ABOUT SERC

How It All Began
SERC was established in 1989, thanks to a generous endowment from Dr. Louis W. Schatz, president of General Plastics Manufacturing Company of Tacoma, Washington. When he funded the project, Dr. Schatz wrote: "I look forward to a successful research effort and hope that eventually it can solve many of the world's energy and pollution problems."

About Us
At the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) on California's North Coast, we are working to establish clean and renewable energy technologies in our society. We design and build prototype proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and integrate them into complete power systems. We also provide energy education for K-12,undergraduate, and graduate students; business and service groups; and the general public, and we design and build PEM fuel cells for educational demonstrations and hands-on laboratory activities. As scientists and engineers, we are dedicated to our research. As teachers, we are passionate about educating people of all ages about the exciting potential of the hydrogen economy.

Affiliated with Humboldt State University's Environmental Resources Engineering program, SERC provides a rare opportunity for undergraduate and graduate engineering students to acquire hands-on experience with cutting-edge energy technologies.

Our Mission
Americans are accustomed to low priced and abundant energy supplies. Compared to other commodities in our daily lives -- a kilowatt-hour of electricity costs about as much as a stick of gum -- the energy (electricity and natural gas) that we buy is a bargain. Gasoline is nearly as cheap, in real terms, as it has ever been. This situation has led us to be profligate in our energy use and careless about our energy future.

Dirty urban air, forests dying from acid rain, and a dependence on oil from politically unstable foreign countries are only a few of the many consequences of our energy policies and choices. Is there a better way?

At the Schatz Energy Research Center, we know there is. Just as our ancestors changed the way they obtained food, we must change the way we get energy, evolving from the energy hunter gatherers we are now to the energy farmers we must become. This evolution means shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources: solar, wind, and hydropower. It means developing the technology to utilize these resources so that renewable energy becomes reliable and affordable. That is our mission.

The energy sources we choose have an enormous impact on our lives. The quality of our air, water, and soil, and thus our health, all depend on our energy choices. In determining our energy path, we are directly affecting our future and the future of generations to come.

All of us have the same dreams: a clean and safe environment, political independence, economic security, and a better world for our children. Clean and safe energy will help make our dreams a reality.