ODU and VCERC in the News
Algae-to-Biodiesel Project Reports Gains and Anticipates Expansion
The algae-to-biodiesel research project at Old Dominion University has been boosted by three key developments in recent months, and Patrick Hatcher, the chemist who is in charge of the initiative, says new milestones are in sight.
Article posted October 19th, 2009 on the News @ Old Dominion website.
ODU studying how to convert algae to biofuel
Old Dominion University, Virginia Beach and several partners are proposing to develop a $50 million algae farm on city-owned land where the slimy, aquatic growth would be converted into biodiesel fuel and other forms of alternative energy.
Article by Scott Harper in the October 16th, 2009 issue of The Virginian-Pilot.
A better alternative off Virginia's shores
Virginia Beach is moving aggressively to see if it can harness wind energy as well as encourage the businesses that go with it. Already, the mayor has corralled city, state and federal officials to work together to bring the technology here. The research is promising, the startup expensive, but exploring the possibility of an inexhaustible resource that doesn't soil the ocean is a smart move.
Article posted in The Virginian-Pilot, June 8, 2009
McDonnell Announces Energy Plan at News Conference on Campus
Bob McDonnell, the Republican gubernatorial candidate and former attorney general of Virginia, visited Old Dominion University on Monday, April 27, to meet alternative energy researchers and visit the headquarters of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium (VCERC), where he held a news conference to unveil a plan he calls "More Energy, More Jobs."
"Right now Virginia is the second largest importer of electricity behind California," McDonnell said. "The time has come for bold action to harness the energy available to us today, while continuing to develop the energy sources of tomorrow." His plan calls for drilling for national gas and oil off the Virginia coast, as well as for establishing a "Green Jobs Zone" in the commonwealth to spur alternative energy solutions.
McDonnell, introduced by Sen. Frank Wagner, also met with Patrick Hatcher (pictured), the ODU professor who is executive director of the VCERC, as well as with Mohammad Karim, vice president for research, and Chris Platsoucas, dean of the College of Sciences.
Article posted April 28, 2009 on the News @ Old Dominion website.
Governor Kaine to Speak May 6 in Blue Planet Forum Series
Govenor Timothy M. Kaine will be the speaker for the Blue Planet Forum: Exploring the Bay and Beyond environmental lecture series at Old Dominion University on Wednesday, May 6. His topic will be "The Renew Virginia Initiative on Energy and the Environment."
Article posted April 23, 2009 on the News @ Old Dominion website.
Algae-to-Biodiesel Research at ODU is Subject of Magazine Articles
Patrick Hatcher, the Old Dominion University geochemist who is executive director of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium (VCERC), is a primary source for the article "Cultivating Algae in Wastewater for Biofuel" in the February issue of the national magazine BioCycle.
Article posted April 15, 2009 on the News @ Old Dominion website.
ODU Team Leads VCERC Day at General Assembly
Representatives from Old Dominion University-including John Broderick, acting president, and Patrick Hatcher, Batten Endowed Chair in Physical Sciences-took leading roles in VCERC Day Feb. 4 at the 2009 Virginia General Assembly in Richmond. VCERC is the acronym for the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, which is headquartered at ODU and of which Hatcher is executive director.
Article posted February 10, 2009 on the News @ Old Dominion website.
VCERC Research Gets Boost from Climate Change Action Agreement Between Virginia and the United Kingdom
Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine on Thursday, Feb. 12, announced a "Climate Change Action Agreement" between the state and the United Kingdom, and in doing so he noted the promising alternative energy research being conducted by the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium (VCERC), which is headquartered at Old Dominion University.
Article posted February 10, 2009 on the News @ Old Dominion website.
Gov. Kaine to Open ODU's Algal Farm Pilot Project Near Hopewell Sept. 24
Researchers at Old Dominion University have joined with a private construction contractor to develop an algae-growing farm and biodiesel production facility 20 miles east of Hopewell, aiming to promote Virginia as a leader in alternative-energy and pollution-abatement technologies. Gov. Timothy Kaine will be among the dignitaries who will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility on Wednesday, Sept. 24....
Article posted September 10, 2008 on the News @ Old Dominion website..
Wind Farm Off VA Coast Can Be Done, Researchers Say
Researchers studying a potential offshore wind farm on the Virginia coast have reached the halfway point of their work but already have come to a solid conclusion: The clean-energy project is realistic and doable....
Article by Scott Harper in the August 30, 2008 issue of The Virginian-Pilot.
Governor Kaine Formally Opens ODU Algae-to-Biodiesel Facility
Gov. Timothy Kaine on Tuesday helped cut the ribbon formally opening Old Dominion University's pilot facility for algae farming and biodiesel production near Hopewell. He praised the facility, saying it fulfills the main tenets of a Virginia energy plan that strives for reliable new sources of energy while also protecting the environment....
Article posted September 24, 2008 on the News @ Old Dominion website.
Algae Farmer Tries to Make Diesel
Jes Sprouse quit his job to follow his dream. He became an algae farmer. Sprouse, 35, grows the emerald slime in a 1-acre pond in eastern Prince George County.
If his gamble pays off, Sprouse will turn the algae into enough biodiesel fuel to make himself rich, ease the country's reliance on petroleum and help fight global warming.
Talk about going green...
Article by Rex Springston in the September 24, 2008 issue of The Richmond-Times Dispatch.
Gov. Kaine to Open ODU's Algal Farm Pilot Project Near Hopewell Sept. 24
Researchers at Old Dominion University have joined with a private construction contractor to develop an algae-growing farm and biodiesel production facility 20 miles east of Hopewell, aiming to promote Virginia as a leader in alternative-energy and pollution-abatement technologies. Gov. Timothy Kaine will be among the dignitaries who will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility on Wednesday, Sept. 24....
Article posted September 10, 2008 on the News @ Old Dominion website..
Wind Farm Off VA Coast Can Be Done, Researchers Say
Researchers studying a potential offshore wind farm on the Virginia coast have reached the halfway point of their work but already have come to a solid conclusion: The clean-energy project is realistic and doable....
Article by Scott Harper in the August 30, 2008 issue of The Virginian-Pilot..
Algae Cultivation Tanks Installed For "Green" Project At Wastewater Treatment Plant
Scientists and engineers from Old Dominion University, with a little help from a crane, lifted three algae cultivation tanks to a rooftop of the Virginia Initiative Plant (VIP) wastewater treatment facility near campus in December to formally begin a collaboration that promises to be very environmentally friendly....
Article posted December 2007 on the News @ Old Dominion website.
Governor Kaine Announces Investments in Higher Education
Governor Timothy M. Kaine today proposed a $1.65 billion bond package for higher education needs as a part of his planned investments in higher education. Standing with college presidents and business leaders from across the Commonwealth at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Governor emphasized the importance of ensuring that Virginia's future economy remains strong through strategic investments in higher education....
To read President Runte's letter regarding the news release, click here.
Press Release posted December 13, 2007 on www.governor.virginia.gov.
Kaine Discusses State's Options for Alternative Fuel Usage
Speaking here Wednesday at a state conference on energy and the environment, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine revealed a pertinent little secret.
On his desk, he said, is a small vial, a gift from researchers at Old Dominion University. It contains the first batch of biofuel squeezed from algae, an alternative energy project the state is supporting with $5,000 in grants....
Article by Scott Harper in the October 18, 2007 issue of The Virginian-Pilot.
ODU Tests Fuel for the Future
Paying at the pump is forcing you to think seriously about that fuel of the future.
A solution just might come out of a lab at Old Dominion University.
"I think it is a great new source of fuel and it is something to be excited about." Excitement is building for Dr. Patrick Hatcher and his team of researchers. The algae they grew in a lab, then transformed into biodiesel is hitting the road....
To view the video of this story, click here.
News story aired on the 6:00 edition of WAVY-TV (NBC) News on October 12, 2007, Cheryl Tan reporting.
ODU Researchers are Turning Trash into Treasure by Producing Biodiesel from Algae
Planes, trains, and automobiles. The search for alternatives to fuel is really taking off.
What's inside beakers at Old Dominion University may provide an answer.
Dr. Patrick Hatcher is the leader of an algae-to-biodiesel pilot project. He held up a vial. "It's liquid gold. We're used to thinking of this kind of liquid gold, oil, coming from the ground. This comes from the lab, and now, it can be made in the lab."...
To view the video of this story, click here.
News story aired on the 5:30 edition of WAVY-TV (NBC) News on October 3, 2007, Cheryl Tan reporting.
Wind, Algae Projects to Tap State Money for Energy Studies
Turning algae into fuel? Building a windmill on Tangier Island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay? Setting wind turbines miles off the Virginia Beach coast? The ideas might sound futuristic, but they are the primary alternative-energy projects that the state will support with $1.5 million in research grants, to be awarded next week.
The grants represent the first investment by state government in the work of a newly formed group of university scientists, called the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium....
Article by Scott Harper in the June 30, 2007 issue of The Virginian-Pilot.
University Heads State Initiative on Renewable Energy
An initiative launched by the General Assembly and led by Old Dominion University will seek renewable energy solutions that could be put to use in Virginia.
Legislators set aside $1.5 million in funding earlier this year and established the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium (VCERC) to study alternative fuels and new means of energy production....
Article by Jim Raper in the June 8, 2007 issue of The Courier.
For more articles about VCERC and alternative energy, go to www.vcerc.org/news.htm
