Department of Energy to Hold Inaugural ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit

The US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) will host its first ever Energy Innovation Summit March 1-3 in Washington DC.  The event will bring together the nation’s energy innovators and researchers to share ideas, collaborate and identify key opportunities in advanced energy technologies.  Summit participants will include members of the scientific and research communities, investors, technology entrepreneurs, corporations and policymakers.  In addition, it will spotlight some of the winning research projects that resulted from ARPA-E’s initial $150 million grant solicitation.  

Two Central Ohio organizations were winners in this round.  Marysville-based Univenture received $5.99 million to fund a system that can dewater and dry algae which would improve the economic fundamentals of algae-based biofuel production.  In addition, OSU chemical and biomolecular researchers, led by engineering professor L.S. Fan, were awarded $5 million for a project that will convert coal or biomass material into electricity while capturing the carbon dioxide emitted during the process.  

For more on the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, see the release