Northwestern University and Exelon have formed a five-year strategic research partnership focused on clean energy innovation.
ISEN’s executive director Michael R. Wasielewski said: "We couldn’t be more excited about this important alliance.
"Scaling basic discovery energy science for systems-level innovation is a tremendous bottleneck for academia and industry alike. Leading energy companies at the cutting-edge of our electric power grid, like Exelon, are ideal partners for Northwestern and its entire research enterprise."
The Northwestern-Exelon Master Research Agreement will provide for an initial five-year period of research around a robust project portfolio, including grid management and resilience, energy storage and renewable technologies.
Exelon president and CEO Chris Crane said: "With the energy landscape evolving faster than ever, Exelon is building relationships with top research centers to create an ecosystem for advancing energy technology and ingenuity.
"This partnership brings together Exelon’s industry and market expertise with Northwestern’s deep research capabilities. It is an important step in our work to uncover and bring to life the very latest innovations that can benefit our company, our customers and the communities we serve."
The partnership is designed to streamline the process for evaluating, testing and scaling scientific discoveries made in Northwestern labs for commercial use. Discoveries in research could have immediate and tangible implications on the way energy is produced, transmitted and consumed in the United States.
Northwestern University research vice president Jay Walsh said: "Future sustainability and energy solutions lay at the intersection of science, policy and economics.
"ISEN is ideally positioned to lead Northwestern’s interdisciplinary commitment to these global challenges. This innovation-focused partnership with Exelon allows both organizations to capitalize on the tremendous scope of opportunity that exists as we transition to a 21st-century grid."
Northwestern has several active "master" agreements in areas of strategic importance for the University. The agreement with Exelon is the first with an electric power company.