Approximately $5 million to support water, renewable energy, climate studies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2009

“Under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the rest of Nevada’s congressional delegation, America is investing further in the expanding capacity of DRI to provide science-based solutions to the most important global environmental issues of our time,” said DRI President Stephen G. Wells, Ph.D. “By directing national resources to research at DRI, Senator John Ensign, Representatives Shelley Berkley, Dina Titus and Dean Heller showed foresight not only for Nevada, but for the nation.”

The measure passed the House last week, and now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.

DRI programs funded in the legislation include:

• Between $1.5 million and $2 million for the Water for America Initiative, a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation program in which DRI is a partner. As the West continues to be challenged by water-supply shortages, population growth, climate variability and increasing competition for finite water supplies, the Water for America Initiative will perform collaborative planning and joint operations to proactively reduce tension among multiple water users.
• $1.067 million to launch a new DRI program—the Nevada Water Resources Data, Modeling and Visualization Center—to conduct research on Nevada’s water resources. The program will help DRI translate climate-change predictions into useable information for water-resource development and use in Nevada. DRI will use its technically advanced 3-D visual-research devices to model and interpret water-resource data. The funding also will support translation of data for use in public-policy development related to water.
• $713,600 for a DRI project to demonstrate the feasibility of algal-based energy systems in Nevada. Scientists say the state’s abundance of solar and geothermal resources make it an ideal location for commercial development of algal-based renewable energy production. Certain algal strains are known to produce large amounts of lipids, or oils, that are high-quality feedstocks for production of biodiesel fuel.
• $475,750 to establish a Renewable Energy Center at DRI to coordinate all of DRI’s work in energy efficiency and renewable-energy work. It also provides a physical base from which to conduct these activities and interact with academic collaborators, industrial partners and local business communities.
• $570,000 to fund various operations at the Western Regional Climate Center, a partnership between DRI and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that operates at DRI’s Reno campus.
• $300,000 for DRI to utilize Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology to supplement water-rights research for the Walker River Basin. The Walker Basin Project is a comprehensive, research-guided project to sustain the basin’s economy, ecosystem and lake. The federally funded project involves collaborative environmental and economic research conducted by researchers with DRI and the University of Nevada, Reno. It also involves the acquisition of water and water rights from willing sellers under the coordination of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The research is exploring the best means by which to get additional water to the lake while maintaining the Basin’s economy and ecosystem.
• The legislation also allocates $2.5 million to the Nevada Virtual Renewable Energy Integration Development Consortium, a Nevada System of Higher Education initiative to coordinate and integrate research and development activities at Nevada’s research institutions. DRI will play a coordinating role in the program, working with University of Nevada, Reno, and University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Along with participating Nevada community colleges, these institutions will work to make Nevada the national leader in renewable-energy research, development, demonstration, commercialization, and workforce development as well as energy self-sufficiency. These institutions will collaborate as well with business and industry stakeholders.

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