Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that Clean Energy Trust will receive a $1 million award to support the Midwest Regional Innovation Partnership (MRIP). This funding comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) and will help strengthen Chicagoland’s technology workforce post-pandemic.
“Entrepreneurs have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and federal investments like these help create a more resilient economy for entrepreneurs,” said Duckworth. “I’ll keep advocating for the resources our communities need to grow and thrive.”
“I was proud to support the Midwest Regional lnnovation Partnership and its partners’ request for this Department of Energy grant, which has the potential to grow the innovation ecosystem in the Midwest,” Durbin said. “This federal funding will increase the rate of technology commercialization in the region and help companies create more high-tech domestic jobs.”
Along with Clean Energy Trust, the Midwest Regional Innovation Partnership awardees include Chicago-based mHUB and other Midwest tech innovation hubs. MRIP is a coalition of four tech hubs with the shared goal of driving post-COVID economic recovery in the Midwest through energy innovations and the creation of manufacturing jobs. This investment will help the Midwest Regional Innovation Partnership create jobs and provide support and resources to growing startups and small businesses.
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