Utah State University professor Abhilash Kamineni looks at an electric charging device on an electric bus at USU’s Engineering Research Center for Electrified Transportation in North Logan on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. USU will be the lead institution for a five-year, $26 million grant to develop an international research center dedicated to advancing sustainable, electrified transportation. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
LOGAN — In another step to advance the research of sustainable electrified vehicles, Utah State University is asking state higher education officials to authorize the university to issue up to $9.2 million in revenue bonds to update and expand its Electric Vehicle and Roadway building.
Utah stands to become the “epicenter” of electrified transportation nationally, if not worldwide, according to USU trustee and former Utah Senate President Wayne Niederhauser.
“Utah is in a prime situation with the inland port and other initiatives as well as the Olympics because they’ve got to be zero emissions. This electrification of transportation is a huge deal and Utah can be the epicenter for that and USU is playing a big, big role in it,” Niederhauser said in a recent trustees meeting.
The updated building will accommodate a new program called ASPIRE, or the engineering research center for Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification. The program is made possible by a $26 million grant over five years, renewable to $50.6 million, from the National Science Foundation.
The research is dedicated to advancing sustainable, electrified transportation in all vehicle classes with the goal of improving air quality and creating a more equitable transportation and electrical utility infrastructure.
Last week, USU’s board of trustees agreed to refer the request to the Utah Board of Higher Education, which is expected to act on the matter Friday.
The bond proceeds will be used to construct a 23,741-square-foot facility to expand the Electric Vehicle and Roadway building. The bonds will be repaid through donations and research funds. No state funds will be used for construction or design nor operation and maintenance, according to the request.
Utah State University
A planned expansion of Utah State University’s existing electric vehicle and roadway building on its Innovation Campus is pictured in an architectural rendering. The expansion will accommodate the new Engineering Research Center for Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification or ASPIRE. The program is made possible by a $26 million grant over five years renewable to $50.6 million from the National Science Foundation. The research is dedicated to advancing sustainable, electrified transportation in all vehicle classes.
Niederhauser lauded the work of USU professor Regan Zane, ASPIRE center director. Zane has raised more than $30 million in research funding since his arrival at USU in 2012 and the 10-year ASPIRE award brings the total to more than $80 million.
ASPIRE will be headquartered at USU and operated through strategic partnerships with Purdue University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Auckland New Zealand. Other partners include researchers at Colorado State University, …read more
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