Ground broken on energy studies center

IDAHO FALLS – Idaho National Laboratory and several university partners have broken ground on a $14 million Center for Advanced Energy Studies.

The center is a public-private partnership by Boise State University, Idaho State University, University of Idaho and the Idaho National Laboratory. The center will focus on energy science and engineering research, particularly nuclear power, biofuels, geothermal power and hydropower.

The 50,000-square-foot building on the north side of the state-owned University Place campus is expected to be completed by July 2008.

“We all believe Idaho is going to be the energy corridor of the world,” Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas said, adding that the facility will be a “core resource worldwide to build core technology.”

Gov. Butch Otter, U.S. Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo, and Reps. Mike Simpson and Bill Sali attended the groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday.

Otter and Craig said they viewed the center as an investment in the future, not only for Idaho but for the United States and the world.

When INL was made the Energy Department’s lead nuclear laboratory in the 1990s, no one could have predicted the “nuclear renaissance” that is happening now, Craig said.

The center has $10 million in loan guarantees from Battle Energy Alliance, the contractor in charge of Idaho National Laboratory.

Establishment of the center was a requirement in the contract Battle signed with the U.S. Department of Energy when the agency hired it to operate INL in February 2005.

The state also has contributed nearly $7 million to the project.

The building will provide laboratories, offices, meeting rooms and classrooms.