South Carolina Battery Research Gets $10M Federal Funding Boost
University of South Carolina (USC) is set to receive more than $10 million in federal funding to advance their battery research efforts, announced by the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation
The $10.2 million investment is marked for the upcoming Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation, under the guidance of renowned battery expert and University associate dean for research, Professor William Mustain.
Professor Mustain expressed excitement over the accelerating public and private investment in battery research within the state. “Companies tell me this all the time – if you want to learn more about battery chemistry, battery assembly and battery safety, you come to the University of South Carolina,” he said.
Statewide Effort – SC Nexus
The funding given to USC is derived from a larger award of $45 million allotted for SC Nexus, a consortium of partners aiming to enhance the clean energy supply chain and develop cyber-secure grid resilience technologies.
SC Nexus is overseen by the South Carolina Department of Commerce. It was named as one of 12 recipients of funding from an initial competition featuring nearly 400 applicants.
Consortium’s Core Partners
USC is a founding member of the SC Nexus consortium. It comprises more than 50 members, including core partners like Clemson University, Savannah River National Laboratory, South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, South Carolina State University, and the South Carolina Technical College System.
The diverse consortium demonstrates the university’s significant role as an economic catalyst for the state of South Carolina, fostering innovation and workforce development to propel the state’s growth.
Focused Regions and Goals
The SC Nexus plans to concentrate its operations on the Midlands and Upstate regions, in addition to nearby counties such as Aiken and Orangeburg. Their proposed initiatives will create long-term jobs, with a goal to source 40% of those positions from underserved and rural communities.
USC President Michael Amiridis expressed pride over the university’s outstanding contributions to this initiative. “Achieving recognition at a national level demonstrates our ability as a state to innovate and to bring new ideas to the market,” said President Amiridis.
This $10 million federal funding has fortified USC’s role in propelling the state’s advancements in efficient and sustainable battery technology, further solidifying South Carolina’s national and global standing in the clean energy sector.