The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) in Grand Forks, North Dakota is a research, development, demonstration, and commercialization facility recognized as one of the world’s leading developers of cleaner, more efficient energy technologies as well as environmental technologies to protect and clean our air, water, and soil.
The EERC, a high-tech, nonprofit division of the University of North Dakota (UND), operates like a business and pursues an entrepreneurial, market-driven approach to research and development in order to successfully demonstrate and commercialize innovative technologies. The EERC currently employs over 330 people and is aggressively expanding its staff. The Center was founded in 1951 as the Robertson Lignite Research Laboratory, a federal facility under the U.S. Bureau of Mines. It became a federal energy technology center under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 1977 and was defederalized in 1983. Today, the EERC leverages and enhances government research dollars by developing working partnerships with industry, government, and the research community. Since 1987, the EERC has had nearly 1100 clients in 50 states and 51 countries.
The EERC conducts research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities involving zero-emissions coal conversion; CO2 capture and sequestration; energy and water sustainability; hydrogen and fuel cells; advanced air emission control technologies, emphasizing SOx, NOx, air toxics, fine particulate, CO2, and mercury control; renewable energy; wind energy; water management; flood prevention; global climate change; waste utilization; energy efficiency; and contaminant cleanup.
The EERC is located on more than 13 acres of land on the southeast corner of the UND campus in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The EERC houses 245,000 square feet of laboratories, fabrication facilities, technology demonstration facilities, and offices. The EERC has a current contract portfolio of over $236 million and, in fiscal year 2009, funded dollars topped $43.9 million, and the EERC's estimated regional economic impact is $137.2 million.
[edit] Centers of Excellence
The EERC's eleven Centers of Excellence include the following:
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
