The community of Morris is home to an innovative “research triangle,” which includes the Morris campus, West Central Research and Outreach Center, and USDA Soil Conservation Research Laboratory. The three groups–all located within a few miles of each other–are collaborating on renewable energy research. An innovative research collaboration–“The Green Prairie Alliance”– is finding ways to turn rural Minnesota's abundant agricultural and natural resources into renewable energy. And the knowledge gained here is being shared worldwide. The partners are making strides on a wide range of wind and biomass energy solutions, drawing on the strengths of each organization.
The Morris campus and its partners are showing other small communities and institutions how to go “green.” For instance, the Green Prairie Alliance is developing a practical gasification “tool kit” to guide others. The tool kit will include:
Green Prairie Alliance doing complementary research
Morris area scientists are working on ways to make nitrogen fertilizer out of “thin air." Today, anhydrous ammonia, an important crop fertilizer, is made primarily from nonrenewable natural gas. Ted Pappenfus, a University of Minnesota, Morris chemistry professor, is testing a chemical process to derive ammonia from wind energy and renewable ethanol.
A mile away at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC), scientists are producing ammonia using wind–powered electrolysis of water. These are just two examples of complementary research emerging from the Green Prairie Alliance.
The Morris campus is demonstrating the use of a commercial biomass reactor for district heating and cooling. The USDA–ARS station is working on sustainable biomass harvesting guidelines, while WCROC is developing biomass handling, densification, and storage methods. The Alliance draws on the strengths of each organization to tackle complex problems.
The Morris campus and its partners are showing other small communities and institutions how to go –green.– For instance, the Green Prairie Alliance is developing a practical gasification “tool kit” to guide others.
Current research from the Green Prairie Alliance:
- Biomass gasification district heating and cooling;
- Wind power and gasification economics;
- Renewable nitrogen fertilizer production;
- Biomass collection, handling, densification, storage;
- Solar energy demonstrations;
- Sustainable crop residue harvesting;
- Use of gasification ash for fertilizer.
Future research from the Green Prairie Alliance may include:
- Demonstration of a hydrogen fueling station;
- "Smart" power distribution systems;
- Value–added biofuel products, such as ethanol from gasification syngas;
- Biofuel crops for Minnesota, such as sweet sorghum, camelina, and calendula;
- Alternative polymers for photovoltaic solar collectors;
- Small-scale biomass gasification;
- Enzymes for cellulosic biofuel production.
The University of Minnesota, Morris pleased to partner with a growing list of local, state, and national organizations dedicated to sustainability:
- The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
- Agriculture Utilization Research Institute
- Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
- City of Morris
- Clean Energy Resource Teams
- Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company
- Diversified Energy LLC
- Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partners
- Great River Energy
- Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment
- Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources
- Mckinstry
- Minnesota Corn Growers
- Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council
- Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Office
- Minnesota Soybean Growers
- Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council
- Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace
- National Renewable Energy Lab
- Norsk Hydro
- Office of Environmental Assistance
- Otter Tail Power Company
- Pride of the Prairie Local Foods Initiative
- Runestone Electric Association
- South Dakota State University
- Southwest Initiative Foundation
- Stevens County Economic Improvement Commission
- Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability (UMACS)
- Upper Midwest Hydrogen Initiative
- United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service
- University of Minnesota West Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership
- University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center
- University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center
- West Central Regional Sustainable Development
- University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center
- USDA-ARS North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory
- Xcel Energy
