WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today announced that Louisiana State University (LSU) will receive a Department of Energy (DOE) $12.5 million Recovery Act award to establish a new Energy Frontier Research Center. The funding will help LSU pursue breakthroughs in alternative and renewable energy development. These new multi-million-dollar Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) will be located at universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations and private firms across the nation, including LSU.

"As our nation tries to wean itself off foreign oil, I remain committed to a comprehensive energy policy that includes more domestic drilling," said Sen. Landrieu. "But in the long run, America will transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources and Louisiana's universities stand ready to be a leader in this field. The creation of the new Energy Frontier Research Center will put LSU among the finest American universities doing important work to advance the next generation of energy technologies."

"This is a resounding endorsement of the type of world-class research being performed at LSU. The fact that LSU has cutting edge research facilities like CAMD and the Center for Computation and Technology, and outstanding research faculty like Professor Spivey and his colleagues, makes us competitive with some of the country's leading research universities and laboratories," said Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic Development Brooks Keel. "It is also a clear statement that our students are receiving first-rate education and training opportunities from nationally recognized experts and in fields of science and engineering of global importance."

EFRC researchers will take advantage of new capabilities in nanotechnology, high-intensity light sources, neutron scattering sources, supercomputing and other advanced instrumentation. Much of this technology has been developed with DOE's Office of Science support over the past decade, in an effort to lay the scientific groundwork for fundamental advances in solar energy, biofuels, transportation, energy efficiency, electricity storage and transmission, clean coal and carbon capture and sequestration, and nuclear energy.

"Our near term goals for cutting carbon pollution over the next few years and saving consumers money are clearly within the reach of existing technologies, especially energy efficiency," said Energy Secretary Chu. "It's equally clear that meeting our long term goals of energy independence and major reductions in carbon emissions will require significant scientific advances. These centers will mobilize the enormous talents and skills of our nation's scientific workforce in pursuit of breakthroughs that can ensure America's leadership in the clean energy economy of the future."