Headlines & News

Offshore Wind Development in the US: Harnessing Public and Private Energy

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:43:00 -0500

With Richard Stuebi, Managing Director at Early Stage Partners and Fellow for Energy and Environmental Advancement at the Cleveland Foundation

Thursday, Dec. 3, 4-5 pm
Boston University School of Management Room 324

Offshore wind development is often a contentious issue in the United States, involving complex interactions among various public and private actors at the local, state, and federal level. Richard Stuebi, Managing Director at the venture capital firm Early Stage Partners and Fellow for Energy and Environmental Advancement at the Cleveland Foundation, will join us to share his experiences working towards an offshore wind development in the Great Lakes, as well as lessons from a career in energy.

At the Cleveland Foundation, Richard is an active force in coordinating private industry with public initiatives to build an advanced energy cluster, with significant attention to the wind industry. In his career he has founded a consultancy advising clean energy start-ups, worked as a commodity trader at Louis Dreyfus, and consulted at McKinsey. An economist by training, his research supported the development of the sulfur dioxide allowance trading provisions of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Richard has degrees from MIT (1984) and Stanford University (1986), where he was advised in his masters thesis by Ben Bernanke.

Richard has over 20 years of experience as an executive, entrepreneur and consultant in the energy industry, with wide knowledge of energy sector participants, activities, economics and regulations, and strong business perspectives on the energy sector’s likely evolution. He blogs weekly at www.cleantechblog.com.

Photo

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:09:00 -0500

Panel Discussion on the United Nations Convention on Climate Change

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:30:00 -0500

Date: December 1, 2009
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: Photonics (8 St. Mary’s St) Room 206

With the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen rapidly approaching, the Boston University Energy Club and theFrederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Futurewill co-host a panel discussion on Tuesday, December 1 2009, at 5pm to discuss the prospects of what might come out of the Copenhagen negotiations, and what is likely to follow. The discussion will feature Prof. Adil Najam, Director of the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, and Prof. Henrik Selin, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Faculty Fellow at the Pardee Center. The session will be moderated by Prof. Nalin Kulatilaka, of BU’s School of Management.

Both Prof. Najam and Prof. Kulatilaka will be traveling to Copenhagen, along with a number of other BU faculty and students, to be at these landmark global climate change negotiations.

The seminar event aims to shed light on the intricacies of this high-stakes negotiation. The implications of the UNFCCC are tremendous, and regardless of whether a binding commitment to reduce carbon emissions is agreed upon in December, the outcome will have far-reaching consequences for every nation involved. The perspectives of both developed and developing nations will be considered, as both will be approaching the negotiating table with vastly different considerations.

Dr. Adil Najam is the Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future and has served as a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), work for which the IPCC was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with Al Gore. His work has focussed extensively on global environmental negotiations, and he has participated as a scholar, an observer and as a negotiator at a range of critical global environmental negotiations. In 2008 he was nominated by the United Nations Secretary General to serve on the United Nations Committee on Development Policy (UN CDP). In 2009 he was awarded one of Pakistan’s highest civil awards, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan. His recent works on global environmental governance include acommentary on the possibility of a “Rio+20″ summit in 2012 and a research paper on measuring the negotiation burden of multilateral environmental agreements published in the journal Global Environmental Politics. Both papers were co-authored with other Pardee Center researchers.

Dr. Henrik Selin, is Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University and Faculty Fellow at the Pardee Center. He has written and focused on the history of global cooperation and policy making on environment and development, trans-Atlantic environmental relations, and regional climate change action in North America. On these issues, he has published journal articles in, among others, Global Environmental Politics, The Journal of European Public Policy, Global Governance, International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Economics and Law, and Ambio. He has a forthcoming book on Global Governance of Hazardous Chemicals which will be published by MIT Press in 2010, and has recently published a co-edited book on Changing Climates in North American Politics: Institutions, Policymaking and Multilevel Governance.

Prof. Nalin Kulatilaka is the Wing Tat Lee Family Professor of Management and Professor of Finance in the School of Management at Boston University. He serves as the co-director of the university’s Clean Energy and Environmental Initiative. His current research interests include the investments in clean technology, economics of business platforms, valuation of early-stage firms, role of energy intermediaries, technology licensing and financial contracting. Professor Kulatilaka has published over 75 papers in scholarly journals, and is the co-author of the book Real Options: Managing Strategic Investment in an Uncertain World( Harvard Business School Press).

The seminar event will be held on Tuesday, December 1 at 5 PM in Photonics (8 St. Mary’s St, Boston) Room 206.This event is open to the public. to seeing you at this important and timely discussion.

The Future of the Oil and Gas Industry: Emerging Challenges, New Realties With Thomas A. Petrie - Vice Chairman, Merrill Lynch – GSM ’70

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:59:08 -0500

Thursday, November 19, 2009, 4:00 p.m.

School of Management Executive Leadership Center, 4^th Floor

Reception and refreshments following presentation

Business casual attire is mandatory at the Executive Leadership Center: (shirts with collar for guys. No jeans, flip flops etc.)

RSVP is required. Send your name to: hgathman@bu.edu

Energy is at the center of our future economic development and national security. As our demand for energy continues to grow, this future will increasingly depend on technological innovation, business model adaptation and structural industry evolution. One thing is certain, the oil and gas industry will continue to play a prominent role across the energy landscape while it seeks to address the future challenges of environmental sustainability and stewardship, the rise of alternative technologies and geopolitical, regulatory and market forces that are driving dramatic change around the world.

With a climate bill working its way through the legislative process in Washington and the Copenhagen Climate Summit just weeks away, we will explore the Future of the Oil and Gas Industry and take the measure of one of the most important issues of our time.

Moderator: Paul McManus

Executive-in-Residence & Lecturer in Globalization, Sustainability, Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship - School of Management

Thomas A. Petrie - Vice Chairman, Merrill Lynch – GSM ’70

Thomas A. Petrie was a co-founder of Petrie Parkman & Co., a Denver and Houston based energy investment banking firm that merged with Merrill Lynch in December 2006. With this transaction, he became a Vice Chairman of Merrill Lynch and a member of its Executive Client Coverage Group. He was a former Managing Director and Senior Oil Analyst of The First Boston Corporation. During his career, Mr. Petrie has been an active advisor on more than $140 billion of energy related mergers and acquisitions, including many of the largest. Among its other assignments, Petrie Parkman has advised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its natural gas initiative, the State of Alaska on gas pipeline options, and the U.S. Department of Energy on the sale of the Elk Hills oilfield.

Mr. Petrie is a past president and member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Petroleum Investment Analysts. He has also served on the Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Board on Oil and Gas Accounting and has delivered a number of technical papers to the Society of Petroleum Engineers on the subjects of petroleum valuation, merger and acquisition trends, and energy policy. He has been interviewed on numerous occasions by Barron’s and has also appeared on “Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser,” “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” CNBC and Fox News.

Mr. Petrie received his MBA from Boston University School of Management in 1970.

11/4/09 - Presidential Lecture: Steve Fludder, VP Ecomagination (GE)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:11:00 -0400

“Green is Green: Ecomagination at GE”

Using examples of environmental challenges and solutions from aviation to

healthcare, from clean energy to residential homes, Fludder will discuss how

GE is helping customers and society embrace a greener, prosperous future.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

4:00 pm – 5:15 pm

Photonics Building Room 206 Auditorium

8 St Mary’s Street, Brookline, MA

Seating is limited! Registration required

via RSVP to energy@bu.edu by Oct. 30

For a brief bio of Steve Fludder, please visit

http://www.bu.edu/energy/newsevents/presidential-lectures/

Hosted by the Boston University Clean Energy and Environmental Sustainability Initiative

The BU Presidential lectures provide a forum to learn from leaders about best practices, leading edge research, and policy and market trends in the fields of clean technology and energy sustainability. Drawing a diverse audience from academia, industry, venture and government, these lectures provide a catalyst for discussion around technology, development, and research requirements that drive market growth and innovation in this vital sector.

10/20/09: The Future of Baseload Power

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:49:00 -0400

The Boston University Energy Club will be facilitating a panel discussion on the future of baseload power. The likelihood of carbon-limiting legislature will cause developed countries to rethink the way we generate round-the-clock electric power. The United States currently generates over 48% of its electricity from coal, but with a price tag attached to CO₂ emissions, the generation mix is likely to change. Development in renewable technologies such as wind and solar will undoubtedly continue to grow, but until large-scale storage solutions emerge, we will be looking largely at the following technologies to provide low-carbon alternatives to traditional baseload power generation:

· Nuclear (Ben Grambau – AREVA)

· Natural Gas (Xenia Razinski – Invar International)

· Clean Coal (Josh Mandell – GreatPoint Energy)

The event will be taking place on Tuesday, October 20, in the Photonics Building (8 St. Mary’s St) in Room 205 at 4 PM. We hope to have an enlightening conversation that will highlight all of these power generation methods.

9/29/09: Energy Efficiency Expert - Hugh Gaasch (NStar)

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:13:46 -0400

BU Photonics Building, 8 St. Mary’s St, Boston, Room 206

Come learn about the financial argument for energy efficiency, the primary tools that are used in energy efficiency and where opportunities exist in the marketplace.

W. Hugh Gaasch is presently the supervisor of engineering for NSTAR’s energy efficiency department. Prior to joining NSTAR Hugh provided engineering-based energy efficiency consulting services for 15 years – holding positions ranging from project engineer to president – serving both utility and private sector clients.

Hugh has conducted energy audits/assessments in hundreds of facilities ranging from large industrial factories to small commercial spaces. Hugh has an extensive background in commercial & industrial energy efficiency, process optimization, data visualization methods, and business operations. Hugh holds a B.S. and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

Using Venture Capital as a Conduit for Early Adoption of Emerging Energy Technology

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:10:06 -0400

Chevron Technology Venture Investments [Thurs Sept 17, 2-3:30pm, BU SMG, 595 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, Room 428]

The Boston University Energy Club is proud to host a speaking engagement by Trond Unneland, PhD, Managing Executive of the Venture Capital business unit of Chevron Technology Ventures. In this capacity, he is responsible for identifying and investing in promising new technology that can deliver a clear competitive advantage and superior financial returns for Chevron.

Mr. Unneland will be explaining the role and benefits of a traditional oil company operating in the venture capital space. In addition, Mr. Unneland will be detailing the investment procedures used by his team and the technologies in which they have invested:

· Oil and Gas - Fuel processing, hydrocarbon processing, separation, catalysis, advanced exploration, downhole processing and communications, deepwater production and development, heavy oil upgrading, sensors, improved production, fuel additives and lubricants, automated production operations, processing facilities and infrastructure

· Emerging / Alternative Energy - Biofuels, renewable energy technologies including solar, wind & wave/current

· Advanced Materials - Nanotechnologies, advanced ceramics and polymers, specialty chemicals and MEMs

The event will take place in the SMG (595 Commonwealth Ave) 4th floor conference room at 2 PM on September 17th. Appropriate attire is requested.

Plans for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:17:31 -0400

Greetings, and welcome to the Boston University Energy Club website!

We have decided upon a new format for the upcoming academic year. In order to best organize our events and dive deep into the many facets of the energy sector, we have chosen to focus on monthly “themes.”

September will be focused on the theme of “smartgrid.” We’ve all seen this subject dominating popular media coverage of the energy space, but this overarching concept deserves further exploration. It is widely believed that we will not reach our future energy goals without updating our transmission infrastructure, but what exactly does it mean for a grid to be “smart”? How will transmission handle the increasing variability that comes with the growth of renewable energy generation? How our grid automatically balance the use of electricity during peak / off-peak hours? Hopefully our events will help to explain these such questions.

October will focus on utility management. We all take for granted the concept of flipping a light switch and receiving an uninterrupted flow of electrons. However, we are aiming to explore the economics of how electricity is managed and regulated by integrated utilities and independent system operators.

Our fall events are currently being scheduled. Please check back soon for details, or sign up for email blasts!

Disrupting the Status Quo in Electricity Management

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:27:44 -0400

The Center for Information and Systems Engineering is sponsoring an event entitled “Disrupting the Status Quo in Electric Energy Management: A Systems Approach to a Sustainable Energy Future” taking place on May 21, 2009.

For registration, a full schedule, and a list of speakers, a link to the official site is below:

http://www.bu.edu/systems/news/special-052109.html

Notes from BU Sustainability Panel

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:11:51 -0400

For those who were unable to attend, several key members of the official Boston University committee (Michael Gevelber, Cutler Cleveland, Gary Nicksa, Liz Lacy, Kelly Dunn) participated in a public panel today, 4/24/09. Their presentations generated some great discussion, a clear sign that sustainability and responsible energy use have become central issues within the Boston University community. President Brown’s $1 million commitment towards sustainability initiatives shows true commitment at the highest level.

Notes from the presentations are available below:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcgrzscw_1cndq42fg

Although Energy Club events may be winding down for the end of the academic year, we hope these important discussions continue. Feel free to email us with any questions, comments or concerns!