Transcript Most people deal with the small stuff because it*s easier

Special Thanks …
Utah State University
The Italian Place
Dining Services
Crumb Bros. Bread
Ethan Muhs
Energy Revolution !
Jeff Muhs
Executive Director of Energy
Ventures
Utah State University/USTAR
Energy
Imports
Climate
Change
Our energy
challenges call
for a revolution
Resource
Depletion
Oil Price
Shocks
Food
Price
Shocks
70% increase in GHG
emissions since 1970
Climate
Change
Air / water quality
problems &
deforestation
Energy
Imports
U.S. Imports > 60% - often
from unfriendly nations
Our energy
challenges call
for a revolution
Resource
Depletion
Oil Price
Shocks
Food
Price
Shocks
$4 gas
in 2008
36% increase
in 2007
70% increase in GHG
emissions since 1970
Climate
Change
Air / water quality
problems &
deforestation
U.S. Imports > 60% - often
from unfriendly nations
Energy
Imports
Our energy
challenges call
for a revolution
Resource
Depletion
Oil Price
Shocks
Food
Price
Shocks
$4 gas
in 2008
36% increase
in 2007
“The supply of secure, clean,
sustainable energy is arguably the
most important scientific and
technical challenge facing humanity
in the 21st century.”
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (2006) 103, 15729
Energy
revolution
can occur at
many levels.
Challenges are daunting !
But… most choose to work on the small stuff
Levels Where
Change Can
Occur
Energy R&D Example
Systems
Buildings
Sub-Systems
Lighting
Systems
Components
Electric
Lamps
Processes
Light Emitting
Diodes
Current Govt.
Energy
Initiatives
U.S. SolidState Lighting
Initiative
Relative Risk of
Change to Insiders
High
Low
 Incrementalism , NOT revolution.
Biggest risks to revolution are
NOT technical
Levels Where
Change Can
Occur
Energy R&D Examples
Systems
Transportation Buildings
Solar Energy
Sub-Systems
Self-Propelled, Lighting
Vehicles
Systems
Electricity
Generation
Components
Engines
Electric
Lamps
Solar cells
Processes
Chemical
Storage
Light Emitting
Diodes
Photo-Electric
Effect
Current Govt.
Energy
Initiatives
U.S.
FreedomCar
Initiative
U.S. SolidState Lighting
Initiative
U.S. Solar
America
Initiative
Relative Risk of
Change to Insiders
High
Societal,
Socio-Technical,
Political,
Organizational,
Institutional,
Personal,
Programmatic Risk
Low
 Risk-averse, “evolutionary”
thinking
Addressing known needs and problems with new scientific
knowledge, materials and processes.
Existing Need
“evolutionary” ideas
More efficient light bulbs
New light emitting diodes
More efficient, cheap solar cells New photoelectric
conversion devices
Self-propelled cars and trucks
Plug-in electric vehicles and
requiring less or no oil
hydrogen-powered cars
More drought tolerant crops
Genetic engineering of
grown in less fertile soil
traditional crop feed stocks
We need REVOLUTION
not evolution
Intuitive Lighting
R&D Challenge: Real-time scene interpretation, task
identification, and predictive lighting control
Algae Biofuels
medium
R&D Challenges: Methods to improve sunlight use,
algae yield, and dewatering / drying
Answers often come from strange places
Great Salt Lake algae strains
grow best in high pH and
salinity environments.
Temperature, CO2,
nutrient, and light
controlled reactors
Adaptive
Solar Energy
Systems
R&D Challenge: Optical “switchyards” that redirect
sunlight based on real-time needs in buildings
Wireless Hybrid
Electric Vehicles
Integrates energy, vehicle,
highway, communication
infrastructures .
Addresses all 8 problems of
current system:
petroleum use, energy price
shocks, carbon emissions, air
pollution, congestion, fuel costs,
labor, and accidents.
ECONOMIC IMPACT: Trillions in
potential savings; enable GDP
growth rivaling that derived from
Interstate Highway System.
R&D Challenge: Wireless energy transfer
from electric highways to moving vehicles
Common traits of revolution
• Outsider  often a young novice
• Resisted by entrenched insiders  usually old experts
• New thinking and “disruptive” innovations
• Old ideas made possible by new technology
Keys to success:
• A good idea
• The 8 “P’s”: People, Purpose, Passion, Patience,
Persistence, Partnerships, Politics, Perseverance
We need a new generation of
revolutionaries with big ideas
• Look beyond today 
• envision what future energy systems might consist of
• pursue opportunities for bringing entirely new core
capabilities to energy systems.
• Create new paradigms and R&D pathways
• Develop functioning, interdisciplinary teams
• Impact our energy future at a higher level
We need you!
Lynsey Talbot
Student Researcher
Utah State University
Natural Gas Drilling
Uintah Basin Evaporation Ponds
Uintah Basin
Lab Setup
Biodiesel
Kevin Shurtleff
PhD, MBA
New Energy Entrepreneur
Member, USTAR Technology
Outreach Team
Kevin Shurtleff
PhD, MBA
New Energy Entrepreneur
Associate Director, Eastern Utah,
USTAR Technology
Outreach
Energy is Important to
Utah
Utah is Important to
Energy
Oil and Gas - Enhanced Oil Recovery
Oil & Gas Fields
*
*
Source: Department of Energy
Source: Southwest
Regional Partnership
In-situ Vapor Extraction
Mountain West Energy
Source: Mountain West Energy
Coal - Low cost electricity
Coal Resources
*
*
Source: Deseret Generation and Transmission
Source: Southwest
Regional Partnership
Clean Coal - Gasification
Source: University of Utah Institute for Clean and Secure Energy
Clean Coal - Underground Gasification
Source: Partha Das Sharma
Deep Saline Aquifers
CO2 Sequestration
Dr. BJ McPherson and Associates
$88mm federal grant
$30mm to be spent in UT
*
*
Source: Southwest
Regional Partnership
Oil Shale, Oil Sands, Uranium
Source: Idaho National Laboratory
Source: Utah Geological Survey
Oil Shale
OSEC - White River Mine - Uintah Basin, Utah
Source: OSEC
Wind
First Wind - Milford, Utah
Wind Resource (50 m)
*
*
*
Source: National
Renewable Energy
Laboratory
Source: First Wind
*
Geothermal
Raser Technologies - Beaver, Utah
Geothermal Resource
*
*
*
*
Source: Raser Technologies
Source: National
Renewable Energy
Laboratory
Conventional Nuclear Power
Blue Castle - Green River, Utah
Advanced Nuclear Power
Fusion Energy - USU - Dr. Farrell Edwards
Fuel Cells ?