EDA PRESS RELEASE

Biden-Harris Administration Awards Planning Grant to Strengthen the Advanced Energy Sector in Louisville, Kentucky

WASHINGTON, DC — The Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced that the Regional Energy Business, Education, & Commercialization Convergence Accelerator (REBECCA) Energy Strategy Development Consortium in Louisville, Kentucky, was awarded a Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grant to develop a strategy and regional coalition. It will repurpose a remediated brownfield site into an energy hub that incubates emerging companies and technologies related to advanced energy, such as batteries, hydrogen, solar energy production, and biofuels.

REBECCA, a consortium led by the University of Louisville Research Foundation, will leverage the grant to increase local coordination and planning activities to strengthen its region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy technologies critical to U.S. economic and national security. The Tech Hubs Program, authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, is investing in U.S. regions and aims to transform them into globally competitive innovation centers. This consortium was selected for a grant from a competitive pool of 181 applications.

UofL-led Tech Hubs grant supercharges region’s role in energy innovation

University of Louisville (UofL) will lead the REBECCA consortium, a new initiative focused on solidifying Kentucky’s position as an innovation hub in energy, covering batteries, hydrogen, solar power, and biofuels. REBECCA, which stands for Regional Energy Business, Education, and Commercialization Convergence Accelerator, has secured a $500,000 Phase 1 planning grant under the U.S. Tech Hubs Program. The initiative aims to transform high-potential regions into globally competitive innovation centers. Led by researchers Mahendra Sunkara and Sundar Atre at the UofL J.B. Speed School of Engineering, REBECCA will partner with organizations like TARC, Louisville Metro Government, Clariant, and GE Appliances. The Phase 1 funding will be used to study the region’s energy economy and develop a growth plan, with eligibility for up to $75 million in Phase 2 funding. The consortium aligns with Louisville’s economic development and net-zero energy goals, bringing new green jobs and advancing renewable energy technology leadership.

University of Louisville-led consortium, also featuring GE Appliances, lands grant to develop energy innovation

The University of Louisville will lead the REBECCA consortium, aimed at establishing Kentucky as an energy innovation hub covering batteries, hydrogen, solar power, and biofuels. REBECCA, short for Regional Energy Business, Education, and Commercialization Convergence Accelerator, secured a $500,000 Phase 1 planning grant under the U.S. Tech Hubs Program. The initiative, authorized by the federal CHIPS and Science Act, strives to elevate high-potential regions into globally competitive innovation centers. The consortium’s focus is on studying Kentucky’s energy economy, with eligibility for up to $75 million in Phase 2 funding to implement its growth plan.

Technology hub led by University of Louisville focused on bringing sustainable energy to city

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A new technology hub led by the University of Louisville is bringing together business, research and government officials for collaboration. 

University of Louisville’s Regional Energy Business, Education, and Commercialization Convergence Accelerator is focused on Kentucky’s role as a hub for innovation in energy including batteries, hydrogen, solar power and biofuels. The group will includes partners at UofL, Transit Authority of River City (TARC), Louisville Metro Government, Clariant and GE Appliances. 

The university wants to bring more sustainable energy to Louisville. The group will help TARC introduce extended-range battery buses and GE Appliances will work on a solar power microgrid so power outages could get fixed faster.