The West Virginia University Research Corp. has announced a $225,000 award to promote formation of the Advanced Power&Electricity Research Center as a university-wide research center at WVU .
The center team, which includes power and mechanical engineers, computer scientists, a mathematician and several economists, received the award from the Research Corp.s Program to Stimulate Interdisciplinary Research, or PSIR .
“PSIR represents a new research investment strategy for the corporation,”said John Weete, president.”By supporting interdisciplinary teams of researchers and recognizing them as university-sanctioned centers, we hope to carve out niches of excellence for WVU in areas of importance to the state and the nation.”
APERC s mission is to develop innovations in system-wide control of the power grid using operational and economic data.
“We want to keep the lights on at reasonable cost,”explained Ali Feliachi, APERC s director.
“Its been said to the point of being clich, but affordable, reliable electricity is critical for maintaining and improving the standard of living in this country and around the world,”said Weete, who is also vice president for research and economic development at WVU .”Just ask the 50 million people who lost power last August in the Northeast or nearly all the Italians who lost power in September what the impact has been on them.”
Some analysts have estimated the cost of the Northeast blackout at $6.4 billion to $10.6 billion. One news report from New York City highlighted the millions of gallons of raw sewage that poured into New York harbor when treatment plants failed and the 71 fires that were reportedly started by candles or malfunctioning generators, a 470 percent jump above the normal number of fires for that time of year.
“I am confident that APERC will succeed in its mission. The center is becoming nationally recognized for its work already,”said Weete.
Five of the centers graduate research assistants have won national and international awards.
“Through ongoing research at WVU and the work of our masters and Ph.D. alumni in the industry, APERC stands to make a significant contribution to improving our power systems,”he added.”We are relying on people like them to make sure the electricity is there when we turn the switch on.”