Feb. 18--Federal funding is being sought for a renewable energy technology center study in Bismarck.

Representatives from North Dakota, the energy industry, Bismarck and three state higher education institutions met with Sandia officials last week in Albuquerque, N.M., about the concept of creating the Great Plains Applied Energy Technology Center here.

They hope to complete a feasibility study by September.

Sandia is a premier national laboratory in mass storage of renewable energy. The proposed center would function as a resource to energy companies in implementing renewable energy technology throughout the state.

A followup meeting about the center was held for three hours Monday afternoon for those involved in its planning at the Kadrmas, Lee and Jackson office in Bismarck.

Mayor John Warford has appointed Niles Hushka, CEO of Kadrmas, Lee and Jackson, to head a Mayors Economic Development Advisory Group subcommittee focusing upon a renewable energy initiative. It is one of five initiatives the advisory group's subcommittees are drafting.

Hushka said his role is to organize the people needed and move the project forward.

The New Mexico meeting involved representatives from Bismarck State College, the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University. BSC President Larry Skogen said he hoped an energy center could evolve into more workforce training opportunities for students in energy fields.

Hushka said there will be a series of ongoing meetings as the center process evolves.

He describes the energy center as a resource for renewable energy development.

"Its mission is to work for solutions to the issue of integrating renewable energy and mass storage requirements... In North Dakota, how do we get wind energy into very congested electrical grids?" Hushka said.

He said the center also could serve as an information resource about biomass and solar energy technology. Biomass technology involves converting items like wood chips and grass into an energy source.

Hushka noted they are now only gauging the center's feasibility. "The next step is to apply for federal grants to fund the feasibility study," Hushka said.

He said the Sandia labs will be able to use its resources and technology and apply it to energy companies' functions. He said that will boost the progress of renewable energy. "This will enable the energy companies to jointly deploy new technology," he said. He said energy companies could use its people and resources to solve energy companies' problems about renewable energy sources.

He said the feasibility study will determine physical space requirements and possible locations for the energy center.

No timetable has been set for the project's completion. Hushka said in the early stages of discussion, it has not been determined if the center will be privately run or involve other partners.

He said it is hoped by boosting renewable energy sources here, that would mean more job opportunities in the energy field in the long run.

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