Letter from the Director

 
Energy continues to be a key word for 2010 in the U.S. as well as throughout the world while the quest for clean, reliable, and affordable power only gains momentum. I am excited to see our labs full of many dedicated students and faculty working on new technologies for the production, generation, and use of our energy resources in an environmentally-friendly manner. Even in the face of ongoing economic challenges, many ground-breaking research projects have been performed and initiatives started at the EMS Energy Institute over the past year. e Institute recognizes and is grateful for the continued support from the University, and the funding from state and federal agencies and industries, which allow us to continue our mission.

One major initiative that involves the Institute is a five-university consortium to provide a range of research and engineering services to the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). is initiative is being led by Tom Richard, director of the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment; Alan Scaroni, associate dean for Graduate Education and Research, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences; and myself. In addition to Penn Sate, the alliance includes Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University. Another new program is the Electricity Markets Initiative. is initiative, led by Dr. Andrew Kleit, will conduct industry-relevant academic research that examines important questions in electricity restructuring and electricity markets in Pennsylvania. e EMS Energy Institute has also been leading an effort to develop a Joint Energy Research Center with Dalian University of Technology in China (DUT). is mutually beneficial center will establish a formal collaboration between Penn State and DUT and expand on existing cooperative relationships between faculty at the two universities and the exchange of faculty and students. Finally, the Institute continues to have a strong alliance with ConocoPhillips and in March, announced the 2010 ConocoPhillips Energy Prize competition. Begun in 2008, this energy award program is a major outreach initiative for promoting nation-wide energy innovation.

In addition to the many new research projects, the number of faculty and students conducting research at the Institute continues to grow. I am pleased to announce nine faculty members who have recently joined the EMS Energy Institute. Dr. Antonio Nieto has an extensive background in mining engineering; Dr. John Yilin Wang and Dr. Li Li are interested in petroleum and natural gas engineering; Dr. Seth Blumsack, Dr. R.J. Briggs, Dr. Andrew Kleit, and Dr. Zhen Lei all bring research in the area of energy and environmental economics; and Dr. Wayne Curtis and Dr. Donghai Wang bring research collaborations from the College of Engineering.

While growth is desirable, with it come an obvious challenge – space. As I mentioned in the last issue, the EMS Energy Institute with support from the University, Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, and College of Earth and Mineral Sciences is in the process of renovating a new “energy building” that will primarily hold EMS Energy Institute affiliated faculty and students. Demolition and construction have started and we are planning to occupy the space before the fall semester.

At the EMS Energy Institute, our most valuable resource is our people and their daily enthusiasm for tackling energy challenges. e caliber of our faculty and students and staff is apparent in the many awards garnered each year for research, presentations and publications. With the expansion of our facilities and the growing number of students, faculty and research staff , the EMS Energy Institute is positioned to remain a strong leader in energy research.

Dr. Chunshan Song 
Director, EMS Energy Institute 
Associate Director, PSIEE 
Distinguished Professor of Fuel Science 
Professor of Chemical Engineering