TRANSFORMING POWER: WHAT'S NEXT FOR ENERGY IN NORTH CAROLINA.

• Position: RESEARCH: NORTH CAROLINA: THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE

UNC Charlotte's Energy Production & Infrastructure Center (EPIC) is helping North Carolina meet its goal to reduce carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Groundbreaking research and preparing students as leaders in dynamic, evolving fields are driving this effort.

"EPIC's founding mission prioritizes its role as a workforce developer," said Mike Mazzola, Duke Energy Distinguished Professor and director of EPIC for The William States Lee College of Engineering. "Knowledge transitions when our students graduate and start their careers, deepening our impact on the field of transformational energy."

A recent $41.2 million investment from the N.C. General Assembly for "Engineering North Carolina's Future" allows UNC Charlotte to recruit an additional 2,000 students over the next five years in engineering, computer science and data science--as well as hire additional world-class faculty and expand facilities and academic programs.

With support from the U.S. Department of Energy and more than 250 regional partners, here are four ways UNC Charlotte is driving unparalleled advancements in critical areas of need for North Carolina.

MICROCRID RESILIENCE

Microgrids--networks of electricity users with a central supply source--attach to a centralized energy grid; their design allows them to function autonomously if the primary grid becomes inoperable. Across North Carolina, microgrids provide essential backup--and keep communities operating --during major power outages.

In EPIC's Duke Energy Smart Grid Laboratory, researchers are developing ways to strengthen microgrids to improve their resilience. A $3.5 million grant from the DOE is supporting development and testing of control strategies to enhance the reliability of microgrids state-and nationwide.

"Through our partnership with DOE, we are demonstrating how microgrid technology helps communities better prepare for and mitigate the costs associated with power disruptions--more equitably and safely than today," said Robert Cox, EPIC's associate director. "EPIC is on the leading edge of a solution to a problem that will improve lives throughout North Carolina."

NUCLEAR CONSTRUCTION

Nuclear energy, the world's second-largest source of low-carbon electricity behind hydropower, is a clean energy option. However, energy companies have shied away from it due to a combination of factors, such as permitting issues, construction of infrastructure that houses the reactor, and the cost and...