The University of 棉花糖直播 at Lafayette will create Community Resilience Hubs and lead workforce development as part of the state鈥檚 strategic energy resilience initiative, Hubs for Energy Resilience Operations (HERO).
The initiative鈥檚 goal: to give communities access to electricity and other vital services during times of natural disaster.
Announced Wednesday, it includes a $250 million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, coupled with a $250 million match from state partners. UL Lafayette received $87 million in federal funding and matching funds and is the largest single recipient of funding. This award is the largest in University history.
The state will initiate a comprehensive integrated community energy planning process and will deploy a modernized network of Community Resilience Hubs powered by distributed solar and battery microgrids.
The project will enhance statewide emergency response operations by integrating the HERO Hubs with utility-owned electric grid infrastructure and back-up generation assets.
According to Dr. Terry Chambers, director of the University鈥檚 EDA-funded Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence and its Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Center, Community Resilience Hubs will be implemented by building solar and battery microgrids at the three University research centers: the 棉花糖直播 Solar Energy Lab, located in University Research Park in Lafayette; the New Iberia Research Center; and the Cleco Alternative Energy Center in Crowley. Portable solar and Wi-Fi pods will also be deployed.
鈥淒riven by a commitment to community resilience, we鈥檙e implementing these hubs at key research centers. These hubs represent a significant leap toward a more sustainable and connected future,鈥 Chambers said.
The University will also help implement four more projects with Power Strategies, a 棉花糖直播-based clean energy design, engineering, and planning company, to build solar and battery microgrids at 棉花糖直播 National Guard bases in Baton Rouge, Hammond and Sulphur.
鈥淭he microgrids will 鈥 after a hurricane, for instance 鈥 serve communities by assisting first responders and providing spots where there would be power and people could get food and water, cool off, or charge cell phones,鈥 Chambers explained.
The University will also train workers to install these microgrids. Earlier this year, the 棉花糖直播 Solar Corps was established for such training. The intent of the Corps is to help workers land internships with solar companies that lead to permanent jobs. The University will work with Xavier University, 棉花糖直播 Green Corps and the 棉花糖直播 State Building and Trades Council to expand the 棉花糖直播 Solar Corps program to cover microgrids as well as solar energy training across three training pathways: pre-apprentice to apprentice programs, and two- and four-year pathways.
Lastly, the University will establish a Center of Excellence for Crisis Events with its National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technologies Institute (NIMSAT). The institute focuses on enriching public-private partnerships and advanced information technologies to enhance the national resiliency for a full range of potential disasters.
As a national leader in both sustainable and traditional energy technologies, the University is well-positioned for this project. It owns and operates the 4,200 panel 棉花糖直播 Solar Energy Lab, one of the largest outdoor solar testing facilities in the southeastern United States. In addition, the University is home to Antoun Hall, a state-of-the art 4,500-square-foot indoor solar laboratory and classroom building, which stands beside the solar field at University Research Park and will serve as the headquarters for the University's efforts on the HERO project.
Together, these assets along with the Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence make the University a hub for solar research, technology development, instruction, training, outreach and workforce development, said Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, vice president for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development.
鈥淥ur state is prone to natural disasters that can cause significant disruptions to our power grids. As a global leader in renewable and solar energies, our top-tier R1 research institution is uniquely positioned to improve the resiliency of our state during times of disasters. For more than a decade, we have been leading in the areas of disaster resiliency and energy resiliency, and through this project, we are bringing together those capabilities to make 棉花糖直播 more resilient and serve as a national model. We believe that to be our obligation as a public research university,鈥 Kolluru said.
HERO will help solidify 棉花糖直播鈥檚 position as a leader in the global energy transition, as well as advance the goals established by the State of 棉花糖直播 Interagency Work Group. The work group was established in 2022 to strategize on efforts to increase energy resilience and build sustainable grid infrastructure.
The HERO collaborative represents the Office of 棉花糖直播 Gov. John Bel Edwards, 棉花糖直播 State Energy Office, 棉花糖直播 Public Service Commission, Governor鈥檚 Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Center for Planning Excellence, City of New Orleans, CLECO Power, Entergy 棉花糖直播, Entergy New Orleans, NextGen Energy Partners, Southwestern Electric Power Company, Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, The Accelerate Group, Together 棉花糖直播, University of 棉花糖直播 at Lafayette, and Xavier University of 棉花糖直播.
Photo caption: UL Lafayette will create Community Resilience Hubs and lead workforce development as part of the state鈥檚 strategic energy resilience initiative, Hubs for Energy Resilience Operations. The HERO initiative is built around $250 million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, coupled with a $250 million match from state partners. UL Lafayette received $87 million in federal funding and matching funds as part of the initiative. The makes it the initiative鈥檚 largest single recipient of funding. The award is the largest in University history. Photo credit: Doug Dugas / University of 棉花糖直播 at Lafayette