The University of Minnesota Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment

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The University of Minnesota Initiative for
Renewable Energy and the Environment
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Energy and Materials

• Issues
• Opportunities
• Solutions

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Issues

• Fossil fuel-based
• Energy Security
• Ecological Impacts/Costs

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Energy MaterialsWhat is the source?
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Source of Energy Materials Photosynthesis
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Photosynthesis How do we use it?

• Food
• Clothing
• Shelter
• Fuel

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Fossil fuels

• The product of photosynthesis that occurred 50
  million years ago
• Energy
• Materials

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Energy and Materials

• Issues
• Opportunities
• Solutions

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Opportunities

• Utilize Indigenous,
• Renewable Resources
• for Energy and Materials

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Forces toward renewable energy

• Environment
• Global warming
• Human health
• National security
• Economics

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Why should Minnesota foster development of
renewable energy?

• Capitalize on indigenous renewable resources
• Hydrogen -Wind
• Biomass -Solar

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Why should Minnesota foster development of
renewable energy?

• Reverse economic drain
• Generate new, more diverse jobs
• Human capital
• Critical mass of industries

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Energy and Materials

• Issues
• Opportunities
• Solutions

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Solutions

• University of Minnesota
• Initiative for Renewable Energy and the
  Environment

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Mission

• To promote statewide economic development,
  sustainable, healthy, and diverse ecosystems,
  and national energy security through development
  of bio-based and other renewable resources and
  processes.

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University of Minnesota Initiative for Renewable
Energy and the Environment
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Research Partnerships for Hydrogen
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Hydrogen How to use it. How to get it?
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Minnesota Hydrogen Strategy
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Bio-based approaches to hydrogen
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FermentorThe workhorse

• Bio-based methods for
• Materials
• Energy

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Hydrogen-related Faculty Expertise

• Hydrogen storage and transport
• Andy Taton Chemistry
• Fuel cells
• Lanny Schmidt Chemical Engineering
• Bill Smyrl Chemical Engineering
• Ed Cussler Chemical Engineering
• Biohydrogen
• Bridgette Barry BMBB
• Michael Flickinger BTI, BMBB
• Michael Sadowsky BTI, Soils/Water/Climate
• Claudia Schmidt-Dannert BMBB
• Larry Wackett BTI, BMBB

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Other Energy/Environment Faculty Expertise

• Renewable energy
• Jane Davidson Mechanical Engineering
• Michael Zachariah Mechanical Engineering
• Biomaterials
• Robert Brooker BTI, GCD
• Tony Dean BTI, EEB
• Friedrich Srienc BTI, Chemical Engineering
• Ecosystems
• Peter Reich Forest Resources
• David Tilman EEB

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Other Energy/Environment Faculty Expertise
(contd)

• Conservation
• John Carmody Architecture Landscape Arch
• Economics and Policy
• Dean Abrahamson Humphrey Institute
• Ken Keller Humphrey Institute, Chemical Eng
• Lee Munnich Humphrey Institute
• Phil Pardey Applied Economics
• Stephen Polasky EEB, Applied Economics
• C. Ford Runge Applied Economics

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Goals for Minnesota Biohydrogen

• Produce hydrogen from renewable resources
• Produce no incremental CO2
• Utilize raw materials (biomass) that make up the
  vast agricultural base of Minnesota

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MVPDavid Tilman Ecology Environmental Sciences
http//www.in-cites.com/scientists/dr-david-tilman
.html
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Shaping Minnesotas Economic and Energy Future

• Good lessons, hard lessons
• Medical device industry
• Computer industrya lesson to learn from

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University of Minnesota Initiative for Renewable
Energy and the Environment

• To promote statewide economic development,
  sustainable, healthy, and diverse ecosystems,and
  national energy security through development of
  bio-based and other renewable resources and
  processes.

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The University of Minnesota Initiative for
Renewable Energyand the Environment
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Research Partnerships for HydrogenFaculty
Expertise