Published: April 1, 2016 |

Marcellus Shale Energy and Environmental Laboratory is a collaborative effort between WVU and three other universities.
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West Virginia University has formed a partnership with three other research universities in Ohio and Pennsylvania to coordinate and collaborate on projects related to innovation in energy.

WVU, Case Western Reserve University, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh have formed the Tri-State University Energy Alliance as a way to build on one another’s strengths, said WVU spokeswoman April Kaull.

As part of the TrUE Alliance, the four universities will focus their efforts on overlapping and complementary energy research that will address high-priority challenges in order to maximize the potential impact of each institution’s work.

The four universities had collaborated on a number of energy-related research projects in the past 10 years without a lot of overlap, so the formation of the TrUE Alliance was an organic step in that process, Kaull said.

“For a region that has such a rich history and bright future related to fossil energy resources and research, it is natural that these research institutions should formalize their history of collaboration in the form of the Tri-State University Energy Alliance,” said Fred King, vice president for research at WVU. “Each of these partners brings unique skills and expertise to bear on leading the way for 21st century solutions for our nation’s need for affordable, abundant and clean energy.”

During the next six months, members will define the scope of activities. Progress and opportunities will be reviewed and discussed regularly and at annual meetings.

“Building upon years of collaboration across these leading regional universities allows us to develop strong teams of researchers to solve modern energy challenges,” said Brian Anderson, director of the WVU Energy Institute. “Each of these universities brings unique strengths that together provide one of the strongest regional research portfolios on the globe.”

As part of the renewable five-year term, TrUE Alliance members will regularly discuss energy initiatives, activities and collaboration opportunities, as well as enable faculty, staff and students to connect across institutions.

WVU has more than 100 years of applied and fundamental research experience in energy and more than 120 faculty researchers doing work in four areas of emphasis in collaboration with the WVU Energy Institute: fossil energy, sustainable energy, environmental stewardship and energy policy.

WVU has a history of partnerships with federal, academic and industrial entities in research activity.

The Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory is the first long-term, comprehensive field study of shale gas resources in which scientists will study the process from beginning to end. The project will evaluate new technologies for increasing the efficiency of the process as well as the impact of drilling and production on the land, water, air and the local economy.

The Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions is a leader in transportation and power systems. Among other projects, the center’s researchers are developing advanced engine and after-treatment technologies to produce ultra-low emissions for heavy-duty vehicles, advanced combustion research and new on-board diagnostics technology.

The US-China Clean Energy Research Center – Advanced Coal Technology Consortium is an international collaboration focused on technologies for improving the energy efficiency of buildings, advanced coal and clean vehicles. The consortium’s members are researching areas such as the economic and technical aspects of new post-combustion carbon capture technology; building capture, transportation and storage simulation models; and methods for CO2 capture and recycling.

In February, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education released its latest update. It listed WVU as an R1, or highest research activity, university, a classification shared by only 114 of the more than 4,500 institutions of higher education in the U.S.

Source: (March 24, 2016) The State Journal

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