On April 13-14, WashU, SLU, Missouri S&T, and Ameren co-hosted the Sustainable Energy Future Conference, which featured dynamic presentations and dialogue about the future of low- and no-carbon energy. The conference was attended by over 200 people from businesses, government, higher education, and community organizations.
The conference explored sustainable energy in four topic areas: utility industry energy production, transportation sector, energy innovations in urban development, and energy policy.
Overall, the sessions highlighted how rapidly the energy landscape is already changing and the critical need to accelerate the transition to low- and no-carbon energy systems in order to meet international climate change targets. The energy field is ripe with opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving, and all sectors have a role to play.
The two keynote speakers, Mark Jacobson of Stanford and Greg Wilson of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, outlined a vision for a renewable energy future. Jacobson presented a roadmap for transitioning all 50 states and 139 countries to 100% wind, water, and solar power by 2050. Wilson discussed the challenges and opportunities to significantly scale-up solar photovoltaic energy production globally. His presentation included the state of solar technology R&D, historical cost trends and projections, and the importance of energy storage to achieve high percentages of solar energy production.
The conference presentations can be viewed online at: http://sefconf.mst.edu/speakers/