Bell Labs, Princeton University net $7.6M in clean-energy grants
Summary
Murray Hill-based Bell Labs’ $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy would go toward developing emergency efficiency technology for cooling data servers, and for heating and cooling buildings. It’s part of a larger $175 million nationwide grant made to several universities, companies and labs that U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Feb. 14 would focus on “doubling down on advancing clean energy technology innovation and manufacturing in America to deliver critical energy solutions from renewables to fusion energy to tackle the climate crisis.” Bell Labs Core Research President Peter Vetter said the organization’s research would develop “new ways to generate, store and use energy,” according to a statement from U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski, a Democrat whose district represents Murray Hill. “The grant Nokia Bell Labs received from the Department of Energy will enable us to develop next-generation clean energy technologies that will increase the energy efficiency of data centers, allowing us to play a positive role in tackling climate change in the U.S.,” Vetter continued. A $1.49 million grant is going to Princeton University to study certain Proton-Boron fusion technology used for energy production, according to the Energy Department, while a $4 million grant to the Ivy League school will go toward developing more energy-efficient electric and power grids. “DOE’s investments show our commitment to empowering innovators to develop bold plans to help America achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, create clean energy good-paying jobs and strengthen our energy independence,” Granholm added.