By Annemarie Mountz, Penn State
President Barack Obama will visit Penn State’s University Park campus on Feb. 2, the White House announced in a conference call to media today.
The president will focus on the importance of work being done at the Energy Innovation Hub at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Hank Foley, Penn State vice president for research, is the principal investigator for the project, which involves 11 academic institutions, two DOE laboratories, five high-profile global industry partners, regional economic development agencies, and community colleges.
“Penn State is one of the places in the country focusing on energy efficiency,” White House Deputy Director of Communications Jen Psaki said in announcing the visit.
Steven Chu, secretary of the Department of Energy, explained that the work being done at the Energy Innovation Hub is precisely what Obama was referencing when he spoke of the nation’s “Sputnik Moment” in his State of the Union Address earlier this week. “It’s all about gearing up America’s intellectual force so we can develop these clean energy sources,” Chu said.
The White House will release details surrounding Obama’s visit later this afternoon, but Psaki said Obama was “really looking forward to visiting Penn State’s facilities,” and he also would make some remarks.
For more about the Energy Innovation Hub, visit online.
