The Ralph Lowe Energy Institute and an interdisciplinary team from across campus presented months of collaborative work on the Pacific Island Energy Initiative to U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the Pacific Fleet. The milestone proposal provides an energy security plan for the nation’s strategic partners in the Southwest Pacific Islands.
December 11, 2023
By TCU Neeley School of Business
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii – To complete eight months of research, extensive studies and collaboration with higher education partners, energy industry leaders and others, Ralph Lowe Energy Institute Executive Director Ann Bluntzer and a cross-campus team, delivered their findings with the Pacific Islands Energy Initiative to U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo and his senior leadership team.
Admiral Paparo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, described the results as “doable” and “innovative solutions” and added, “we are ready to move on this immediately.” The next steps are in the hands of the Department of Defense, as they determine where the results can best be applied.
The historic research initiative was a joint effort between TCU Neeley’s Ralph Lowe Energy Institute, Oklahoma State University and energy industry partners to brainstorm and develop real energy security solutions for a region that is at risk. The Pacific Islands Energy Initiative presentation occurred in Pearl Harbor at the historic headquarters of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who served as commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet during World War II. The setting for the December 1 briefing served as a reminder that energy can play a vital role in national security.
“The TCU faculty and our graduate students have gone above and beyond the call of duty and have made a real impact today towards creating realistic energy solutions to advance our nation’s strategic positioning to counter Chinese influence in the region,” Bluntzer said.
The final research presentation was months in the making. After meeting with Admiral Paparo in March of 2023, the institute assembled an interdisciplinary team from across the TCU campus, academia, and industry, connecting technological solutions to address energy needs in Tonga, Fiji and the Federated States of Micronesia.
The Ralph Lowe Energy Institute, which is part of the TCU Neeley School of Business, also had the advantage of conducting financial feasibility analysis on the proposed solutions under the expertise of Vassil Mihov, who holds the Theodore and Beulah Beasley Faculty Fellowship and finance professor, and TCU Neeley Energy MBA students.
TCU College of Science and Engineering professors were also collaborators throughout the initiative. Michael Slattery, director of the Institute for Environmental Studies and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, and Stathis Michaelides, W.A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. Founding Chair of Engineering, provided extensive environmental and engineering solutions.
Throughout this process, students have also provided their knowledge and energy to the project. Pete Baldwin, an MBA candidate studying energy, has been an environmental consultant for nearly 35 years, participated in the research that led to the presentation and was also in the room with Admiral Paparo and Bluntzer contributing to the research findings.
“This is TCU at its best, bringing together our talented faculty and students from multiple disciplines across campus to answer the call from our government with national security at risk,” Bluntzer said. “We have been able to provide real, economic solutions to assist our U.S. military in their efforts in the Pacific.”
