Pooling research skills and talents to work on America’s energy problems helps create a scientific workforce of unparalleled potential, West Virginia University President James P. Clements said Wednesday in launching a regional university energy research alliance.

Clements appeared at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh to celebrate the launch of the Regional University Alliance, sponsored by the National Energy Technology Center co-located in Pittsburgh and Morgantown. RUA is dedicated to developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.

He appeared along with the presidents of consortium members the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University and Virginia Tech, and the vice president of research for Carnegie Mellon University to discuss options for meeting critical U.S. energy challenges.

“The five universities participating in the RUA are acutely aware of their responsibilities to help make people’s lives better in our individual states, our region, and the nation,” Clements said.

“The NETL Regional University Alliance presents very skilled and productive researchers at five prestigious regional universities with the uncommon opportunity to make lives better by helping – together – to solve stubborn energy problems with national and even global implications. At the same time, as university researchers, individuals from these RUA institutions engage with students to convey not only knowledge about new energy-related discoveries, but also knowledge about how to discover. In that way, we lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s scientific discoveries that lead to tomorrow’s innovations.”

The launch included appearances by Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy James Markowsky, U.S. Representatives Mike Doyle and Tim Murphy, Pittsburgh-area leaders, and NETL research partners from China and Poland.

Anthony Cugini, NETL director, hosted the energy panel, which also included representatives from GlobalPittsburgh and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory focused on developing tools and processes that can provide clean, reliable, affordable energy to the American people.

NETL-RUA is an academia-government partnership that promotes energy innovation and economic development through research collaboration. In launching the Alliance, NETL commences its next 100 years of energy innovation.

WVU supports RUA through its Advanced Energy Initiative. AEI coordinates and promotes University-wide energy research in science, technology and public policy.

-WVU-

gg/10/14/10

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