The Center for Microgrid Research at the University of St. Thomas is a nationally recognized hub for advanced microgrid development and “the only institution of its kind in North America offering hands-on training for students and professionals.”
With colleagues from three other Midwestern universities, University of Minnesota researchers are also working to harden the U.S. power grid and local microgrids against cyber threats.
Minnesota’s microgrid influence has been decades in the making, said Michael Burr, founder and director of Microgrid Initiatives.
Minnesota exported about $2.3 billion in “IT-related electrical equipment” last year, according to the state Department of Employment and Economic Development.
With all this homegrown expertise and manufacturing heft, Minnesota is a hub for microgrid technology and design — and a potential bulwark against rising electricity prices, extreme weather events that threaten grid reliability and other challenges facing utilities and their customers.