Texas Tech University Partners in $28 Million Department of Energy Project

Texas Tech University has been named as a research partner on the Pantex Renewable Energy Project in President Obama’s $9.9 billion Energy Department budget that was released by the White House May 7. The budget includes funding for the Pantex Renewable Energy Project, with initial funding proposed at $28 million. The project will create a wind farm for the Pantex plant, located 17 miles northeast of Amarillo. The energy produced from this wind farm will support the energy needs at the Pantex plant and, at the same time, create the nation’s largest collaborative research wind farm for Texas Tech and the Department of Energy’s ongoing research on wind power generation. Texas Tech is working with a broad coalition of partners to develop and support this project including the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), B&W Pantex, the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), and The Wind Alliance. “The decision to include this project in the president’s budget is a serious commitment by the administration to move our country forward in renewable energy,” said Andy Swift, director of the Wind Science and Engineering Center at Texas Tech. “The use of a large scale wind farm for research and for workforce development is absolutely critical in providing answers to many of the key challenges facing the wind power industry.” “Texas Tech is honored to have been recognized by the Department of Energy for our wind science and engineering expertise,” said Kent Hance, chancellor of the Texas Tech University System. “We want to thank the Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Lab and members of our congressional delegation for their ongoing support of our research and training efforts. Not only will this help achieve the president’s national energy policy goal of 25 percent renewable energy by 2025, but it further validates the State of Texas as the leader in wind energy.” The Texas Tech Wind Science and Engineering Research Center is an established multi-disciplinary research center with world-recognized faculty and staff and wind measurement and analysis facilities. It offers the only doctorate degree in Wind Science and Engineering in the nation. Texas Tech is one of the few research organizations in the United States to offer both a functional workforce educational program along with advanced research degrees for future engineers and scientists in the wind energy sector. Because of its location in the wind corridor, Texas Tech is uniquely positioned to advance the nation’s wind energy agenda. CONTACTS:David Miller, vice chancellor, Texas Tech University System’s Office of Technology Commercialization, (806) 252-5578, or david.l.miller@ttu.edu. Andy Swift, director Texas Tech Wind Science and Engineering Center, (806) 239-0555, or andy.swift@ttu.edu.