This December, The College of William & Mary opened its new Commonwealth Center for Energy and the Environment to foster an interdisciplinary approach for teaching and researching environmental issues.

Open to all William & Mary faculty, the center will function as both a think tank and research incubator that integrates disciplines including the natural sciences, law and policy, social sciences and the humanities.

In 2013, the center will support up to three short-term Environmental Enquiry Groups to define and explore direction for future research and teaching opportunities. Once topics are approved, the center will support the development of Long Term Environmental Quest groups for more advanced study.

William & Mary is already home to the School of Marine Science/Virginia Institute of Marine Science (SMS/VIMS), a leading institution specializing in coastal and estuary marine science and among the largest marine research and education centers in the United States.

With greater interdisciplinary focus, the Commonwealth Center for Energy and the Environment may be able to expand research and address the complicated relationship between energy generation and its impact on the environment.

The center will support Virginia’s “all-of-the-above” strategy to become “the Energy Capital of the East Coast” while expanding the Commonwealth’s energy partnerships and advanced research development. By leading the charge to develop offshore energy, expand renewables and advocate on behalf of traditional fuels including coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear energy, Virginia aims to secure reliable energy for businesses and citizens in the future.

To learn why more than 385 energy companies have established operations in the Commonwealth, click here.