Renewable Energy Initiatives at the Land-Grant Universities of the Northeast

Prepared by Sezer Goncuoglu for the Northeast Center for Rural Development

  1. Cornell University Renewable Energy Society (CURES)
    http://www.rso.cornell.edu/cures/
    This organization provides a forum for students, faculty, and staff to share their interest in renewable energy.

  2. Cornell University. Cornell Sustainable Campus: Promoting sustainable futures and advancing Cornell’s mission
    http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/
    This site presents the programs established in Cornell to make the campus more sustainable. Energy-related links include ‘energy use,’ ‘transportation,’ ‘green buildings,’ and ‘climate neutrality.’

  3. Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment (PSIEE)
    http://www.environment.psu.edu/
    PSIEE is the central coordinating structure at Penn State for energy and environmental research. The site provides access to other centers which include Energy Institute, Center for Sustainability, and Biomass Energy Center among others.

  4. The Pennsylvania State University, Agricultural and Biological Engineering “Energy Strategies”
    http://energy.cas.psu.edu/
    This site provides information on energy alternatives, energy efficiency, and some general energy issues through related website links.

  5. The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD)
    http://www.nercrd.psu.edu/Energy/Energy.html
    This site provides access to tips on reducing home heating costs and information on biofuels.

  6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Energy Institute
    http://www.ruei.rutgers.edu/
    The Rutgers Energy Institute is a broad umbrella organization which helps coordinate and promote individual and group activities on energy utilization, efficiency, and sustainability. The following two Centers operate under this umbrella organization.

  7. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Center for Energy, Economic, and Environmental Policy
    http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/ceeep/
    This center collaborates with policy experts and stakeholders in the private, public, and non-profit sectors to strengthen energy, economic and environmental public policy. The center is affiliated with New Jersey Hydrogen Learning Center and New Jersey Sustainable State Institute – both located at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.

  8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The Center for Advanced Energy Systems
    http://caes.rutgers.edu/about.php
    The mission of this multidisciplinary center is the creation, development, and promotion of new energy technologies.

  9. University of Connecticut, Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center
    http://www.ctfuelcell.uconn.edu/
    The mission of this center is “to make fuel cells technically and economically feasible energy conversion devices for a sustainable civilization.” The technical site provides access to important energy websites - Hydrogen Fuel Cell Institute, Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and Energy Info Source, among them.

  10. University of Connecticut, Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis
    http://ccea.uconn.edu/studies/Biodiesel%20Report.pdf
    Provides access to a 57-page report on “Biodiesel: Fuel for Thought, Fuel for Connecticut’s Future.”

  11. University of Connecticut, Office of Environmental Policy Students. “Internet Resources: Energy”
    http://www.ecohusky.uconn.edu/energy.html
    The Office of Environmental Policy (OEP) focuses on excellence in environmental performance, emphasizing sustainability initiatives ranging from climate change to water conservation and green building. This site provides access to internet sources on energy which include, among others, Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) and Energy Star.

  12. University of Delaware, Institute of Energy Conversion
    http://www.udel.edu/iec/
    This institute is an integrated laboratory devoted to research and development of photovoltaic solar cells and other photonic devices. The link provides access to energy-related websites, including, for example, Renewable Energy Access.

  13. University of Delaware, Center for Energy & Environmental Policy. Energy Sustainability
    http://ceep.udel.edu/energy/index.html
    This link gives brief information on energy sustainability and provides access to descriptions of individual energy projects at the center - which include, among others, ‘wind energy for rural livelihoods’ and ‘bioenergy for sustainable rural development.’ There is also a link to energy publications.

  14. University of District of Columbia, Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy
    http://www.udc.edu/cere/center_mission.pdf
    This link connects to a one-page mission statement. The Center was inaugurated on April 7, 2006 - the last day of the International Conference on Renewable Energy for Developing Countries-06 (ICREDC-06). Yet there is not much information on Center’s activities.

  15. The University of Maine Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative
    http://www.forestbioproducts.umaine.edu/
    FBRI is aims to reduce dependence on petroleum by creating a renewable carbohydrate economy through new technologies. This effort is centered around the sustainable use of forests to generate bioproducts that will be produced in integrated bio-refineries.

  16. The University of Maine Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Energy
    http://www.umaine.edu/nrc/Environmental%20Links/energy%20links.htm
    This link provides access to energy websites. Examples include U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network, among others.

  17. The University of Maine Ecology and Environmental Sciences. “Reducing Your Footprint: A Handbook for Reducing Household Carbon Dioxide Emissions”
    http://www.umaine.edu/nrc/Carbon%20Footprinting/Carbon%20Footprint%20Suppo rt%20Page.htm
    This link connects to a School of Economics Staff Paper which is designed to help individuals and families reduce their household carbon dioxide emissions in a systematic way.

  18. IRIS Center at the University of Maryland College Park
    http://www.irisprojects.umd.edu/ppc_ideas/ebulletin/issue%2026.htm
    This link connects to an E-Bulletin published by the PPC IDEAS Project at the IRIS Center. The issue is basically about energy and the poor with links to certain papers.

  19. University of Maryland College Park, Center for Environmental Energy Engineering, Consortium for Cooling, Heating and Power
    http://www.enme.umd.edu/ceee/chp/index.htm
    This group conducts research on advanced energy efficient and environmentally friendly building technology. The goal is to integrate cooling, heating and power technologies on-site to achieve synergistic efficiency.

  20. University of Maryland Energy Research Center
    http://www.mtech.umd.edu/UMERC/
    The center is “a multidisciplinary initiative dedicated to advancing the frontiers of energy science and technology, with a special focus on forward-looking approaches for alternative energy generation and storage.”

  21. University of Maryland, The Joint Global Change Research Institute
    http://www.globalchange.umd.edu/about/
    The Joint Institute addresses the challenges of global climate change through interdisciplinary research. This site provides links to selected climate change, energy, and environmental sites. It also gives information on international trends in energy research and development.

  22. University of Massachusetts Amherst, The Environmental Institute. Energy Related Links
    http://www.umass.edu/tei/TEI_2005/UMenergy.html
    There are links to on campus energy initiatives, Massachusetts and New England based energy organizations, and other national organizations.

  23. University of New Hampshire Biodiesel Group
    http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/index.html
    The UNH Biodiesel Group is an inter-departmental group focusing on a variety of projects related to this alternative fuel. The site provides links to some articles and reports on biodiesel.

  24. University of New Hampshire, Cooperative Extension. “Energy Efficiency & Sustainable Energy Financial Incentives for NH Residents: Save Money Going Green”
    http://extension.unh.edu/news/energy/
    Target audience is New Hampshire residents in this site. The site gives information on how to make homes more energy efficient. A brief outline presents ways that owners of existing homes can save energy, by addressing three different economic grouping (those who have $100 or less, $500, and $2,000 or more to spend.)

  25. University of New Hampshire Office of Sustainability
    http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/coreframework.html
    Office of Sustainability tries to integrate sustainability into all aspects of the University of New Hampshire. One aspect of this commitment is “promoting energy conservation and efficiency, reductions of emissions of greenhouse gases and criteria air pollutants, and related curricula, research, and outreach.”

  26. University of Rhode Island Sustainable Communities Initiative
    http://www.uri.edu/sustainability/resources2.html
    This site provides links to selected institutes which work on sustainable development in general. Some examples are Rocky Mountain Institute, The Worldwatch Institute, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and The Earth Policy Institute.

  27. The University of Vermont, Center for Sustainable Agriculture. “Renewable Energy on the Farm”
    http://www.uvm.edu/~susagctr/?Page=RenewableEnergy.html
    Provides access to websites which may help farmers make sound decisions on using renewable energy.

  28. The University of Vermont’s Solar Energy Project
    http://www.uvm.edu/~solar/?Page=default.html
    Gives detailed information on a collaborative project of the UVM Physical Plant Department and The UVM Environmental Council to install solar panels as roof at some buildings on campus.

  29. West Virginia University Extension Service. “Summertime Blues?”
    http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/energy/
    Provides links to websites which give information on how individuals and individual households can reduce their energy consumption.

    Other Sources

  30. New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program
    http://www.njcleanenergy.com/
    This site provides practical information on renewable energy technologies like solar, wind, and biomass for both residential and commercial and industrial applications. There are links to other resources on renewable energy.

  31. The Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University
    http://www.easternct.edu/depts/sustainenergy/
    The institute focuses on practical applications and the dissemination of information on energy alternatives and sustainability of Connecticut and the region.

  32. State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection. Energy Efficiency and Climate Change
    http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2708&q=323874&depNav_GID=1619
    This site provides information on energy efficiency and climate change. There are useful links for consumers and businesses to help them become more energy efficient.

  33. State of Connecticut. “Energy conservation and Green Building Initiatives.” February 26, 2007.
    http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/rpt/2007-R-0220.htm
    A report about energy conservation legislation and green buildings in Connecticut. Subtitles include utility conservation programs, efficiency in public facilities, appliance energy efficiency standards, and incentives for energy efficiency.

  34. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Division of Energy Resources
    http://www.mass.gov/doer/
    This site provides valuable information for the businesses and residents of Massachusetts to reduce their energy costs and attain greater efficiency in all energy uses. Some examples of the site contents are Energy Programs, Energy Price Information, and Renewable Energy.

  35. Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Renewable Energy Trust
    http://www.mtpc.org/renewableenergy/index.html
    “The Renewable Energy Trust seeks to maximize environmental and economic benefits for the Commonwealth’s citizens by pioneering and promoting clean energy technologies and fostering the emergence of sustainable markets for electricity generated from renewable sources.” The trust offers programs for individuals, businesses and nonprofits, and communities to provide many avenues for the Commonwealth to become greener.

  36. MIT Energy Initiative
    http://web.mit.edu/mitei/
    “The MITEI program includes research, education, campus energy management and outreach activities that cover all areas of energy supply and demand, security and environmental impact.”

  37. New Hampshire Sustainable Energy Association
    http://www.nhsea.org/index.php
    The goal of this association is to help NH residents through the process of incorporating renewable energy and sustainable technologies into their lives.

  38. West Virginia Development Office-Community Matters Department. Energy Efficiency Program
    http://www.wvdo.org/community/eep.html
    This program gives information on energy conservation and alternative energy technologies to help West Virginia industries, public institutions, local governments, and citizens enhance energy efficiency and identify appropriate technologies. Some examples are ENERGY STAR ® Program, Ride Share Program, and Building Professionals Energy Training Program.

  39. West Virginia Renewable Energy Site. Hosted by Shepherd University.
    ttp://www.shepherd.edu/wvrenewables/
    This site is maintained by Shepherd University Institute for Environmental Studies and West Virginia Development Office to help increase understanding and adoption of renewable energy technologies in West Virginia and the region. The site provides basic information on energy outlook, solar and wind energy, and biofuels with links to related energy websites.

  40. The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)
    http://www.nesea.org/
    NESEA works for the widespread adoption and use of renewable energy sources, energy efficient practices, and green buildings. The association provides support to industry professionals and consumers to adopt sustainable energy and green building practices.

  41. USDA Rural Development. 2002 Farm Bill Initiative: The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program. USDA Farm Bill Section 9006.
    http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill/index.html

  42. “Renewable Energy Systems to Enhance the Prosperity of Rural Communities” by Norman Scott, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University.
    http://www.cornell.edu/landgrant/resources/RenewableEnergy.pdf

  43. Americans’ Low “energy IQ:” A Risk to Our Energy Future. Subtitled “Why America Needs a Refresher Course on Energy”
    http://www.neefusa.org/resources/publications.htm#neetfpubs
    A 60-page report by The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation.

  44. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
    http://www.aceee.org/index.htm
    The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is a nonprofit organization which advances energy efficiency as a means of promoting environmental protection and economic prosperity. The Council carries out projects on energy policy, industry and agriculture, buildings, and other energy related areas.