ENME Webcast Archives
TRANSFORMING ENERGY LECTURE SERIES - FALL 2006
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Transitioning to a Sustainable Energy Future
Lecturer: Professor Jefferson Tester - MIT
Original Air Date: Friday, September 15th at 2:00pm
Abstract: Faced with the enormous challenge of providing clean, secure and sustainable energy that is essential to maintaining our social and economic well-being, many argue that the U.S. and other developed countries should be pursuing options more aggressively. There are many reasons why a transition from our current fossil fuel-based energy supply system is needed for the long-term. While renewable energy systems from solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydro sources offer the potential for achieving a more sustainable system, the transition to a renewable energy future has been painfully slow. This seminar will examine both the context and the options for accelerating such a change. Two specific technologies will be explored in detail as examples for understanding the potential and engineering challenges for creating a sustainable energy supply: 1) developments of geothermal energy; and 2) the conversion of biomass for transportation fuels.
