An energy research project on Milwaukee's north side will seek to boost Wisconsin's energy and power cluster while giving businesses another reason to consider relocating to the former home of Tower Automotive and Eaton's technology center.

One element of the city's Century City development would be an industrial-scale microgrid that is being studied by We Energies and the research arm of the electric power industry, the Electric Power Research Institute.

A key goal: Prevent the brain drain in the energy/power sector that the mining industry has experienced with the shift of local engineering jobs to Tucson, Ariz.