Bi-national meeting of the Great Lakes Sustainable Energy Consortium set for Feb. 27

Bi-national meeting of the Great Lakes Sustainable Energy Consortium set for Feb. 27February 25, 2008Martin Wallsmwalls@syracusecoe.org

A bi-national meeting of the Great Lakes Sustainable Energy Consortium (GLSEC) will be held in Syracuse, N.Y., on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The consortium — representing researchers, government officials and industry leaders from New York and Ontario — will address energy issues affecting communities and commerce in both Canada and the United States. The meeting will take place at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

The consortium was formed to capitalize on research and technology development related to sustainable energy and to bring commercialization and economic growth to communities in the State of New York and the Province of Ontario. Members from the Consulate General of Canada in Buffalo, Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems and the Sustainable Bioeconomy Centre at Queen’s University spearheaded the formation of this consortium in 2007.

The consortium held its first meeting at Queen’s University in December 2007. Since then, its steering group has grown to involve the Consulate General of Canada (Buffalo); Queen’s University; Syracuse University; C&S Companies; Clarkson University; Constellation Energy; Cornell University; Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Innovation Network (ELORIN) of Kingston, ON; O’Brien & Gere Companies; Performance Plants Inc. (Kingston, ON); the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry; and the University of Guelph (Ontario).

“Canada and the U.S. continue to work together toward our common objectives of energy security, economic prosperity and environmental stewardship. We have a strong common interest in promoting energy efficiency and in developing and deploying new and cleaner energy technologies,” says Stephen Brereton, consul general for Canada, Buffalo, N.Y.

“Our need to develop and deploy sustainable energy resources cannot be understated. I applaud this consortium of American and Canadian experts for taking this important step to ensure our mutual energy security and economic growth for generations to come, and I am very pleased to have Syracuse University engaged in this initiative,” says Eric Spina, SU vice chancellor and provost. “It will provide very meaningful opportunities for our faculty and students to contribute to sustainable solutions.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for key players from both sides of the border to focus on research advances and new developments that can be translated into tangible economic outcomes. Queen’s University welcomes the opportunity to advance collaborative research and technology development and to foster international partnerships in this important area of sustainable energy,” says Karen Hitchcock, principal and vice chancellor at Queen’s University.

“Members of the Syracuse Center of Excellence federation are realizing the vision of sustainable and secure energy technologies, and we are pleased that our Canadian colleagues are joining in this effort, to find real-world applications for advanced technologies and to positively impact this region’s economy and environment,” says Ed Bogucz, executive director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems.

“GLSEC will utilize existing and emerging infrastructure to advance collaborative research and technology development in order to rapidly commercialize sustainable energy technologies,” says Mark Glauser, associate dean of research in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University. “We want to capitalize on energy issues research being conducted at the Syracuse Center of Excellence, the Sustainable Bioeconomy Centre at Queen’s University, Clarkson University, SUNY-ESF and elsewhere.”

“The Great Lakes are a unique resource and provide an opportunity to help focus the consortium on sustainable energy issues faced by both countries and specific neighboring regions. For example, energy security includes transmission and distribution of both electricity and biomass-derived energy, where we have either aging infrastructure or the need for new innovative infrastructure,” says Andrew Pollard, director of the Sustainable Bioeconomy Centre at Queen’s University.

“GLSEC is an innovative partnership between industry leaders, government officials and researchers working to create energy policies that protect the environment and strengthen North America’s economy,” says Ken Chodnicki, senior vice president of Constellation Energy Projects & Services. “As we work to meet the energy challenges of today, competitive markets and partnerships like this one will provide the energy solutions of tomorrow by advancing technology, increasing availability of renewable energy sources, and promoting economic development.”

“The consortium’s focus on sustainable energy technology development could not come at a better time. Public demand for green energy innovations has never been higher, resulting in unprecedented levels of funding for research in this area,” says John Molloy, president and CEO, PARTEQ Innovations, Queen’s University. “This has created a considerable window of opportunity for university researchers interested in developing related products, and we at PARTEQ are willing to assist in that process in whatever way we can.”

The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (http://syracusecoe.org) is a federation of more than 170 businesses and institutions that collaborate on sustainable innovations to improve built and urban environments. Members of the Syracuse CoE federation work on research, development, and educational projects relating to clean and renewable energy, indoor environmental quality and water resources.