SCOTT BAUER / The Associated Press | Posted: Friday, March 10, 2006 6:00 pm
A center focused on developing new sources of energy will be developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln thanks to a $5 million donation from the Nebraska Public Power District.
The money, spread out over five years, will be combined with $400,000 annually from the university to fund research and to leverage against even larger grants from the federal government and others.
The NPPD board of directors on Friday approved the agreement to donate the money for creation of the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research.
“Energy is so important to our economy and such a big driver that we need to find better ways to be more efficient in the production of energy and the consumption or use of energy,” said Ron Asche, president of NPDD.
UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman, in an e-mail sent to faculty and staff, said work is already under way examining biofuels, hydrogen technology, and other energy sources as alternatives to fossil fuels.
The new center provides a way to bring together all those in different disciplines throughout the university already working on energy issues, said Prem Paul, UNL’s vice chancellor for research.
The new center will help the university engage in national initiatives to find fuel alternatives, Perlman said.
“This is a critical area for us, not only because of its importance to the nation, but also because of Nebraska’s strategic position, particularly with biofuels and wind-energy,” Perlman said in the e-mail.
The agreement will be presented to the university’s Board of Regents for approval in April.