LSU and other Louisiana universities have been awarded a $160 million grant – the largest ever awarded by U-S National Science Foundation to support energy transition, decarbonization, and create jobs. Vice President of Research and Economic Development Robert Twilley says the grant positions the state to be the leader in expanding the energy industry.
“It’s very exciting to be acknowledged by the National Science Foundation that we are on the cusp of innovation and that we got a program in place to really build out the future of energy for the United State.”
Louisiana has more than 250,000 people working in energy, expertise and chemical petrochemical industries. The state’s geographic location and its existing infrastructure of plants, refineries and 50 thousand miles of pipelines place the Bayou State at the epicenter of energy transition.
Twilley says the NSF grant is an opportunity to educate and retain skilled workers and expand the state’s future energy economy.
“We want to keep that intellectual property here in the state, grow out our small business opportunities, get new ideas into new industries in getting these economic development machines up and running.”
Louisiana Economic Development will also contribute $67 million toward the project over the next decade.
Twilley says they will work to solve emerging challenges in areas like carbon capture, transport and storage, and other areas. He says the grant lays the foundation for other successful research endeavors to keep the state as the energy leader of the world.
“We have a tech hub that we’re getting ready to submit. We’re part of a GNO ink project on hydrogen to the future. This is only one addition or member of our portfolio but a really important one.”
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