Energy Crossroads: Stanford March 1-3: Thomas Friedman, James Woolsey, others
Feb 14, 2007 (From the CalCars-News archive)

Energy Crossroads: Building a Coalition for a
Clean, Seecure, and Prosperous Energy Future
March 1-3 at Stanford University.
This conference is open to the public and free
for faculty and students (from any institution) and Stanford staff.
Our car will be at the Thursday 4-6PM Expo, and
some of the speakers are likely to reference PHEVs.
Info and registration at http://www.energycrossroads.org

Description and agenda follow:

Decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels is the
defining challenge of our nation, our world, and
our generation. Shifting geopolitical and
environmental realities are creating a unique
opportunity for a revolution in the way we
produce, consume, and think about energy
resources. The complementary strategies of
diversifying our mix of low-emitting energy
sources and improving our energy efficiency are
critical economic, environmental, and
geopolitical goals—in many ways they are
lynchpins upon which our common dreams depend.

Meeting our energy challenge will require a
coalition including policymakers in all levels of
government, non-governmental organizations,
engineers, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders,
academics, and student activists. Driven by their
particular concerns for the environment, economic
growth, and national security, there are a
growing number of energy-oriented groups. Too
often, these groups work in isolation unaware of
each other’s presence, resources, and reach.
Other times, they have had insignificant means to
resolve their differences. Increasingly, these
groups are understanding the advantages of
working as a coalition and are eager to
participate. Energy Crossroads is dedicated to
promoting this coalition by convening a major
conference of relevant stakeholders.

Thursday, March 1, 2007
noon-4pm Career Fair at White Plaza
Cleantech companies will have a chance to recruit
employees and interns in a specially designated
“Energy” section of the BASES Entrepreneurship
Expo, BASES’ largest career fair of the year for startups.

4pm-6pm Clean Tech Expo at Oak Lounge, Tressider Student Union
Various companies and labs will display cleantech
technology to the conference attendees and the
Stanford campus. [Our PHEV and other cars.]

7:00pm Opening Address & Remarks at Kresge Auditorium
Opening address by R. James Woolsey, former head of the CIA, with remarks by:
* Ralph Cavanagh, Senior Attorney and Co-Director
of the Energy Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council
* John Denniston, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Beyers
* Dr. Steve Chu, Director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Friday, March 2, 2007
8am-9:45am Panel I: “Clean Energy Solutions:
Setting Priorities” at Memorial Auditorium
As we find ourselves at the energy crossroads,
there is much debate about which technologies
will comprise our future energy mix and where
research and subsidy dollars should go. This
panel compares three main electricity options for
reducing carbon emissions: nuclear, clean coal,
and renewables, alongside improvements in
transportation, including electric vehicles, bio-fuels, and public transit.
* Moderator: Erik Straser, Partner, Mohr Davidow Ventures
* Mark Delucchi, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis
* Burton Richter, Nobel Laureate and Professor
Emeritus, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
* Jeff Goodell, Author, Big Coal, contributing editor, Rolling Stone

10:15am-11:45am Panel II: “Making Renewables and
Energy Efficiency Competitive” at Memorial Auditorium
Private-sector investment by large energy
corporations, cleantech entrepreneurs, and
venture capitalists has played a crucial role in
advancing clean energy technologies. Public
policies and regulations, in turn, have largely
shaped the cleantech business environment. This
panel will feature the perspectives of corporate
strategists, venture capitalists, and
policymakers in an attempt to reconcile private
sector and regulatory efforts to drive cleantech to the forefront.
* Moderator: John Weyant, Director, Stanford Energy Modeling Forum
* Ira Ehrenpreis, General Partner, Technology Partners
* David Gottfried, Founder, U.S. Green Buildings Council
* Jeff Byron, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
* TBD, Pacific, Gas, & Electric Company

1pm-2:30pm Keynote Address at Memorial Auditorium
Introduction by President John L. Hennessy
"Green is the New Red White and Blue"
Thomas L. Friedman, New York Time Columnist,
three-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist

3pm-4:45pm Panel III: “Clean Technology on
the International Frontier” at Cubberley Auditorium
Changing the global energy landscape will require
profitable business models that span political
boundaries, ensuring a consistently competitive
marketplace. In this session, panelists will
discuss the challenges and opportunities of the
international energy industry,including:
- Taking a clean energy company global
- International technology transfer, especially intellectual property issues
- Future geopolitical impacts on the international energy landscape
* Moderator: David Victor, Professor, Stanford
Law School; Director, Stanford Program on Energy and Sustainable Development
* Eric Heitz, President, The Energy Foundation
* Ellen Pao, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
* Steve Westwell, Group VP, BP Alternative Energy
* Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Global Correspondent, The Ecnonomist

Saturday, March 3, 2007
9:30am-3:00pm "The Roosevelt Energy Challenge" For Students
Energy Policy Competition put on by Roosevelt
Institution's Stanford Chapter. For more
information about the competition, see the
challenge overview and the tentative challenge schedule.