TCU will announce today that it, FPL Energy and the University of Oxford will enter into a research partnership on how to integrate wind energy into the Texas ecological community, an environmental science professor said.

Mike Slattery, a professor of environmental science, said the research grant that TCU received for the partnership is the largest research grant in school history.

Slattery, who will also serve the partnership as a lead scientist, said, “It could put TCU on the map for leading research in renewable clean energy.”

A news release previewed the announcement, calling it “a groundbreaking partnership,” but did not give details on what it would entail.

Slattery said the grant is in the neighborhood of several million dollars, but he wanted to wait until the press conference for the exact amount to be released.

The release said the partnership “could result in major environmental changes for generations to come.”

FPL and Oxford could not be reached for comment about the news release.

Florida-based FPL Energy’s Web site describes the company as “a leading clean energy provider with natural gas, wind, solar, hydroelectric and nuclear power plants in operation in 25 states.”

The University of Oxford lists itself as the first university in the English-speaking world and says it is committed to remaining on the forefront of learning, teaching and research.

Neither FPL nor Oxford had any information about the partnership on their Web sites.

For Your Info

When: 2 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Kelly Alumni Center