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ENERGY AND NANOTECHNOLOGY: STRATEGY FOR THE FUTURE
Rice University
Hosted by
James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology
Environmental and Energy Systems Institute
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Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
Rice University Initiative on Energy Policy and Nanoscience
In light of repeating oil supply disruptions and emerging environmental pressures, the international energy industry and scientific community are looking to non-conventional solutions to confront our ongoing energy security concerns.
Energy is not just a critical concern to the United States, but also a global one. Among the most important technical challenges facing the world in the 21st century is providing clean, affordable energy, whose supply is sustainable and universally available. A solution to the global energy problem will require revolutionary new technology, as well as conservation and evolutionary improvements in existing technologies.
Advancement of nanotechnology solutions can be an integral component to solving the energy problem. Breakthroughs in nanotechnology open up the possibility of moving beyond our current alternatives for energy supply by introducing technologies that are more efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally sound. The benefits of such technology will not be confined to the United States or the developed world; indeed, its impact will be greatest for the 1.6 billion individuals around the globe, most specifically the poor, who lack access to electricity and other vital energy services.
To address increasing interest in scientific solutions to our monumental energy challenges, the James A. Baker III Institute of Rice University, together with the Rice University Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, and the Rice Environmental and Energy Systems Institute (EESI) have convened a conclave on “Energy and Nanotechnology: Strategy for the Future.” The conference is part of a broader campaign to reinvigorate public interest in the physical sciences. It aims to bring together policy-makers, scientists, opinion-shapers, and business leaders to showcase potentially revolutionary breakthroughs in the energy technology arena.
The conference provides the opportunity for scientists to confer, not only among themselves but also with policy specialists and various experts from other disciplines to examine energy issues from both a policy and technological perspective. The gathering will allow the attendees to examine creative alternatives to the traditional approaches.
A primary goal in convening the conference is to help broaden public understanding of how scientific disciplines such as nanoscience, which can appear to have little bearing on people’s lives, in reality spawn technologies that can have a direct impact. Once concern this conference will address is the potential for technology to help solve the challenge of developing cheaper, more efficient and environmentally sound energy supplies.
The conference is also designed to educate leading nanoscientists about the great technical challenges facing the energy industry today. By bringing together business leaders, policy-makers, media, and scientists, the conference will share knowledge already gained from previous studies and gatherings. Rice University is taking the lead in creating dialogue between nanoscience and energy technology experts to share ideas about potential applications from their arena that could lead to resolving both national and international energy predicaments.
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