Duke (Energy) & North Carolina Team Up for Wind
You don’t expect Duke and the University of North Carolina to be together on too many things, especially when it comes to items on the basketball court. But in this case, it’s Duke Energy teaming up with the Tarheels on a wind energy project.
The Triangle Business Journal reports that the two are partnering to put up three wind turbines in Pamlico Sound that could become the first turbines placed in water in the country:
The project follows a nine-month UNC study completed in June for the general assembly that concluded the state has the potential to develop utility-scale wind energy production.
Duke will pay for the turbines and their installation. UNC will continue its wind energy research throughout the project.
“This project is a great example of how university research can expand our understanding of an issue – in this case, wind energy,” UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp said in a prepared statement. “Then an industry partner like Duke Energy can use that research to do what they do best and develop this on a larger scale.”
The project would join Duke’s 634 megawatts of land-based wind power it currently has in Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming and another 99 megawatts under construction and an additional 251 megawatts of wind projects that should start producing power next year.










The grant will allow Iowa State to establish a Wind Energy Manufacturing Laboratory on campus. The lab will feature the work of four faculty researchers: Matt Frank, Frank Peters and John Jackman, all associate professors of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, and Vinay Dayal, an associate professor of aerospace engineering. The grant will also support the research of five graduate students and several undergraduates.
Mark your calendar for October 1st and 2nd for the third annual Alternative Energy Symposium held at the campus of Chicago State University.
A man called “one of the most effective renewable energy advocates in Texas” is being honored with an award that has a focus this year on the environment.
Wind turbines could become more efficient and reliable, with some help from a $1-billion program that has just passed the U.S. House.
The USDA is handing out another $13 million in loans and grants for 233 renewable energy projects in rural areas of 38 different states.
“The idea was born from a simple observation of a fish in an aquarium,” said researcher Asfaw Beyene, a mechanical engineer at San Diego State University. “Many flying and swimming animals have superior efficiencies than manmade devices. The primary difference between natural motion and motion of manmade devices is lack of geometric adaptability to varying flow conditions.
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