With the first U.S. offshore wind farm just miles away from campus, URI is on the international forefront of oceanographic research and the development of renewable energy technology.

Engineering faculty have helped create a successful model for regulating coastal waters for uses such as renewable energy. Our research teams are developing linear electric generators that convert the motion of waves to electricity using smart circuits to capture the electricity and store it efficiently. New solar energy technologies on the horizon–panels that can be embedded in asphalt–would allow utility companies to turn highways into power plants.

Connecting all the dots requires coordinated research to build the nation’s “smart grid” backed by computers that can react in milliseconds to a sudden loss or spike in demand and manage electricity usage.

Solar Entrepreneurs

URI civil engineering alumnus Matthew Fuller and fellow URI alumnus Justin Bristol have formed a solar-powered food cart business.

Their Story

• URI alum leads way in fusion energy breakthroughs - Jan. 27, 2026- Fusion energy is the pinnacle of clean energy and is in escalating demand as we face energy challenges of an increasingly internet-connected world with power-guzzling AI data centers popping up at an exponential rate. Fusion energy would provide abundant, carbon-free energy that essentially mimics the sun with no hazardous or radioactive waste. […]
• Mechanical engineering student awarded DOE’s University Nuclear Leadership Program scholarship - Over the past two years, University of Rhode Island student Max Richardson has earned $15,000 in competitive federal support for his studies—most recently through the U.S. Department of Energy’s University Nuclear Leadership Program scholarship for $10,000. Jan. 20, 2026- As a high school student, Max Richardson, of Groton, Connecticut, was introduced to mechanical principles and computer-aided design […]
• URI taps geothermal energy for Bay Campus - The University of Rhode Island is taking a multi-pronged approach in its efforts to work toward net-zero carbon emissions—including looking to sources of renewable energy.

Faculty