As the flagship campus of the university system, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is looking to make a mark in Massachusetts with clean energy efforts.

The goals were presented to the Faculty Senate at its meeting Oct. 4 by Paul T. Kostecki, vice provost of research and UMass alumnus. He would like to see the campus become a major player and set a standard within the state.

“This is an exciting time for the University. Research activities are growing across the campus, and we are welcoming more high-quality researchers each year,” said Kostecki.

All four UMass campuses have faculty and staff who are currently involved in researching clean energy, and the Amherst campus covers about 85 percent of the current work.

The 30 projects range from solar and wind energy to fuel cells and biofuels.

“We are the 800-pound gorilla in clean energy,” said Kostecki.

Energy applicable microorganism research at the University has already resulted in the formation of SunEthanol in Amherst.

Many of the efforts have been in partnership with the Clean Energy Working Group, which would also be on board for projects to be proposed in the future. The group is currently striving to further inform top state officials.

“We want to make the case to the governor and legislators why the University should be in their forethoughts,” said Kostecki.

In light of all the attention that clean energy has been drawing, Kostecki believes that the more attention it receives, the greater the likelihood to draw in University funding in addition to the pre-existing funds. Governor Patrick has already set aside funds, and last year, the U.S. Department of Energy contributed $1 million. An additional $10 million came from the National Science Foundation.

“We want to help position Massachusetts as a global leader in clean energy,” he said. “We’re well-positioned to lead this, and we’ve got a lot to offer.”

The current panel in charge of the clean energy efforts will give a proposal next month of potential research and study for the future.

Hannah Nelson can be reached at [email protected].