WASHINGTON, D.C. (WVDN) – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS), applauded the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) announcement that the Resilient Energy Technology and Infrastructure (RETI) Consortium, which is led by West Virginia University (WVU) in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and more than 60 regional partners, will be one of 12 National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines award recipients.
“I’m incredibly proud of WVU’s leadership in securing the RETI Consortium right here in Appalachia, designed to spur economic opportunities and create good paying jobs through the development of resilient energy and industrial technologies. This was a competitive selection process that I advocated for on WVU’s behalf, and it’s great to see NSF recognize the capabilities that we know exist in our region to power the future of America. West Virginia has long been an energy leader, and this investment will further build on that proud tradition to meet the growing demand for energy solutions and manufacturing that we need. This is just the beginning, and I look forward to working with WVU and our regional partners to make this initiative as successful as possible,” Senator Capito said.
BACKGROUND:
The RETI Consortium will use $321 million in public and private funding to develop the nation’s next leading industrial energy innovation hub in the heart of Appalachia. RETI’s goal is to bring partners together to create a vibrant innovation ecosystem that drives regional economic growth. Senator Capito personally advocated for this investment to NSF, supported meetings with the foundation and WVU on the initiative, and recorded this video greeting ahead of their discussions in Morgantown. More information about the project is available here.
