The Challenge of Developing Carbon-free Energy: How Fast Can It Grow?
August 22, 2008
CU-Boulder, Old Main Chapel
3:30 - 5:30 pm

21st Century energy discussions are usually focused on issues associated with energy demand/cost, availability/security of energy supplies, or environmental concerns. A key unknown in these discussions is the rate at which low carbon energy technologies can be developed and deployed. This panel will explain/address the following issues:

• the magnitude of the challenge to produce carbon-free energy and the rate that specific industries need to grow to meet this challenge;
• recent projections regarding the ability of renewable energy and energy efficiency to meet the low carbon energy challenge;
• the power of entrepreneurship and private investment to spur rapid growth of low carbon energy technologies;
• practical challenges to developing large scale renewable energy projects;
• the ability of carbon capture and storage to produce low carbon energy from fossil fuels;
• the potential and challenges for growth of the nuclear energy industry;  
• the potential and challenges for growth of the biofuels industry.

Presentations:

• Carl Koval (Director, University of Colorado Energy Initiative), "The Arithmetic of Carbon-free Energy"
• Charles Kutscher (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), "Growth of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency"

Panel Discussion Members:

• Paul Jerde (Leeds School of Business, CU-Boulder), "The Roles of  Entrepreneurship and Clean-Tech Investment"
• Craig Mataczynski (Renewable Energy Systems, Americas), "Large-scale  Renewable Energy Projects"
• Dag Nummedal (Colorado School of Mines), "Carbon Capture/Sequestration  and Nuclear Energy"
• Bruce Oreck (Founder, Zero Carbon Initiative), “Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Homes and Businesses”
• Alan Weimer, (Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels), “Conversion of Biomass to Fuels and Other Chemicals”

Moderator: Stein Sture (Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate School,
CU-Boulder)

This panel is part of the "Meeting the Global Energy and Climate Challenge" Symposium which is being held on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus August 22-23, 2008. For a full schedule of the campus event venues and times click here.

For more energy and climate-related events held in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention, please click here.