Energy Institute To Administer West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund
January 24, 2001
University Park, Pa. - Penn State's Energy Institute has been selected to administer the new West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund. The Fund, which is one of four sustainable energy funds in the Commonwealth, was established by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission as part the of deregulation and restructuring of Pennsylvania's electric generation. Collectively these four funds will provide nearly $55 million in the development and implementation of sustainable energy technologies throughout Pennsylvania.

"Penn State, with its long history of energy research and development and its extensive outreach programs, was a logical choice for the administration of our Sustainable Energy Fund, says Linda Boxx, President of the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund. "The Energy Institute in particular has a demonstrated ability within the energy community to bring together business partnerships that are focused on emerging energy technologies."

The Energy Institute, in cooperation with Energetics Incorporated, will be responsible for developing and monitoring sustainable energy projects that will have economic and societal benefit to the West Penn service area ratepayers. According to the Sustainable Energy Fund Technical Director Dr. Peter Luckie, professor of mineral engineering, "The Sustainable Energy Fund was established to promote the use of renewable and clean energy, energy conservation and energy efficiency, and the start-up, attraction, expansion and retention of sustainable energy businesses."

Joel Morrison, who will serve as the program coordinator for Penn State indicated that "the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund will be looking for proposals from businesses and technology centers that develop sustainable energy technologies and have an interest in deploying their technologies in Pennsylvania. We are specifically interested in those that can help retain and attract businesses in the 17-county West Penn Power service district in western, central and northern Pennsylvania." He can be reached at 814-865-4802 or by email wppsef@psu.edu.

Editors: Joel Morrison can be reached at 814-865-4802 or by e-mail at jlm9@psu.edu.