2 Illinois schools get $8.435 million from DOE

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded more than $8.4 million to research centers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois.

In a news release, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Rep Bill Foster and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky announced the money will be used to study, research and develop cutting edge forms of clean energy.

Durbin said in the award will not only help to drive the economy and change "the way we conserve and use energy resources," but will help ensure that there remains a strong federal commitment to universities in Illinois.

Northwestern University in Evanston will be awarded $5.985 million to study solar energy sciences and materials for solar energy. Nearly $3 million of that amount will go to the Argonne-Northwestern Solar Research Center.

The rest of the money - $2.45 million - was awarded to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study carbon dioxide capture and storage.