Portland State U. Works With Local Utility to Push Sustainability Efforts

Portland State University announced Tuesday that it had formed a strategic partnership with Portland General Electric to address issues like urban transportation, renewable energy, and sustainable design.

The partnership, which has been formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding, will be governed by three executives from each organization. The exact plans for the strategic partnership are unclear, aside from the focus on urban mobility and the integration of energy and sustainable design.

“Partnerships like this are the way forward for universities like PSU,” said Wim Wiewel, president of the university. “Rather than just looking for philanthropy, we are looking to work with business and other partners to work jointly on research, education, and demonstration projects that serve our mutual interest—as well as those of Portland and Oregon. This project is a perfect example of that and we look forward to a very productive relationship.”

The utility and the university may work together on developing community projects for sustainable transportation or may hammer out urban-development policies for the region. The electric utility will give the university $50,000 over two years to support a renewable-energy research laboratory, with more money to come for the laboratory and other science research in the future.

The university is also going to work with Nissan to help the car manufacturer introduce a new electric-car model in the region. According to an article about the partnership in The Oregonian, Nissan will rely on the university’s expertise to place 2,000 charging stations in the state.