WilliamMatthewsII

English150

Futhey

2/22/2016

IowaStateEnergyCenter

th
Onthe11
ofJanuaryatabout50'clockintheafternoonasIamflying

downinterstate35headingbacktoAmesona11hourdrivefromTexas,Isee
theselargewhitebladesgracefullycuttingthroughmistyairlikealargeairplane.
WhenIglancedagainIrealizedthatIwasstaringatalargewindturbine.My
eyeswerequicklydrawntothesmalltextonasignnearthebottomofthe
turbinethatreadtheIowaStateEnergyCenter.AsIdidsomeresearchlateron
intheeveningIrealizedhowimportanttheIowaStateEnergyCenterseducation
andeconomicdevelopmentprogramsaretobringingbiodieselandrenewable
energytothemainstream,aswellasprovidingeconomicopportunitiestoIowans
acrossthestate.
TheIowaStateEnergyCenterhasprovidedcriticalresourcesforthe
successofbiorenewableandalternativeenergyresourcesinthestateofIowa
throughbothresearchandeducationproductsforover20years.TheCenter
supportseconomicdevelopment,environmentalsustainability,andsocial
wellbeinginIowathroughitsprogramsthatsupportenergyinnovation,
education,andentrepreneurship(IowaEnergyCenter).Thesetypesofprograms
provideIowaaoneofakindresourcewheretheknowledgeisvastanddeep
aboutalternativeenergyresources,andisopentothegeneralpublic.TheIdea

forthecentercameaftergrowingpublicandprivateinterestsinenergyefficiency
andconcernsoverthefuturetrackoftheenvironmentinthe1990saswellasthe
risingoilpricesafterDesertStormearnedbothprivateandpublicsupport.The
centerisseenastoolusedbythoseinboththeprivateandpublicsectorwhoare
concernedaboutenergyefficiencyorareinterestedinusingBiorenewable
resourcessuchasethanolandBiomass.Thecenterin2015hadpartnershipswith
justover35publicandprivatecompaniesinthestateofIowaalonetoworkon
energysolutionsfortomorrow.Thecenterhasbeenattheforefrontof
technologiessuchastheirbiodieselresearchwhichjustreached
commercializationlastyear.HoweverStillTodaytherearesomecriticswhich
wishtoseetheundoingofthegreatprogressmadebythecenterinthelast25
yearsthroughtheblockageofcriticalfundinglastSeptember.Thisfundingwhich
theIowaStateEnergyCenterNeedstocontinuetheSupportofitsSmallscale
pilotandCommercializationProjectswhichstrivelinkLaboratoryResearchwith
RealWorldSolutionstotheCurrentEnergyChallengesBoththattheusandIowa
Willfaceinthenext10years.
ThroughFrequentCollaborationwiththeUniversity,theIowaStateEnergy
CenterBringsManyEducationalandProfessionalDevelopmentOpportunitiesto
theGeneralpublicaswellasstudentshereatIowaState.Thecenteralso
promotesthecollaborationoftheprivatesectorandthestudents,providingthem
withrealworldresearchopportunitiesandjobsintheRenewableEnergySector,
currentlyoneofthefastestgrowingsegmentsoftheeconomy.Everyyearthe
centerprovidesa2500dollarscholarshiptoahighschoolseniorinterestedin

pursuingadegreefieldineithersolarorwindpower.Aswellasthestudents,the
publichasalsoshownahugeinterestintheactivitiesthatoccurattheIowaState
EnergyCenter.TheCenterhasprovidedover14,000tourstothegeneralpublic
sincethefoundingoftheoutreachprogramin1999.Thecenteralsohosts
monthlyworkshopeventswherepeoplefromindustrycomeinandeducatethe
publiconproductstoincreaseenergyefficiency.Thecenterhasevengainedthe
attentionofcurrentpoliticianssuchaswhenheaskedtotourthefacilitybefore
the9/11attacksin2001.TheIowastateenergycenterevenprovidesa
1,000dollarscholarshiptoanIsStudentWhoShowLeadershipinaResearch
Projectwhichdealswiththedevelopmentofrenewableenergyresources.(Iowa
EnergyCenter).
TheIowaEnergyCenternotonlywantstosupportresearchprojects,but
wantstobringthemoutofthelaboratoryandintotherealworld,whereboththe
peopleinthestateofIowacanbenefit,butcanalsodriveeconomicgrowthina
rapidlydevelopingfield.TheIowaStateEnergyCenterthroughitssmallscale
pilotandcommercializationprojectssupportstheresearchanddemonstrates
theircommitmenttobringthelargescalecommercializationofbiorenewablesto
Reality.Rightnowtheyareresearchinghowtomakesyntheticnaturalgas
throughtheburningofwastesuchasthepartofthecornstalkthatremainafter
harvestingandturningthatintonaturalgas.Thecenternotonlywantstofinda
solutiontofossilfuelsbutwantstobuildasustainableeconomicmodelaround
biomassproducts.TheBenefitsofusingbiomassasalongtermenergysource
arehuge.InmanypartsoftheStateover40percentofallthebiomassthat

resultsfromtheharvestingofcropsiseitherthrownout,oristurnedintofeedfor
cowsandotheranimalsataloss.AttheIowaenergycentertheyfocusmainly
onaddingcostbenefitsofusingagriculturalwaste,whichwillimprovetheprofits
oflocalfarmers,andhelpsupporttheprosperityofthemanysmallertowns
nestedawayinthecountrysideofIowa.TheIowaEnergyCenterthroughpublic
outreachandnetworkingeventsallowsboththecommunityandstudentsplayan
importantroleinproducingnextgenerationenergyproductionwhichwillnotonly
bringeconomicgrowthtoIowa,butwillleadtoamoresustainablefuture.
TheIowaEnergyCentermaintainstwophysicalpresencesinthestateof
Iowa.Sinceenergyusageoflargescaleoperationsisamajorcontributorto
energyusageinthestate,thefirstisahighefficiencycenterwhichislocatedin
DesMoinesandisasitewhichstudiesandtriestoimprovetheefficiencyoflarge
scalehavocunitsandtheBiomassEnergyConversionCenterwhichIgotto
personallyvisitlastweek.TheBeaconcenterissprawlingfacilitythatspansover
160acresandattheheartofthefacilityistheBiomassConversionPlant.When
youwalkintothebiomassconversionyouaremetwithamassassortmentof
pipesandvalvesandswitcheswhichseemtosnakeupanddownalloverthe
place,butareresponsiblefortakingalltherawbiomassproductsandproducing
similarchemicaltowhatisfoundinoilsuchastar,andevennaturalgas.
Throughthehardworkandamazingtechnologieswhichareflowingoutof
theIowaStateEnergyCenter,afuturebasedonahighlyefficientinfrastructure,
aswellaswherethegeneralpublicisknowledgeableonhowtolivemore
sustainablelivesisclosetorealitythanever.ThecreationofTheIowaState

EnergycenterisonereasonwhyIowaproduces27%ofitsenergyalonefrom
wind,whichisthehighestinthenationevenbeatingoutthestateofCalifornia.
WhoknowswhattheIowaEnergyCenterwillbeabletoachieveinthenext20
years.Wemustwaitandfindout

Bibliography

IowaEnergyCenter."IowaEnergyCenter."
IowaEnergyCenter
.IowaState
University,21Feb.2016.Web.22Feb.2016.