UT tapped to help address energy issues

TOLEDO, Ohio - Gov. Ted Strickland announced Thursday that the University of Toledo was named as one of nine Centers of Excellence in Advanced Renewable Energy and the Environment .

Gov. Strickland toured the university's Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator Thursday afternoon. He addressed the university community in the incubator's conference room following the tour.

These centers will address the need for clean-energy technology and foster a clearer understanding of environmental systems. This advanced knowledge will make solving global challenges easier in the future ( READ: BGSU also granted with its first Center of Excellence ).

The nine centers are spread between eight universities across Ohio, and each center will focus on different areas of the environment. This will eliminate unnecessary competition for resources, students and faculty within the state.

UT's center will focus on a few core areas of research, including: solar, wind and biomass energy research, as well as energy storage and conversion and management. The center will also dedicate its resources to studying environmental and ecosystems.

The new center will be added to the established research infrastructure already in place on the UT campus, which includes the university's School of Solar and Advanced Renewable Energy and the South Park Campus Energy Innovation.

The nine centers are being established in accordance with Senate Bill 221, which mandates that 25 per cent of the state's electricity production come from advanced energy sources by 2025.

Along with the new energy sources this effort will bring talent in the environmental studies to the state, position Ohio as a leader in innovation and entrepreneurial activity and attract new jobs to the state.