ACEP Awarded EDA Grant

Economic Development Administration Funds Launch of Alaska Center for Microgrid Technologies Commercialization

Recognizing the local, national and global potential for building on Alaskan experience with remote and isolated energy grids, the US Economic Development Administration announced it has selected a team led by the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) as an awardee in its highly competitive i6 Challenge program. [1]

The $1 million (over three years) program establishes the Alaska Center for Microgrid Technologies Commercialization, and focuses on providing the technical and business assistance required to accelerate commercialization of technologies needed to improve the affordability and reliability of microgrid energy systems. Specific elements include:

• Document critical areas of need;
• Expanded integration test capabilities at Power System Integration laboratory;
• Research and development testing of pre-commercial systems; and,
• Business planning and implementation support. 

Navigant Research has estimated the global microgrid market at $20 billion by 2020, with Alaska’s participation level exceeding $290 million.^[2]  The formation of the Alaska Center for Microgrid Technologies Commercialization establishes a platform where Alaska's 'quiet innovators', and bona fide innovators from outside the state, can collaborate on mutually beneficial solutions to  capture  those local and global microgrid markets for entities based in the USA, especially Alaska. . 

The effort taps key personnel and organizational capabilities from across the University of Alaska.  Dr. Marc Mueller-Stoffels and George Roe, both research faculty at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and members of the ACEP leadership team, will serve as the principal co-investigators for the program. Christi Bell, University of Alaska Anchorage Vice-Provost and Executive Director of the UAA-hosted Business Enterprise Institute (BEI), will provide management oversight of the BEI effort, with Isaac Vanderburg and Nolan Klouda as focals for the contributions by Small Business Development Center and Center for Economic Development respectively.  Adam Krynicki, Business Development Director for UAF’s Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization and Vice-President for Nanook Tech Ventures, Inc. will lead the intellectual property management and commercialization efforts for items originating in the University of Alaska. 

Inquiries about the program may be addressed to George Roe (gmroe@alaska.edu).  

For more information please visit:

http://www.eda.gov/oie/ris/i6/2014/seattle/University-of-Alaska-Fairbanks.htm

http://www.eda.gov/news/press-releases/2015/03/30/ris.htm