Cutting- Edge Research Institutions

• Los Alamos National Laboratories, Los Alamos—Taking the Risks

  LANL is known for researching topics that would simply be too costly for private industry to investigate alone. LANL has been researching fuel cells for nearly 25 years and operates one of the largest fuel cell research programs in the country. It holds 25 active patents and has licensed 16 of these to private industry. The lab is also a center for clean coal research, which has lead to the formation of Zero Emission Coal Alliance, or ZECA. ZECA is now a private firm located in Santa Fe and plans to build a clean coal plant by 2006. In 2003, ZECA and LANL were jointly selected by Scientific American magazine as a “Business Leader in Environmental Science.”
  
  

• Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque—Making the Transition to Commercialization

  While LANL focuses on high-risk research and development, Sandia is an engineering lab, involved in commercializing breakthrough technologies. In 2004, Sandia had a budget of $10 million for researching solar energy, which includes the Photovoltaic Design Assistance Program. The program’s findings about the cost-effectiveness of photovoltaic systems can be used by outside entities.

  Also in 2004, Sandia received $4.7 million for geothermal research, $3.7 million for research to increase the cost-effectiveness of wind energy, and $3.9 million for energy storage research.

Universities—Finding Solutions and Growing the Workforce

• New Mexico State University, Las Cruces

  The Southwest Technology Development Institute is a renewable energy research center within the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. The project focuses on the development of renewable energy technologies, especially wind and solar. The University has also partnered with General Motors to study fuel cell development.
  
  

• University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

  UNM researchers are trying to find a way to eliminate the need for precious metals in fuel cells, thus reducing their cost. They are also investigating ways to make large-scale hydrogen generation more effective.
  
  

• New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro

  New Mexico Tech is an engineering university where researchers here are focusing on fuel cells and technology related to clean coal production.

• San Juan College, Farmington

  San Juan College in Farmington is preparing young New Mexicans for the future by offering its unique renewable energy degree and certificate. Half the program’s students already have a least a bachelor’s degree before they begin, and 25 students are enrolled in the program at any given time.