Whole Lotta Green in Stanford's New Energy Instiute

Stanford announced a new $100 million alternative energy think to be funded by three major gifts.

Stanford Alum and oil and gas mogul Jay Precourt made the lead gift ($50 million) and the institute will be named in his honor: the "Precourt Insitute for Energy Efficiency."

Also poinying up was Farallon Capital founder Thomas Steyer and his wife, Kat Taylor ($40 million); thier gift will get them naming rights on a renewable energy center within the instiute to be named the "TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy."

The third gift which, if my math is right, was $10 million was apparently anonymous because the identity of the donor is conspicuously absent from David Baker's write-up in the Chronicle.

According to the Chronicle:

"The new Precourt Institute for Energy will bring together Stanford researchers from various departments who already are developing better solar cells or new ways to make fuel. The financing, most of it from three alumni, also will allow the school to tackle more projects, hire more faculty and train more students interested in the field. ... The institute also will strengthen the Bay Area's lead in the race to develop sources of power that won't contribute to global warming."

100 million greenbacks for Stanford energy site [San Francisco Chronicle]