Energy Forum by Mitra L. '07

President Hockfield formed the Energy Research Council to “assess the scope of MIT energy research, explore how to best match MIT expertise with global needs and produce a plan for a cohesive initiative to tackle the world’s energy crisis through science, engineering and education.”

During today’s Energy Research Forum, they will present their findings.

The agenda for today is as follows:

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9:00-9:20am
OPENING REMARKS

Susan Hockfield, President, MIT

9:20-9:50am
OVERVIEW OF THE ENERGY RESEARCH COUNCIL REPORT

Professor Ernest J. Moniz, Co-Chair, Energy Research Council

10:00-11:15am
PANEL SESSION I – followed by Q & A

Science and Technology for
a Clean Energy Future

* Yang Shao-Horn – Session Chair
* Emanuel M. Sachs – Renewable/Solar
* Yet-Ming Chiang – Storage
* Gregory Stephanopoulos – Biofuel
* Jeffrey P. Freidberg – Fusion
* Gang Chen – Nanotechnology’s role

11:15-11:30am
MORNING SUMMARY

L. Rafael Reif, Provost, MIT

11:30am-1:00pm
Lunch and MIT Energy Club Poster Presentation

Kresge Lobby

1:00-2:15pm
PANEL SESSION II – followed by Q & A

Improving Today’s Energy Systems

* William H. Green Jr. – Session Chair
* Mujid S. Kazimi – Nuclear
* Robert D. van der Hilst – Subsurface science and engineering, oil and gas exploration and carbon sequestration
* Ahmed F. Ghoniem – Modeling, simulation and energy conversion
* Paul L. Joskow – Electricity systems/policy (I took 14.01 from him!!)
* Stephen Ansolabehere – Public attitudes

2:15-2:45pm
Break

2:45-4:00pm
PANEL SESSION III

Energy for a Rapidly Evolving World

* Henry D. Jacoby – Session Chair
* Ronald G. Prinn – Science and policy of climate change
* Leon R. Glicksman – Buildings
* John B. Heywood – Transportation technologies, fuels and systems
* Karen R. Polenske – China
* Amy B. Smith – Energy in developing areas

4:00-4:30pm
Question & Answer Session

* Moderator – Robert C. Armstrong, Co-Chair, Energy Research Council
* Vladimir Bulovic, Chair, Walk the Talk Subcommittee, Energy Research Council
* David T. Danielson, President, MIT Energy Club
* Susan Hockfield, President, MIT
* Jefferson W. Tester, Chair, Education Subcommittee, Energy Research Council (Sam UROPs for him!!)

5:00-6:30pm
Receptions and Tours

Plasma Science and Fusion Center – Building NW17

Sloan Automotive Laboratory and Electrochemical Energy Laboratories – Building 31

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You can read the Energy Research Council’s entire report HERE

You can watch videos of today’s presentations HERE

In addition to today’s forum presentations, though, there are a whole bunch of other events that address these issues.

For example, next week’s $125K Ignite Clean Energy Competition Finals. Competitors will “make their best pitch of their clean energy business to a panel of investors and other industry experts!” Some of the finalists’ ideas include Phototaxis Solar (solar-panel canopies for parking lots) and Oceanwind Technology, LLC (floating platforms for deep sea wind farms).

“Enjoy that metaphor, by the way, because your grandchildren will have no idea what a glacier is.”

(Well, technically it’s a simile, but who’s counting?)