New York Power Authority (NYPA) President and Chief Executive Officer Richard M. Kessel has announced funding for Stony Brook’s Advanced Energy Center (AEC) to support efforts to advance innovative energy research, education and technology deployment with a focus on efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy that will establish New York State as a leader in the clean energy economy. Joining Kessel for the announcement on January 7 at Stony Brook’s Research and Development Park were Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., M.D.; AEC Chair Robert B. Catell; and Yacov Shamash, Vice President for Economic Development and Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, who is also Co-Director of AEC. Construction of the AEC building is expected to be completed by fall 2010.
The commitment made by NYPA will advance Governor David A. Paterson’s “45 by 15” program, one of the nation’s most aggressive energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives, with a goal to meet 45 percent of the state’s electricity needs through improved energy efficiency and renewable sources by 2015. It is conservatively estimated that this program will create 50,000 new jobs throughout the state.
“The goals and work of the Advanced Energy Center are a key element to establishing New York State as a commanding force in the clean energy economy,” said Governor Paterson. “Support for academic research coupled with public-private partnerships is critical to fostering our economic renaissance.”
“The New York Power Authority is proud to support the Advanced Energy Center‘s groundbreaking and innovative efforts in energy research and technology transfer,” Kessel said. “This Center will advance significant alternative and renewable energy research; foster coordination and cooperation among public, private, and educational energy stakeholders; and be the catalyst for the growth of the clean energy industry on Long Island and across the state.”
“Thanks to this generous grant, NYPA has solidified its role as a truly integral partner to Stony Brook and the Advanced Energy Center,” said President Stanley. “We are very excited with the trajectory of the Advanced Energy Center in its designation as the home to the newly established New York State Energy Policy Institute, and its anticipated contribution toward bringing the resources together to create and implement new, efficient sources of energy through research and technology development.”
“We’re extremely pleased that the New York Power Authority is providing this support to the Advanced Energy Center,” said Catell. “This is a significant step forward in that NYPA’s grant will help foster the kind of leading-edge research that can ultimately benefit consumers in New York State.”
“The Advanced Energy Center was founded on the principle of partnership. We are creating an unprecedented partnership of energy producers and providers, academic and research institutions, regulators, and industry customers and suppliers to put New York at the cutting edge in technology development and deployment,” said Shamash.
The commitment by NYPA includes $500,000 to support the operations of the Advanced Energy Center, which was established to institute a broad-based interdisciplinary research program that integrates fundamental science, nanotechnology, and engineering to design the next generation of advanced energy systems.
AEC has agreed to provide NYPA pre-publication copies of technical publications and access to certain technical programs, such as research into applications of smart grid technologies. Both NYPA and AEC have committed to work toward a potential future smart grid project, including modeling and simulation of a smart grid, interoperability of smart grid systems, or smart grid cyber security matters, which would be funded, in part, by an additional grant of up to $250,000 from NYPA.
In addition, NYPA will become a member of AEC’s advisory committee, which is comprised of stakeholders from utilities, industry, research, and government. The goal is to help guide research strategy, research assessment and needs, and research execution across the state.
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