IU conference sets stage for developing energy research agenda
Government officials and business leaders presented a consistent message to Indiana University faculty members and administrators last week: IU, they said, can play a key role in conducting research to help Indiana and the nation develop sound energy policies and technologies.
"This is a critically important niche that the university is uniquely positioned to fill," said John Clark, former director of the state Office of Energy and Defense Development and currently an adjunct faculty member at the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Photo by Chris Meyer
John Clark, former director of the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development, speaks during an IU energy research conference.
More than 200 faculty members and staff from all IU campuses participated in the conference, which took place Thursday at IU Bloomington and Friday at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. IU officials planned the conference to start formulating a comprehensive energy research plan.
Hosted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at IU Bloomington and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at IUPUI, the conference began with a series of talks and panel discussions to identify energy challenges.
"Participation in this conference speaks highly of our university's strengths and the great potential here for interdisciplinary collaboration," said Vice Provost for Research Sarita Soni. "As we move forward, Indiana University is well poised to serve as a test bed, a living laboratory for applied energy research."
Day two included intense deliberations by nine working groups centered on the issues outlined the previous day. Kody Varahramyan, IUPUI vice chancellor for research, encouraged participants to identify strategic opportunities and suggest areas for providing resources to advance IU's energy research efforts.
Conference speakers included IU President Michael A. McRobbie; Paul Sokol, IU Bloomington professor of physics and director of the IU Cyclotron Facility; and Rick Stevens, associate laboratory director at Argonne National Laboratory.
Photo by Chris Meyer
Sarita Soni (left), IU Bloomington vice provost for research, chats during a break with J.C. Randolph, professor and director of the IU Center for Research in Energy and the Environment.
McRobbie welcomed participants, pointing to the creation last year of the Center for Research in Energy and the Environment, the establishment of an IU Bloomington Office of Sustainability and other developments as evidence of IU's commitment to energy research. He also referred to President Barack Obama's announcement in Indiana last week of a $2.4 billion grant to develop fuel-efficient vehicles and Energy Secretary Steven Chu's launch of a U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center.
"Our shared goal, whether we are working in Indiana, China, or any number of places, is to solve what the Department of Energy calls the grand challenge of sustainable energy, and that is truly a global challenge," McRobbie said.
U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind., talked about the importance of reliable and impartial information for making legislative decisions, such as his support for the American Clean Energy and Security Act, approved by the House in June and awaiting action by the Senate. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Hill was lobbied heavily by supporters and opponents of the bill, which establishes a cap-and-trade system for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.
"Indiana University is a gold mine of information for me," he said. "I use it all the time."
Business leaders highlighted new technologies being developed for energy production and distribution -- including "clean coal" technology and methods for capturing and storing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas produced by burning coal. Current and former state officials discussed policymakers' need for reliable data, which IU researchers can provide.
State Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, said state legislators have no staff to conduct research on issues, so they rely on information provided by advocacy groups and lobbyists. That's especially true in the area of energy, he said, where the focus has been largely on supporting the state's coal industry and keeping utility costs low.
David Pippen, senior adviser to Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, said the state has focused on developing a variety of "home-grown" energy sources -- not only coal, but also ethanol and wind.
"The world has changed on energy. It's managing that change that we're grappling with," Pippen said. "If we're going to have people working together to get things accomplished, it's got to be data-driven."
