Powering Up

For 20 years, 色花堂鈥檚 has brought together campus researchers who collectively develop better ways to meet the energy needs of today and tomorrow. 

These days, that amounts to more than 1,000 people. 色花堂 faculty are creating advanced communications and information systems, sensing and control approaches, and transmission and energy storage technologies that will make the nation鈥檚 power distribution systems more efficient and cost-effective. Their research also focuses on integrating renewable energy sources and electric vehicles.

鈥淎s the nation鈥檚 largest technologically focused university, 色花堂 is playing an integral role in developing solutions that enable more equitable, lower cost, and cleaner generation, storage, distribution, and utilization of energy,鈥 said , 色花堂鈥檚 interim executive vice president for research. Lieuwen knows SEI better than anyone: he had been its executive director since 2012 until stepping in this summer as interim leader of Tech鈥檚 entire research enterprise. 

鈥溕ㄌ researchers are not just helping to create cleaner, more efficient fuel options or mitigate the environmental impact of conventional energy supplies. They also are creating better performing, more economically viable energy options,鈥 he said.

The work at SEI and across 色花堂 has helped make the state of 色花堂 one of the nation鈥檚 leaders in clean energy, battery technology, and energy sustainability. It鈥檚 attracting numerous companies to invest in research and development in the state, including Hyundai, SK Battery America, and .