U.S. Commerce Department to Announce Major Grant for RiverSphere

*** Media Advisory ***

What

The U.S. Commerce Department will announce a major grant to help Tulane University establish RiverSphere, a Center of Excellence at Tulane promoting development, testing, demonstration and commercialization of renewable “green” energy resources including hydrokinetic power from the Mississippi River.

Who

John Fernandez, U.S. Asst. Sec. of Commerce for Economic Development
Gary LaGrange, president and CEO, Port of New Orleans
Yvette Jones, executive vice president for university relations and development, Tulane University
Douglas Meffert, RiverSphere executive director and deputy director for policy at the Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research

When

Noon, Tuesday, April 13

Where

Blaine Kern"s Mardi Gras World, 1380 Port of New Orleans Place, next to the future RiverSphere site at Robin Street Wharf

More

Tulane University initiated a lease agreement with the Port of New Orleans to develop a 22,000 square-foot facility at the Robin Street Wharf. The RiverSphere campus will house laboratories, administrative and exhibit space and a business incubator, attracting turbine developers, manufacturers and installers to the greater New Orleans area. The project will greatly enhance the region"s green jobs portfolio and make New Orleans an exporter of these technologies and intellectual capital throughout the country.