility that could put the university and the region at the forefront of energy research in the United States.
The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute located on U-M’s North Campus will pull together research spread across different laboratories, add new disciplines and put an emphasis on bringing technology to the marketplace. U-M plans to renovate the former Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project—where the Ford Nuclear Reactor is being decommissioned—and recruit several new endowed chairs and faculty members. The U-M board of regents will get a briefing about the institute at its meeting Friday. The institute will be completed in May 2008.
“The energy institute is really something that is happening at a perfect hour for a region that desperately needs it, and this university is primed to do it,” said Stephen Forrest, vice president of research at U-M. With $35 million in energy research already under way at the university, it is among the leading research institutions in the nation. The new center is expected to help the university land research funding and spin off technology into start-up companies.
The renovations to the building will create more lab space to consolidate some energy research and will provide room for new disciplines at the school. In 2004, the U-M regents approved a name and theme change from the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project. It was established in 1948 as a memorial to Michigan alumni who lost their lives in World War II, and was dedicated to the research of the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The new name, Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, reflects a broader range of efforts. Forrest said the memorial will continue to be a prominent aspect of the building.
Forrest and others think the state of Michigan is ideally suited to be a leader in energy research and development because it is the home of the auto industry, which uses 50 percent of the petroleum consumed in the U.S., and is also a major producer and user of electric power.
Areas of focus will include alternative fuel development aimed at the transportation industry, solar technology, wind, hydrogen fuel, geothermal and nuclear energy. The institute also would tackle the spectrum of energy research and plans to partner with other Michigan research universities that have stronger programs in certain areas. For example, Michigan State University has a strong biofuel research program and U-M does much less work in that field.
As it stands, no area of the country has a clear lead in alternative energy research and development, but many universities—seeing the opportunity in energy research—already have established centers like that of U-M. Stanford University is considered to have the nation’s top energy research program. It is working from a $225 million, 10-year endowment from industry to research environmentally sustainable energy technologies. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Technical University, Case Western Reserve University and many others have recently established energy research centers.
The creation of the institute is the result of a recommendations made by the Michigan Energy Research Council, a group made up of university faculty and administrators and led by former U-M president James Duderstadt.
“If I look around at the major initiatives that the university is spinning up, it's hard to find a more important one,” Duderstadt said. “The hope is a lot of [energy development] is spawned in the Ann Arbor and southeast Michigan area. We see this as a very important economic driver.”
Forrest said the university intends to pursue top researchers in their fields for faculty positions, particularly in fields that may be underrepresented right now, like energy storage.
Gary Was, one of Michigan’s top nuclear engineering professors, has been named as director of the institute. U-M has one of the best—if not the best—nuclear engineering programs in the world. He said U-M will start out ahead of other universities that have fledgling programs of their own.
“We have a depth and breadth of research that’s hard to match, and we have a clearer plan of where we are going,” he said.
Included in that depth is a strong nuclear engineering program and hydrogen fuel cell development. While nuclear energy had fallen out of favor in the 1980s and 1990s, it may hold more promise in the future as safety technologies have improved and the demand for alternatives to coal-burning electricity plants increases.
The clearest connection is to the auto industry. There are 215 auto research and development companies based in southeast Michigan, many of which already are working with U-M on joint projects.
Beyond scientific research, the institute will be drawing on expertise from the School of Natural Resources and Environment, the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, among others, to develop studies on energy policy and the economics of energy use.
In addition, one of the positions that will be funded for the institute is an industry liaison who will be responsible for making partnerships with auto companies, power producers and other energy companies.
The institute also will be working closely with NextEnergy, the Detroit-based energy company business accelerator.
Jim Croce, CEO of NextEnergy, said his agency already is working with the university. The new institute will give important new emphasis to energy research, but he also hopes its leaders will work to establish strong contacts with other universities.
“It’s going to take everybody pulling together on a statewide basis, and perhaps be a little less competitive and more collaborative across universities,” he said.