The Energy and Environmental Research Center at UND says it’s making progress in solving a deficit problem.
The EERC still has a deficit of $2.1 million. UND vice president Alice Brekke told the State Board of Higher Education’s Budget and Finance Committee – fiscal 2015 did bring some good news.
"The awards saw a 16 percent increase from the prior fiscal year," said Brekke. EERC received $28.4 million dollars in those awards fiscal 2015, which ended June 30th. However, Brekke says EERC wasn’t able to hire all the staff it needed to start spending some of the awards.
"They were able, out of 10 positions, to hire 4 in the first six months of the calendar year," Brekke told the committee. "But that was not enough to ramp up to the full capacity they needed."
Brekke says now, 9 of those 10 people have been hired. And she says EERC appears to be headed in the right direction.
"We believe they are on track to break even in FY 16," said Brekke. "Then, per the original plan, it'll be some years out before there is repayment of the existing deficit."
The Board had earlier approved a plan to have the existing deficit paid off by 2025. Brekke says that might have to be adjusted – depending on how EERC does going forward with landing outside grants.
