Charlotte USA – The New Energy Capital

The Charlotte Region is taking its next steps to build on its Energy Capital initiative. An analysis of our work, and the best practices of other clusters, provide us direction we will take organizationally and the topical areas that can have the most positive impact for the industry.
 

The U.S. has a nationwide web of electric transmission lines, often in locations that are remote. A problem with a line can cause a brief power interruption, or something more severe, such as the major Eastern blackout of 2003 taught us.

The challenge for the industry is how to efficiently

The collaboration of the energy industry and education in the Charlotte Region add another mark of success. UNC Charlotte’s senior design project program in engineering has roared ahead with energy-oriented projects.

Bill Heybruck is Director of the Industrial Solutions Laboratory at

For a hot energy headline, look no farther than the cost of a barrel of oil. But as Charlotte strengthens its position as a region of (non-oil) energy expertise, how should we consider the cost of oil in our own energy efforts?

Let’s set the scene. As this blog is being written the oil

Over the past several years the Charlotte USA region has defined an energy cluster that spans a variety of energy entities and technologies. The engineering skills of the region serve energy generation sources we have known for decades and we are developing technologies that will likely be in

This is National Engineers Week and the theme of the week is, “7 billion people. 7 billion dreams. 7 billion chances for engineers to turn dreams into reality.”  The group that sponsors the week says, “The theme for 2012 is based on the projected world population of 7,000,000,000. There are

The United States took a big, and positive step, towards its energy future this week.  We took a positive step ahead in our Charlotte USA – The New Energy Capital effort, too.

On Thursday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a COL [Construction and Operating License] for two reactors

What is the benefit of having non-Carolinas energy professionals visiting “our house” – our Charlotte Region?

If we want to grow our regional energy industry, welcoming others to Charlotte USA means a lot. We have been doing just that in the Charlotte Region as the number of energy-related

In 2009 the Charlotte USA Region recognized its growing role in the energy industry – some 250 organizations, 27,000 people, a dedicated academic outreach and (our most competitive advantage perhaps) an ability to collaborate that other regions envy.

2011 was a year with international and

Niels Bohr, the physicist, said that, “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” Perhaps it should have an asterisk that says “and especially about the future of energy.” A number of past energy predictions went unfulfilled.  Now that we are well past the year 2000 and all the