In the News
On the southern shore of Lake Michigan, a university and a steel plant are working on the same problem. With technical and financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), both organizations are trying to clear a major obstacle on America's path to a clean energy economy: the decarbonization of our heavy industries.
Commendatory remarks, smiles, and even a few enthusiastic “high-fives” were shared on Feb. 16 as representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the office of U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan visited Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) to observe research and impacts for federally-funded steel decarbonization initiatives.
A major hydrogen project planned for the BP Whiting Refinery is expected to bring a major impact to northwest Indiana, according to Congressman Frank Mrvan, D-Highland.
Speaking at an event Friday along with U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science and Innovation Geraldine Richmond, Mrvan said private sector funding for the project could reach up to $6 billion.
The project is the result of the coalition known as MachH2 being designated a regional hydrogen hub last year by the Biden Administration.
Federal and local officials got a close look Friday at some of the cutting-edge research in Northwest Indiana that is attempting to decarbonize the steel industry and boost efficiency.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, and U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science and Innovation Geri Richmond lauded the work done by Purdue University Northwest’s Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) in Hammond.
Purdue University Northwest's Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation landed a $7.1 million grant through the U.S. Department of Energy to research how to decarbonize the steel industry.
More than a decade ago, the $4.2 billion BP Whiting Refinery Modernization Project was a major shot in the arm for the Calumet Region economy, a boon that meant steady work for skilled tradesmen for years and a windfall that made local union coffers flush.
As many as 14,000 construction workers toiled between 2008 and late 2013 to convert the former Standard Oil Refinery on the Lake Michigan lakefront to refine heavy crude from the oil sands region of Canada after the axis of oil production shifted.
It was the largest single private-sector investment in Indiana history.
The African American musicians, performers and other artists who call Northwest Indiana home recently took center stage at the U.S. House as Congressman Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, celebrated their accomplishments as part of Black History Month.
The two-term lawmaker representing Lake, Porter and northwest LaPorte counties told his congressional colleagues, and the nation, he has "great respect and sincere admiration" for the many "noteworthy and inspiring arts-based organizations" in Indiana's 1st District.
On Wednesday, February 14, Rep. Frank J. Mrvan read his Black History Month statement into the Congressional Record on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
A video of the remarks is available at https://bit.ly/3SVlRdD, and the text of the remarks as prepared for delivery is below.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-1st, visited with representatives from Porter-Starke Services, a not-for-profit Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) in Northwest Indiana, on Feb. 2 to discuss the organization’s new Crisis Center located at 2301 Cumberland Drive, Valparaiso.
“I am grateful for how the Porter Starke Services Crisis Center in Valparaiso builds upon our efforts in Northwest Indiana to invest in mental health services that address the needs of those impacted by substance use disorders,” Mrvan said.
Valparaiso University hosted a presentation upon receiving $1 million in federal funding at LeBien Hall on Monday, February 12. The funding comes from federal appropriations secured by Congressman Frank J. Mrvan, United States Representative for the First Congressional District of Indiana.
The university will utilize these funds for its College of Nursing and Health Professions. Valparaiso University President José D. Padilla, J.D., illustrates the ways they plan to invest and benefit the college.