University breaks ground on Energy Institute

Construction has begun on a $50 million new home for the Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI) on the site of the old University Health Services Building.

Gov. Jim Doyle, Chancellor Biddy Martin and other university official were on hand with other officials to break ground for the 200,000-square-foot facility at the intersection of Breese Terrace and University Avenue on Nov. 24.

“Capturing even a fraction of the $16 billion our state spends on energy each year would mean billions of dollars in economic growth and job creation,” the governor said. “That’s why we’ve been really focused on building on our strengths in research, innovation and business to create real jobs in the clean energy economy.”

WEI will help the university develop novel technologies to meet the pressing national need of creating renewable energy in a sustainable and economically viable manner.

The primary occupants of the new building, which is scheduled to open in August 2012, will be the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative. Space will also be created to promote development of other renewable technologies.

“The scientists and staff of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative, and our colleagues at UW College of Engineering and across the UW System are already producing game changing technologies, and we don’t need a new building for that,” College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Molly Jahn said. “But what this building will give them is a facility to match their ambitions. In this building they will have the capacity to work faster, collaborate better and to think more boldly.”

The new building’s facilities will provide support for research, administration and outreach activities.

WEI’s new home will replace a 58-year-old structure that once housed University Health Services and was originally built as a state psychiatric hospital.

WEI is designed to meet sustainable building standards and will reduce annual energy use.

The new facility will be built in two phases. The first phase, funded by the state and private money raised by UW–Madison, will house offices, lab space, meeting rooms, a high-bay research area to accommodate large engineering equipment and a first-floor coffee shop and public meeting space.

The second phase, which is funding-dependent, will include a demonstration lab, teaching room and offices for outreach and energy education.