10-01-10 BPU RPT 07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES Board Memorandum F I l r{ f U T BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: October 1, 2010 ITEM NO: 7 SUBJECT: THE ENERGY INNOVATIONS GRANT(EIG) CONTRACT BETWEEN RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES (RPU)AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE (UCR) ISSUE: The item forthe Board of Public Utilities'consideration is a first amendment to the agreement with UCR in the amount of$100,000 far the establishment of the Southem California Research Initiative for Solar Energy(SC- RISE) Center. RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Board of Public Utilities recommend that the City Council: 1. Approve the first amendment to the agreement with UCR extending the term of the agreement for one year, from September 29, 2010 through September 28, 2011; and 2. Approve an additional $100,000 in grant funding for the SC-RISE Center. BACKGROUND: One of Riverside Public Utilities' programs funded through Public Benefits Funds is the Energy Innovations Grant(EIG)Program. This Program was developed to help fund research,development,and demonstration projects of public interest that advance science or technology in electric related projects in institutions of higher education within the City of Riverside. Participation in the EIG Program is restricted to public or private post-secondary institutions whose primary activities fall within the city Limits of Riverside,Califomia. The grant funds must comply with the relevant portions of California Public Utilities Code(PUC) Section 385 related to the use of Public Benefits Funds. The University of California Riverside has been awarded grant funds through this program in the past for eight separate projects: 1) Clean Automated Electric Power, Heating, and Cooling from Urban Waste, 2) Novel Energy Efficient Coatings Based on Transition Metal Oxide Sol-Gel Films, 3) The Control of NOx (nitrogen oxides), Sox (sulfur oxides), and Particulate Matter in Biological Filters, 4) Polymer-zeolite nanocomposit High-temperature Proton-exchange-membrane(PEM)for Fuel Cells,5)Low Power Operated Light Emitting Displays, 6) Solar Charged Flexible Batteries, 7) Solar Powered Proto-Type Devices, and 8) the Southern California Research Initiative for Solar Energy (SC-RISE) Center. To date, the college has received a total of$1,462,110 in grant funding through this program A proposal for additional funding for SC-RISE, a solar energy research, demonstration, and training center, was recently submitted by Professor Matthew J. Barth, director of the College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT). The applicant expresses that similar to the first request for SC-RISE funding, the second request will be used to support outreach programs, research, and development opportunities,and the development of strategic collaborations with key stakeholders in the area of renewable and solar energy.