UNC Charlotte-led Carolinas partnership awarded NSF Regional Innovation Engines designation to modernize the nation’s electric grid
The U.S. National Science Foundation has selected the NSF Grid Modernization Engine in the Carolinas (Carolinas Grid Engine) as one of America’s newest NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines). The engine is led by UNC Charlotte and supported by more than 100 partners across North Carolina and South Carolina.
The selection positions the Carolinas as a nationally significant innovation cluster for developing, testing, commercializing and deploying technologies to address one of the nation’s most pressing infrastructure challenges: modernizing the electric grid.
The engine will accelerate adoption of solutions that improve grid reliability, strengthen domestic supply chains and help the United States meet rapidly growing electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, data centers and population growth.
The award includes an initial $15 million investment over two years, with the potential for up to $160 million over the next decade based on performance milestones.
Read more here: https://inside.charlotte.edu/featured-stories/carolinas-nsf-innovation-engine/