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Overview

Great Lakes Sustainable Energy Consortium

The Syracuse Center of Excellence, along with its academic and industry partners (Cornell, Syracuse, SUNY ESF, Clarkson) have joined in partnership with their Canadian academic colleagues (Queens, Royal Military College, University of Ottawa) and industry, under the auspices of Great Lakes Sustainable Energy Consortium [GLSEC], to pursue collaborations that will benefit technical research, public policy options and implementation, and commercial developments on both sides of the border, along the I-81 Corridor through Central NY and Eastern Ontario. It is anticipated that this effort will broaden to include a wider Great Lakes basin focus in time.

The objectives of the GLSEC are: (i) the establishment of a world-class Canada-US research and public policy consortia focussing on renewable energy research and policy implementation; (ii) graduate research student, faculty, and industry technical collaboration, policy implementation, and economic development; (iii) increased understanding of Canada and US renewable energy research and public policy options; (iv) stimulate coordinated renewable energy policy between Ontario and NYS; (v) the establishment of an annual technical and policy briefing on the state of renewable energy research, policy implications and commercial implementation for both Ontario and NYS.

The planned activities of the GLSEC are as follows: (i) Canadian and American academic and industry researchers affiliated with GLSEC will meet to discuss and advance research innovations and public policy regulatory/legislative challenges related to sustainable energy resources, during a workshop planned for Fall 2009; subsequently (ii) a meeting/conference of key researchers, industry and commerce leaders and policy specialists from both Canada and the United States will work together to develop a white paper on regional (binational) sustainable energy innovations, implementation pathways, and policy implications; (iii) this white paper will form the basis of a planned briefing at the highest levels of the Government of the State of New York and the Province of Ontario (i.e. Governor Paterson and Premier McGuinty). It is anticipated that this briefing will become an annual event with both Canadian and American participants.

The expected results of the GLSEC are: (i) an increase in cross-border research collaboration between and amongst engineering and public policy faculty and graduate students; (ii) cross-border collaborative research funding proposals directed toward USDOE, USDA, USDOD, NRCan, NRC, AAFC; (iii) the establishment of an ongoing annual cross-border renewable energy workshop focused on technical and policy issues and challenges; (iv) a coordinated NYS response to Ontario Power Generation's Request for Expressions of Interest regarding Biomass Fuel and Transportation; (v) development of collaborative Canada-US policy research between Queen's School of Public Policy and the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, allowing for binational energy and environmental policy discussion venue for policy decision-makers in Ottawa and Washington, DC.

To Do

  • 2-4 Oct – All check for conflicts
  • Fill in your notes here - submit a link to personal information
  • Teleconference call by mid-February – It was confirmed that this would be Wed Feb 25. Suresh to organize???
  • Organize both meetings discussed below and start hitting the grants hard

Background

Great Lakes Sustainable Energy Consortium Meeting

Great Lakes Sustainable Energy Consortium Meeting was held at the RiverEdge Resort, Alexandria Bay, NY December 17 – 18, 2008. This meeting brought together academics in the Lake Ontario region from both the U.S. and Canada to discuss methods of creating a regional sustainable energy system.

What would we do?

  • Policy synthesis as an outcome
  • Policy implementation
  • International policy & system-level view of Sustainable Energy

Members

Name Affiliation Sustainable Energy Research Focus
Dan Kolundzic Consulate General of Canada/Buffalo research
Andrew Pollard Queen's University, Canada
The Sustainable Bioeconomy Centre
Joshua Pearce Queen's University, Canada Solar Photovoltaics and Applied Sustainability
Warren Mabee Queen's University, Canada Bioenergy, Energy Policy
Tom Carpenter Queen's University, Canada Queen's Institute of Energy and Environmental Policy
Brant Peppley Queen's University, Canada Fuel Cells
Ken Visser Clarkson University Center for Sustainable Energy Systems

Wind Energy Group

Stefan Grimberg Clarkson University Farm Digester
Rick Welsh Clarkson University research
Martin Heintzelman Clarkson University research
Tim Volk SUNY-ESF research
Mike Kelleher SUNY-ESF research
Eric Schiff Syracuse University - Arts & Sciences Solar cells (mainly amorphous and mesoporous)
Pete Wilcoxen Syracuse University - Maxwell School Energy and Environmental Policy
Fred Carranti Syracuse University - Engineering research
Mark Glauser Syracuse University - Engineering research
Suresh Santanam Syracuse CoE research
Lance Collins Cornell University research
Corinne Rutzke Cornell University research
Hector Abruna Cornell University research

Research Focus

Integration of both technology and policy to create a sustainable energy system in the Lake Ontario region. This renewable energy region will act as a template for other regions both across Canada and the U.S.

We must address: Security of Supply, Environmental Impact, and Economic Sustainability.

Research Questions

Potential Funding

Helping each other from the other side of the border.

Canada

United States

  • NSF Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) - 26 Feb NSF (PIRE) Syr/Clarkson/Cornell – January telecon
    • is there an exchange agreement – NSERC – SSHRC?
    • US + Can + Africa country? = Columbia or S America examples for NSF-International
  • Carl Bower, DOE/NETL wants to link to Canada
    • $2Billion/year to spend
    • Issues: IP, Funding model, collaborative programme
  • Integrated Biorefinery Operations The U.S. Department of Energy requests proposals for Demonstration of Integrated Biorefinery Operations. Through this RFP, DOE seeks to select integrated biorefinery projects that have the necessary technical and economic performance data that validates readiness for the next level of scale-up. These integrated biorefineries would produce liquid transportation fuel to support meeting the advanced biofuels portion of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2022. Up to $185 million expected to be available, up to 12 awards anticipated. Letter of Intent is required and is due 2/20/09, final applications due to 4/30/09. For more info, contact GO99038@go.doe.gov or go to: [1]
  • Energy for Sustainability The National Science Foundation requests proposals for the Energy for Sustainability Program. This program supports fundamental research and education in energy production, conversion, and storage and is focused on energy sources that are environmentally friendly and renewable. Responses are due 3/1/09. For more info, contact Trung Nguyen at tnguyen@nsf.gov or go to: [2]
  • Agriculture and Food Research The U.S. Department of Agriculture requests proposals for Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grants Program. AFRI is a new competitive grant program to provide funding for fundamental and applied research, extension, and education to address food and agricultural sciences. Areas of interest include but are not limited to: Biobased products and bioenergy production research; managed ecosystems; integrated solutions for animal agriculture; rural development; water and watersheds; and sustainable agroecosystems science and long-term agroecosystem. $191 million expected to be available, individual awards NTE $4 million. Letters of Intent requirements and final due dates vary by subject area.For more info, contact AFRI@csrees.usda.gov or go to:[3]

Other

  • Ont/NYS link
    • Student exchanges
    • Collaborative Research
    • Shared lab assets
    • UWO-WINDEE application to CFI that Syr/QU are tied into
    • COE bldg
  • Solar Network
  • White papers
  • Industry linkage
  • Trade Associations
  • Regulatory
  • Human capital/manpower
  • Stimulus money

White Papers

A white paper should/could provide input to White paper NETL

  • Public policy
  • Sustainable energy region
  • Technologies
  • Education
  • Public engagement as a deliverable
  • Thoughts expressed that we should have a yearly planning event to prepare a white paper
  • To help communicate these ideas, we should develop a WIKI page - we will make another specifically for this as this page is already unwieldy
  • White papers help to drive the areas of interest I a future funding call
  • We should focus on jobs, not just technology in any given region; this gives rise to public policy issues: What should we be building and what/where should dollars be directed for that infrastructure
  • Use as reference the format from “Summary for Policy Makers” – IPCC report

Proposed Conferences/Meetings

  1. GLSECForum - Public Policy day 1 Sets Big picture for the meeting - Tech drivers for day 2
  2. KTN June Mtg duplicate – more structural & formalized & it follows the informal meeting
  • Hold in Albany -- ‘Taking the Bacon home to the diner” - Albany – link 1) with a briefing at governor's office
  • Toronto/Kingston - Creative Corridor between Albany and Kingston!
  • A regular forum

Let’s get 1) going (Informal, TIM-like mtg) & begin planning for 2) (Formal-type similar to CoE or QU June 2008 mtg on Biomass and Energy for the Great Lakes Economy)

  • Healthy Bldgs Mtg & Exhibition Syracuse Sept 13-17 2009 w 1200 people
  • Identify former graduate students who are inside gov’t agencies and ministries, e.g.: NYSERDA, etc)
  • Consul (Buffalo) informal invite to meeting 1 or 2 and make clear the spirit of the meeting and invite the NYS and Ont. Gov. folks to chat
  • Reference made to Jeff Peterson of NYSERDA (context??)
  • Collect info @ formal meeting & take to Governor & Premier (Group from Mtg to be identified) as a debriefing document June Time Frame
  • June/QU mtg Smitherman re Biomass focus & embrace NYS – let’s assume this is OK – are there any roadblocks to int’l movement of biomass?
  • JP – set up NICKI & Dan K will write intro!!
  • I - 81 corridor/regional focus
  • Restrict to GLSEC uni’s for the time being
  • 15 + 5 min + Posters for meeting (1) (informal)

Background Idea

The proposed 1000 Island Energy Research Forum (TIERF) - please note the name is being determined below draws on the traditions of the quarter-century-old 1000 Island Fluids Conference: a non-threatening arena for graduate students to present their research results, at whatever stage, to their peers and seasoned academic researchers. The meeting is non-sponsored, is held in an informal setting and has no registration fee. It is affordable for students to pay their own way (typically, two nights accommodation and 6 meals cost about $300, including an “experimental two-phase flow fluids session” on Saturday evening, paid for through “voluntary contributions”; that is, marbles are distributed at the pleasure of each session chair for such things as too many equations, referring to funding agencies, and worst of all, referring to your academic supervisors as Prof or Dr.).

The format is no parallel sessions with talks being either 8 or 15 minutes in length to enable even first-year graduate students to gain practice speaking in a public forum.

The planning group may decide that the above is too informal, especially if the industry is expected to attend.

Meeting Details

“Bright people getting together to work on hard problems on sustainable energy”
  • Theme statement for each meeting, derived from policy statement - Theme & problem definition _____ industry participation
  • Sell your idea to group & where your research fits into the broader policy. The “so what” question in the context of sustainable energy
  • Cherry-pick students
  • Course # is a vehicle to achieve numbers
  • Find a way to pull students, faculty, and industry together to allow for innovation to “emerge”
  • Spy out human research and ideas tempered by industry
  • Graduate Student seminar
  • Research proposals should emerge from interaction (systems-level)
  • Local involvement- Syracuse, -Kingston
  • Security sequestration
  • Renewable energy regions
  • “Creative Cove” – national Grid hosted
  • USDA – forms & biomass/bioenergy
  • Outcomes from meeting to feed into stimulus dollars
  • Tim – like (our meeting should be in the spirit of the 1000 Island’s Fluids meeting
  • NSF app PP/Co-lead & technology added – international Research $ + meeting $
  • Effect of OPG decision on GLSEC region – who should participate from GLSEC @ OPG March event
  • Energy policy & technology integration Forum
  • Sustainable Energy Plan for the “region”
  • Renewable/Sust Energy Options – silver bucks shot
  • East Ont Sust Energy Region 5 ________ wide range of renewable electricity

Potential Topic and Discipline Areas for Consideration

  1. Biomass to biofuels, including gasification, pelletization, anaerobic digestion
  2. Biomass resource generation (forestry, agriculture, MSW, etc)
  3. Solar energy, including materials, solar for electricity, heating, etc
  4. Fuel cells
  5. Wind
  6. Improved thermodynamic cycles, co-gen, etc.
  7. Gas turbines, including micro-turbines
  8. Combined renewable energy approaches
  9. Geothermal
  10. Energy Storage
  11. Electrical grid – power systems?
  12. Hydro
  13. Residential, institutional and large scale industrial application
  14. Transportation logistics
  15. The transportation sector (road, rail, and water) (systems?)
  16. Policy and economic studies with any or all topics/disciplines suggested here

Potential Outcomes

  1. New research directions
  2. Cross-border research projects (funding mechanism TBD)
  3. Inter-university sharing of graduate courses (develop a joint graduate program(s))
  4. Industry-university links, including the possible development of short courses
  5. Policy suggestions to be forwarded to Ottawa and Albany

Funding Options

  • Pay to play
  • Each organization could put up some funds to sponsor
  • Federal / State/Provincial funds support for conference

Potential Names

  • 1000 Island Energy Research Forum
  • Lake Ontario Region Sustainable Energy Policy and Technology Integration
  • Regional Energy Policy and Technology Integration
  • Lake Ontario Region Sustainable Energy
  • Regional Energy Policy & Technology in local environments (REPTILE) (a la Brant P.)
    • Renewable Energy Policy and Technology in Local Environments

Keywords Renew Forum Regional Energy Policy Technology Integration

Contact details

Interested in the conference or being part of the research efforts - contact:

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Created December 20, 2008 by Joshua M. Pearce
Modified May 1, 2022 by Felipe Schenone
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