SAN ANTONIO — EPIcenter, a nonprofit energy innovation hub, is set to host its annual Summit on September 9. This year’s Summit, “Power Trip LIVE!” will be virtual and is based on the book “Power Trip: The Story of Energy” by Michael E. Webber, PhD.
EPIcenter focuses on ways to make the production, distribution and consumption of energy faster, smarter, cleaner and more efficient. The annual Summit is a program of EPIcenter’s think tank and is designed to engage business leaders and interested citizens in energy innovation, evolution and implementation.
“‘Power Trip: The Story of Energy’ describes the history of energy’s interdependence with water, food, transportation, wealth, cities and security,” EPIcenter CEO Kimberly Britton said. “Our 2020 Summit will look at the innovative and forward-thinking technologies, business models and solutions the future holds for these crucial relationships.”
The half-day virtual Summit will feature speakers and energy leaders from across the country with diverse perspectives from their field of expertise. A timely keynote, panel discussions and “TECH Talks” will address topics related to the chapters from Webber’s book (water, food, transportation, cities, wealth and security.)
“I look forward to engaging in meaningful conversations that explore how energy has transformed societies of the past and offers wisdom for today's greatest needs,” Webber said. “We must harness this complex resource to reshape and improve the society of tomorrow.”
Highlights from the agenda of “Power Trip LIVE!” will include a keynote speech from Webber that discusses elements from his book and how history informs the future. Panel discussions and panelists include:
• Wealth, Ingenuity and Security
o Amy Henry, Eunike Ventures (Oil & Gas innovation)
o Tim Carty, EMP Shield (National Security and Grid Security)
• Food of the Future
o Frank Sharp, Electric Power Research Institute (electrified agriculture)
o Lew Moorman, SoilWorks (invests, operates and incubates companies that will power the regenerative agriculture revolution.)
o Steve Kwast, Genesis Systems (lean water systems/irrigation, self-contained systems not requiring energy)
• Community of the Future
o Dan Bowermaster, Electric Power Research Institute (electric vehicle research/trends)
o Bill Pugh, Smart Connections Consulting (smart city trends and technical perspective)
o Angela Lockwood, Itron (using technology as a platform to engage and inform communities to better manage and use energy and water)
The 10-minute TECH-Talk topics include:
• Polar Panel - PolarPanel retrofits existing transport refrigeration units with a renewable solution that has the power to eliminate diesel from this aspect of the cold chain.
• Fleet Energy Resource Management - Fleets will be at the center of transportation electrification in the coming years, both for commercial and passenger vehicles.
• RunWithIt Synthetics - The application of a type of AI called Synthetics to live, city-scale models of people, technology, environment and infrastructure to inform the design, risk, and optimization of interconnected systems facing disruption.
Registration is open for “Power Trip LIVE!,” which is scheduled for September 9 from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. To learn more and register, please visit bit.lyEPIcenterSummit.
