State of Idaho with a river flowing into a circle around the state

Idaho Community-engaged Resilience for Energy-Water Systems

Welcome to
I-CREWS

Idaho Community-engaged Resilience for Energy-Water Systems (I-CREWS) is a $24 million NSF EPSCoR research project that aims to address the impact of climate, population, and technological change on energy-water (E-W) systems.

Welcome Document
Seed Funding Opportunity
Annual Meeting 2024
The rushing water of the Spokane River moving through the Post Falls Dam in Idaho.
Sunrise and power lines in Boise, Idaho
Irrigation equipment on a farm in Idaho.
The Lucky Peak reservoir near Boise, Idaho. The water in the reservoir is depleted during a drought year.

Why is this research important?

Water and energy systems rely upon one another. In Idaho, water generates more energy through hydropower than other sources (e.g., natural gas, wind, solar). Energy is needed for many uses, including irrigating crops and delivering water to humans. But drought and climate change limit water availability. Idaho will need to balance its demands on these two interdependent resources as the state’s population increases, technology advances and community priorities evolve.

Collaborators

Researchers from University of Idaho, Boise State University, Idaho State University, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the Shoshone Bannock Tribes are leading the award in collaboration with utility companies, state and federal government agencies, and Idaho cities and counties. Researchers will work to identify energy and water use strategies that will be resilient to Idaho’s changing needs, based on ongoing feedback from communities.

View Collaborators & Participants Component Teams
  • University of Idaho
  • Boise State University
  • Idaho State University
  • Coeur d’Alene Tribe
  • Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
  • College of Southern Idaho
  • Lewis-Clark State College
  • College of Western Idaho
  • Center for Advanced Energy Studies
  • Idaho STEM Action Center
  • Idaho Power
  • Idaho Consumer Owned Utilities Association
  • Idaho Department of Water Resources
  • Idaho National Laboratory
  • Avista Utilities (Spokane, WA)
  • Nez Perce Tribe
  • Shoshone-Paiute Tribe

Kathy Araujo
Director of the Energy Policy Institute

Brittany Brand
Associate Professor, Department of Geoscience

Sophia Borgias
Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Programs

Lan Li
Associate Professor, Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering

Reshmi Murkhajee
Associate Professor, Humanities and Cultural Studies

Brianne Philips
Research Communications Specialist

Donna Llewellyn
Exec Director, Institute for Inclusive & Transformative Scholarship

Michael Perlmutter
Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics

Mojtaba Sadegh
Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering

Brian Wampler
Professor, Political Science

Jared Talley
Faculty, Environmental Studies

Carolina Viera
Associate Professor, Spanish

Matthew Williamson
Assistant Professor, Human-Environment Systems

Colden Baxter
Professor, Biological Sciences

Vince Bowen
Exec Director/Chair, Energy Systems Technology & Education Center

Morey Burnham
Program Director/Assistant Professor of Sociology

Ben Crosby
Professor and Department Chair, Geosciences

Kitty Griswold
Research Administrator

Laticia Herkshan
Tribal Scholar/Undergrad Advisor & Mentor in Geosciences

Leslie Kerby
Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, Computer Science

Sonia Martinez
Director, UG Research & Outreach, Research Integrity & Compliance

Keith Weber
Director, GIS Training & Research Center

Elizabeth Redd
Assistant Professor, Director of American Indian Studies

Bruce Savage
Professor and Department Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Lilian Alessa
Professor, Co-director of the Center for Resilient Communities

Bob Borrelli
Associate Professor, Nuclear Engineering

Erin Brooks
Professor, Agriculture Engineer, Dept. of Soil & Water Systems

Leigh Cooper
Strategic Content Manager and Science Writer

Karla Eitel
Director, McCall Field Campus/Professor of Environmental Education

Dylan Hedden-Nicely
Associate Professor of Law/Director, Native American Law Program

Katherine Himes
Director, McClure Center for Public Policy Research

Brian Johnson
Distinguished Professor, Endowed Chair in Power Engineering

Kanghyun Lee
Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture

Roger Lew
Associate Professor, Virtual Technology & Design

Erich Seamon
Research Scientist, Institute for Modeling, Collaboration, and Innovation

Tim Link
Professor of Hydrology; Director, Water Resources Graduate Program

Luke Sheneman
Director of Research Computing and Data Services

Brian Smentkowski
Professor of Political Science, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Alistair Smith
Professor and Chair, Department of Earth & Spatial Sciences

Terry Soule
Professor and Chair, Department of Computer Sciences

Shanny Spang Gion
Visiting Tribal Scholar, College of Natural Resources

Kristopher Waynant
Assistant Professor and Office of Undergraduate Research Director

Laura Laumatia
Environmental Program Manager, Coeur d’Alene Tribe

Sammy Matsaw, Jr
Research Scientist in Fish and Wildlife, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

Bill Ebener
Adjunct Faculty, Agriculture, College of Southern Idaho

Keegan Schmidt
Professor of Earth Science, Lewis Clark State College

Stephanie Sevigny
PUI Liaison/Adjunct Physics Instructor, College of Western Idaho

Nancy Johnston
Associate Professor, Chemistry, Lewis Clark State College

College instructor assisting electrical engineering students. Close view of mature female educator standing between early 20s classmates and offering guidance as they work on project.

Workforce Development

I-CREWS emphasizes workforce development and student training through community-engaged courses and projects. These initiatives, co-created with community members, address issues related to energy-water systems, fostering a high-context and impactful learning environment.