ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In its inaugural year, the Iberdrola USA Foundation and the Fundacion Iberdrola Scholarship Program for Energy and Environment Postgraduate Studies in the United States awarded fellowships to William Fuqua of the Rochester Institute of Technology and Matthew Burns of the University of Maine.
Iberdrola USA and its parent, Iberdrola S.A., a global energy company, established the scholarships to support graduate studies in renewable energy, environmental protection, climate change and energy efficiency. Last year the foundations awarded scholarships to 49 students around the world.
William Fuqua, a master's of science degree candidate in Science, Technology and Society/Public Policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology is completing his thesis on the cost-benefit analysis of electric vehicles.
"I am grateful to Iberdrola for supporting my renewable energy research," Fuqua said. "The implications of climate change are profound, and I hope my work will make a difference in how policymakers and markets respond to the challenge."
Fuqua, who will defend his thesis in June, hopes to work in the energy industry after graduation.
Matthew Burns, a master's of science degree candidate in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Maine at Orono, studied the feasibility of deploying multiple energy generators on a single offshore mooring to reduce construction costs and limit the seabed footprint.
"Many thanks to the Iberdrola USA Foundation whose generous funding allowed me to engage in this important research," Burns said. "We need to exploit every form of alternative energy, and this study will help reduce the cost barriers to renewable ocean energy."
Burns will continue his research next year, again funded by the Iberdrola USA Foundation.
Application for the 2013-2014 Iberdrola USA Foundation and Fundacion Iberdrola Energy/Environment Scholarships will begin in the fourth quarter of 2012. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/KIHeat.
About the Iberdrola USA Foundation and the Fundacion Iberdrola: The Foundations support initiatives that enhance the quality of life where Iberdrola S.A. and its subsidiaries operate, with a focus on sustainable energy, the environment, art and culture, and cooperation and solidarity.
About Iberdrola USA: Iberdrola USA, a subsidiary of global energy leader Iberdrola, S.A., is an energy services and delivery company serving 2.4 million customers throughout upstate New York and New England. For more information about Iberdrola USA visit www.iberdrolausa.com.
SOURCE Iberdrola USA
