KU Energy Council chair joins Interior Secretary for U.S. Chamber of Commerce discussion

The KU Energy Council recently participated with top Washington leaders in a half-day panel discussion called “A Dialogue on Energy Security with America’s Business Leaders” at the U.S Chamber of Commerce.

Laurence Weatherley, professor of chemical and petroleum engineering and chair of the KU Energy Council, was asked to participate in the event by energy expert Susan Eisenhower, who visited KU in March as part of her eight-city energy tour. The goal of the tour was to learn about the nation’s energy and energy transmission needs in the first 100 days of the new administration and then bring those results back to Washington, D.C.

“I am a big fan of field trips, and I am excited to bring an energy perspective to Washington from those working outside of the beltway,” Eisenhower said at the event.

Key speakers at the event included U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar; U.S. Sen. and chair of the U.S. Senate Republican Conference Lamar Alexander; House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; and Eisenhower.

The day’s events kicked off with Salazar highlighting the United States’ need for a comprehensive energy plan. In his remarks, he highlighted the three drivers contributing to the “new energy economy” — national security, environmental security and economic opportunity. Alexander also discussed the energy gap between the development of renewable energy and the use of inexpensive existing resources. Hoyer discussed the three priorities of the new administration — the economy, health care and energy. Finally, Eisenhower showcased what she had learned during her eight-city tour about energy and transmission needs.

A panel discussion was held after each keynote address, giving panelists and the audience a chance to raise additional points and present questions to each keynote speaker. After Eisenhower’s address, Weatherley was joined by Oklahoma Secretary of Energy Robert Wegener and CEO of West Virginia Media Bray Cary.

Weatherley highlighted the innovations in energy technology being developed by KU as well as other universities around the country. He used the KU Transportation Institute’s “Feedstock to Tailpipe” concept to highlight the interdisciplinary work in energy going on at KU. Finally, he discussed the importance of higher education in the development of a workforce prepared to address the emerging energy needs of the 21st century — a fact that was later reinforced by the events moderator Karen Harbert, CEO of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, who highlighted the need for the creation of “intellectual feedstock” to maintain the United States’ competitive advantage worldwide.

The KU Energy Council is the primary coordinating unit of energy-related research and educational activities at KU. The council’s objectives include elevation of the importance of energy within the research and educational mission of KU; cross-discipline collaboration in the research and development of new innovations in the capture and use of energy; and the application of these innovations in industry settings that will ultimately benefit the state of Kansas.