ACEP Microgrids Work Makes White House List
Through a White House press release on June 16th, the Obama Administration announced that University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska Center for Energy and Power and its collaborators will be receiving funding through the Office of Naval Research (ONR). This funding aims to complement the Administration’s Clean Energy Solutions for Remote Communities initiative.
ACEP aims to utilize this funding to support the development of microgrid technology and knowledge in four ways: by ascertaining utility needs and preferences; by supporting industry in final R&D steps towards commercialization; by developing enabling technologies; and by ensuring workforce readiness for a transition from traditional diesel-based power generation systems to advanced microgrids. Programs to address these areas such as the Alaska Center for Microgrid Technologies Commercialization and the Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy have already been initialized.
Other participating organizations, NOT DIRECTLY SUPPORTED BY THE ONR PROJECT, include UAA’s Business Enterprise Institute, UAA’s Small Business Development Center, UAA’s Center for Economic Development, Artic Council members Canada, Iceland, Finland, and the Gwich’in Council International.
Read the full White House press release.
Image credit United States Office of the White House.