WVU to Lead $321 Million Appalachian Energy Innovation Initiative
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University will lead a new regional energy innovation initiative backed by $321 million in public and private funding, bringing together three major research universities and more than 60 partners across West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.
The U.S. National Science Foundation announced Tuesday that the Resilient Energy Technology and Infrastructure Consortium, known as RETI, was selected as one of 12 NSF Regional Innovation Engines following a competitive two-year process.
WVU will lead the initiative in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and partners representing industry, workforce development, philanthropy, state government and communities throughout the region.
The new NSF engine will receive up to $160 million from the federal agency over the next decade. Another $161 million will come from RETI’s established public and private partners.
Organizers project the initiative could generate approximately 21,000 jobs, support the creation of 150 startup companies and produce more than $1 billion in regional economic growth.
Those figures are long-term projections associated with the development of the initiative and do not represent immediate job commitments or companies that have already selected locations.
The consortium will operate from the WVU Innovation Corporation in Morgantown, with an additional office at the Energy Innovation Center in Pittsburgh.
WVU President Michael T. Benson called the selection an “incredible opportunity for the region to make history.”
Benson said WVU will lead the consortium’s efforts to develop new ways to meet the country’s rapidly growing energy needs.
He said the combination of WVU, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, along with the region’s history of energy and industrial production, makes Appalachia an ideal location to test and commercialize new technologies.
The initiative will focus on energy grid management, energy storage, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
RETI also plans to help move energy technologies from research laboratories into commercial production, expand venture capital for technology companies, assist entrepreneurs and prepare workers for jobs connected to emerging energy and industrial sectors.
The announcement comes as artificial intelligence, data centers and the return of more manufacturing to the United States place additional demand on the nation’s electric grid.
Erienne Olesh, chief executive officer of the NSF RETI Engine, said the consortium will develop hardware, software and artificial intelligence technologies designed to strengthen the grid, secure the country’s energy supply and support future American manufacturing.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said she advocated for WVU during the competitive selection process and believes the initiative can create economic opportunities and good-paying jobs through the development of energy and industrial technologies.
Capito said West Virginia’s history as an energy-producing state gives it a strong foundation for helping meet growing demand for new energy and manufacturing solutions.
“This is just the beginning,” Capito said.
She said she plans to continue working with WVU and its regional partners as the initiative begins its work.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey said the investment recognizes West Virginia’s energy resources, research institutions and skilled workforce.
Morrisey said West Virginia has powered the national economy for more than a century and can now “help power its future.”
He said the initiative could strengthen national energy security, create high-paying jobs and position Appalachia as a major center for energy innovation.
Carnegie Mellon University will bring expertise in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and energy technology to the consortium.
The University of Pittsburgh will contribute research, workforce and industrial capabilities as the partners work to modernize the electric grid and create a model that could eventually be expanded to other parts of the country.
The NSF Regional Innovation Engines program is designed to establish technology and industry clusters by connecting universities, companies, investors, government agencies and workforce organizations.
Each engine is intended to accelerate emerging technology research, support commercialization, strengthen regional economies and improve the country’s economic competitiveness and national security.
Additional details about individual research projects, participating companies, workforce programs and future investments are expected as WVU and its partners begin building the RETI initiative.
