USF Sustainable Sunshine State ( S3 ) Initiative _______________________________ ____ “I have always believed that public research universities hold a special responsibility in our nation - and even more so for universities such as USF, where our location in the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United States positions us as an engine of economic growth” -President Judy Genshaft

Florida, The Sunshine State, ranks 3rd in the US for solar potential. Florida’s Squandered Sunshine Problem:  17th for cumulative solar capacity installed  No major Solar Manufacturers built in 2011, 2012, and 2013  No renewable portfolio standards nor allowed power purchase agreements  In 2013, installed 26 MW of solar electric capacity, ranking it 18th nationally

The Plan It is USF’s obligation as a leader in the Sustainability and STEM fields to lead efforts in establishing a partnership with a Solar Manufacturing Company to bring a facility to the Tampa area, and Florida economy. The Incentives With campus construction efforts expanding rapidly, availability of cheap, clean energy is more important than ever.  $15 million for the USF Health Heart Institute  $10 million for the USF St. Pete College of Business  $5 million recurring fund for the Florida Center for Cybersecurity  TBD amount & scale for Andros Village Complex A partnership would put USF at the cutting edge within the educational community on 3 nationally prioritized movements  Sustainability, STEM Education, Domestic Manufacturing 1.Gigantic pool of outside funding to utilize 2.Increased media & governmental attention 3.Raised to the top echelon of Sustainability & STEM Programs Opportunity to build an innovative interdisciplinary program with exponential potential for experience building amongst students.

Proof of Concept  SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s partnership with SolarCity on the 5 billion dollar facility, part of the greater Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub.  University of Michigan’s Relationship with the Ford Motor Company.  Florida’s immensely strong home market, low cost of living, USF’s international focus & proximity in relation to 2 of the largest international solar markets over the next decades: Central & South America Africa -Mexico/Brazil -Nigeria/South Africa  President Obama kick started the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) with $500 million.  US Chamber of Commerce imposed preliminary tariffs of percent on imports of solar panels made by Suntech, percent on imports of Trina Solar, and percent on imports of most other Chinese producers—severely damaging Florida’s Solar Installation Industry

Short/Medium Term Goals: Long Term Goals: Conduct interest surveys of students and employers in such a program and partnership. Form S3 Initiative Commission composed of students/staff from Engineering, Environmental Science, Political Science, International Relations, Education, and Economics.  Whose purpose is to seek out funding and conduct research to compose a feasibility report.  Evidence supporting Florida as a premier locale, as well as the nature of the partnership/program will be detailed. S3 Commission correspondence with local, state, and federal government for incentives as well as interactions with companies. Attract SunPower who plans to build a facility, or build a relationship with SolarCity for their 10x magnitude scale plant. Transition S3 Commission into Full Academic Program. Capitalize off partnership and cheap energy to pursue future facilities with NASA, Health, etc to create a Tampa Hub similar to Buffalo’s. Thank You!