AREVA Pledges $2 Million to EPIC
AREVA, Inc. has pledged more than $2 million in financial support for the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) at UNC Charlotte.
EPIC is a partnership between UNC Charlotte, state and local governments, and corporations, including several energy companies with major footprints in the Charlotte area. AREVA has nearly 600 employees working in the Charlotte area on a variety of clean-energy projects.
The announcement came at a news conference in downtown Charlotte attended by top university and company officials. The total commitment from AREVA includes various types of support, including funding for scholarships, programs and equipment.
Critical to training new engineers and conducting research in energy technologies, EPIC will serve the diverse needs of existing and new energy companies, further positioning Charlotte as the nation’s energy hub.
“We are pleased to work with UNC Charlotte in advancing the critical need of continuing to invest in the next generation of engineering talent and to aid in advancing engineering research,” said Michael Rencheck, chief executive officer of AREVA. “AREVA’s commitment to Charlotte and connection to the university runs deep, and we look forward to a continued partnership.”
Chancellor Philip L. Dubois said commitments from companies such as AREVA are vital to the future success of EPIC. The commitment follows other multimillion-dollar pledges from regional energy companies, including Duke Energy, Siemens Energy and Westinghouse.
“With these investments in engineering education and research, UNC Charlotte is staking its claim to the future of energy production,” he said. “That’s great news for our energy production sector, the regional economy, and the community.”
According to the company, AREVA hired twice as many new engineers from UNC Charlotte in 2009-2010 than from any other North Carolina university.
The first classes will be taught this fall in the EPIC building. Dozens of faculty members are teaching the engineers and technicians of the future in such specialties as power engineering and smart grid, renewable energy systems, power plant design and manufacturing and energy infrastructure development.
The university also is hiring new faculty with expertise in other critical areas.
“EPIC is certainly much more than an academic building. It’s a catalyst for economic development and a shining example of how business and industry can come to the University as a reliable source of technical expertise,” said Dubois.
EPIC is headquartered in a new $76 million building on the Charlotte Research Institute campus. EPIC also will further position Charlotte as the nation’s energy capital because of more than 240 energy-oriented organizations and more than 26,000 energy-oriented employees in its 16 counties.
“EPIC was created in response to an industry need for highly trained engineers qualified to meet the demands of the energy industry – through traditional and continuing education, and provide sustainable support to the Carolina energy industry by increasing capacity and support for applied research,” said Johan Enslin, director of EPIC and the Duke Energy Distinguished Chair in Power Engineering Systems. “Because of generous contributions such as this, we are able to produce graduates who fully grasp the needs of this vital industry.”