Huei Peng, professor of mechanical engineering and U.S. Director of the U.S. China Clean Energy Research Center-Clean Vehicle Consortium, gave a report on the project, now entering its third year of a five-year funding cycle. In addition, SNRE Professor Greg Keoleian, who is part of the project and also directs the school's Center for Sustainable Systems, also gave a presentation to Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

The joint project marks groundbreaking collaborations and intellectual property agreements between the two countries on energy research. Fourteen U-M faculty and 16 graduate students are part of the U-M center.

The U-M consortium is one of three such joint collaborations between the U.S. and Chinese governments. Partner institutions with U-M include Ohio State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Sandia and Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Industry partners include Ford, Delphi, Denson, Eaton and Honda.

The U-M Energy Institute administers the clean vehicle consortium.

Secretary Chu and Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang led the meeting, which also focused on the other collaborations involving coal technology and energy-efficient buildings.

The total commitment for the three centers is $50 million over five years, with both countries providing $25 million in funding.

— Michael Waring, University of Michigan Washington, D.C. office