Regional policy board recognizes MSU as ‘Innovator’
June 11, 2009
BILOXI, Miss. — During a June 8 ceremony, Mississippi State’s Sustainable Energy Research Center (SERC) earned recognition from a regional think tank for its efforts to create economic opportunities through environmentally friendly research.
The Southern Growth Policy Board presented the 2009 Innovator Award during the Governors’ Reception at the Southern Energy: Abundant, Affordable, and American Conference in Biloxi, Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour presented the award to the Mississippi winners, SERC directors Bill Batchelor and Glenn Steele.
Presented to one organization from each of the policy board’s 13 member states, the awards recognize those with focus that provides economic opportunities relating to bio-products, alternative energy or energy efficiency, among other criteria.
When SERC was notified of this recognition in February, Batchelor explained its mission.
“What we’re really trying to do is create new industry in Mississippi—the renewable energy industry,” Batchelor said. “We have biomass left over from the harvesting of trees, cotton, soybeans and the like. Just imagine the economic revitalization and impact we can have on the state if we can recycle and convert these wood and grain byproducts into renewable fuels.”
This recognition marks the university’s third Innovator Award win. In 2004, Institute of Furniture Manufacturing and Management, now known as the Franklin Furniture Institute, was Mississippi’s winner. A year later, the recognition went to the Mid-South Partnership for Rural Community Colleges, which had a major MSU component.
SERC is part of the university’s Bagley College of Engineering and its recently formed Energy Institute. It includes more than 50 campus researchers representing a variety of disciplines.
Since its formation in 2006, SERC researchers have received a $13 million Department of Energy grant and used it to invent three technologies that will convert the environment’s natural biomass into renewable energy. Of the three, production of bio-oil is the project closest to the investment and commercialization stages. Created from byproducts of trees—one of Mississippi’s most abundant natural resources—bio-oil can be used for home heating fuel and “green” diesel and jet fuels.
“We’re looking for companies willing to develop portable systems for the field that turn waste products from the harvesting of pine trees into bio-oil,” Steele said.
The researchers are also investigating ways to create renewable electricity from the bio-oil, which is said to have the same energy-producing power per gallon as gasoline. Later this year, the team will be testing the product’s heating and electricity generating capability at MSU’s Micro Cooling, Heating, and Power (Micro-CHP) and Bio-Fuel Center.
Southern Growth Policies Board is a regional public policy think tank based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Formed by the region’s governors in 1971, it develops and advances economic development policies by providing a forum for collaboration among a diverse cross-section of elected officials, business and academic leaders providing members authoritative research, discussion forums and pilot projects in the areas of technology, globalization, workforce development, community development, civic engagement and leadership.