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Glossary:Energy Institute CSU
In the early 1990’s, Bryan Willson, then a Colorado State University assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was looking for a space to conduct his research and saw potential in the abandoned and in disrepair power plant. He toured the City of Fort Collins’ decommissioned coal-fired power plant on the north edge of
downtown. Willson looked past the lack of heat, power and bathrooms, and saw the perfect site to build the Engines and Energy Conversion Lab (EECL). The EECL team worked to renovate the facility while they launched ambitious, large-scale research projects.
These early efforts were supported by Sam Clowney, head of the research sub-committee of the oil and natural gas industry council known as the Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI). Ultimately, the EECL team outgrew the original 35,000-square-foot facility, and a 65,000-square-foot addition was completed in 2014,
providing more work space for faculty, staff, students and start-up companies.
With the addition, the building’s name was officially changed to the Colorado State University Powerhouse Energy Campus. The new name reflected the broad interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the energy work being done at the re-modeled facility. At the same time, the building officially became the home base for the Energy Institute, of which Willson is the executive director.
Today, the Powerhouse Energy Campus is a modern, 100,000 square foot LEED Platinum Certified building that is one of the largest free-standing energy facilities at any university. It is recognized nationally and internationally for its interdisciplinary approach and its groundbreaking work on engine technology, electric grids, biofuels, energy policy, human behavior, energy access in the developing world, and energy-focused entrepreneurship[1]