Spring 2022
Power Talks
Power Talks is a virtual series relating to energy decision-making and policy that is hosted by the Director of the CAES Energy Policy Institute, Dr. Kathleen Araujo. These events are held via Zoom, bringing together leading experts with those who are interested in energy to share timely and relevant insights and engage in discussion. Power Talks are free and open to the public. Zoom links will be provided upon registration. For questions, contact the CAES Energy Policy Institute at epi@boisestate.edu. Registration links for Power Talks are included below for each event. Note: Companion events are also indicated, but will differ from the Power Talks.
Power Talk - Wildfire and Energy Infrastructure Planning
February 24, 2022 – 1pm MT
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- Doug Grafe is the Wildfire Programs Director with the Office of Governor Kate Brown in the State of Oregon. His position was created through SB 762 — comprehensive legislation grounded in the recommendations developed by the Governor’s Council on Wildfire Response. Doug serves as the principal advisor to the Governor on wildfire prevention and will oversee implementation of SB 762, including coordinating activities of the involved state agencies and other entities. He previously spent 17 years at the Oregon Department of Forestry in a variety of positions including stewardship forester, Toledo unit forest manager, fire operations manager, deputy chief of fire protection, and chief of fire protection — a position he has held since February 2015.
- Bill Messner is the Director of Wildfire Mitigation and Resiliency with Portland General Electric (PGE). Since joining PGE, Bill has been the director of several departments including Safety & Health; and Safety, Security & Resiliency. He joined PGE from Southern California Edison Co. (SoCal Edison), where he worked as an attorney specializing in environmental, real properties and local governance law. He later served as director and principal manager of the SoCal Edison Corporate Environmental, Health & Safety Department before joining PGE. Prior to SoCal Edison, Bill worked 12+ years for Exxon Mobil Corporation as an environmental project engineer and an attorney.
- Boone Zimmerlee is the Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator for Deschutes County where he serves as the director of Project Wildfire working with local partners and the greater community in wildfire preparedness. Combined with his Forest Management degree form OSU, his past work experience includes: working for the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management as a wildland firefighter, working on the Tillamook State Forest, consulting work as project manager in restoration and fuels work, Stewardship Forester for ODF involving fire, fuels, forest management, Firewise USA, grant administration and fire planning. He stays involved with fire management as a Fire Behavior Analyst on Incident Management Teams.
Register and receive Zoom link here.
Power Talk - Putin, Nuclear Threats and Strategic Reality
March 3, 2022 – 5pm MT
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- Nuclear policy expert, Christian Kessler, has had a career in the U.S. State Department, spanning nuclear weapons proliferation and conventional arms matters. He was the nuclear expert for the US on the UN Security Council Panel of Experts for the Iran Sanctions Committee. He has also served as the former Director of Export Control & Conventional Arms Nonproliferation Policy with the U.S. Department of State. Mr. Kessler has taught at the University of Washington in Seattle and Stony Brook University in New York. His writings include Verifying Nonproliferation Treaties: Obligation, Process, and Sovereignty.
Register and receive a Zoom link here.
Power Talk - Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, Policy, and Fleet Change
April 27, 2022 – 1pm MT
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- Diane Turchetta is a Senior Advisor to the Join Energy and Transportation office and a Specialist with the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Natural Environment, where she primarily works on transportation and sustainability issues. Diane has been with FHWA for over 20 years in various positions working on a variety of transportation-related air quality matters including energy use, alternative fuels and freight emissions. Before joining the U.S. DOT, Diane worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on fuel-related issues.
- Joseph Britton is the Executive Director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA). Prior to working with ZETA, Joe spent fifteen years in the U.S. Senate, serving as Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), and with Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), serving as a Legislative Assistant. He also served as a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, helping to oversee the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and the Forest Service.
- Nick Nigro is the Founder of Atlas Public Policy. Nick is an expert on alternative fuel vehicle financing, policy, and technology. He has led the development of several complex financial and policy analysis tools, convened large groups of diverse stakeholders nationwide, and managed comprehensive analysis of greenhouse gas mitigation from U.S. transportation. He is a frequent public speaker on advanced vehicle technology and other transportation related energy and environmental issues.
- Britta Gross is the Managing Director of Rocky Mountain Institute’s Carbon Free Mobility Global Program. She focuses on the market-driven strategies, technologies, and policies required to accelerate carbon-free mobility solutions. Britta was formerly the director of advanced vehicle commercialization at General Motors, responsible for the energy strategies, partnerships, and policies required to enable the wide-scale commercialization of battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. She is also currently a commissioner for the Orlando Utility Commission.
Moderator
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- John Gardner is Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering with Boise State University. His research in the applications of control system theory spans a broad range of fields from robotics to smart grids. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed research publications and two textbooks, and he is co-inventor of three U.S. Patents. John serves on the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and is a member of the Committee on Engineering Accreditation for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Idaho and a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Register and receive Zoom link here.
Power Talk - Intraday Markets, Wind Integration and Uplift Payments
May 4, 2022 – 11am MT
- Chiara Lo Prete is Associate Professor of Energy Economics in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Her research integrates economics, optimization and statistics to examine market structures that provide incentives for efficient operation and investment decisions in the electric power sector. Chiara and her research group have focused on the development of mathematical models and application of empirical methods to study cross-product manipulation, emission leakage, market structures to integrate variable energy resources, and the resilience of interdependent natural gas and electric power systems.
Register and receive Zoom link here.
Power Talk - Economic Opportunities and Challenges for Idaho with Carbon Neutral Energy
Thursday, May 19th, 11 am-1:15 pm MT, Co-hosted with the Idaho Chapter of the CleanTech Alliance
Session 1: Changing Conditions in the Natural-Built Environment for Energy, Water and Related Infrastructure (11am MT)
- Steve Hall, Idaho National Laboratory and Boise State University
- Karen Humes, Geography and Geological Sciences, University of Idaho
- Bruce Savage, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Idaho State University
- Moderators: Kathy Araujo, Director, CAES Energy Policy Institute, and Paul Cooperider, Lead, Idaho Chapter of the CleanTech Alliance
Session 2: Industry and Workforce Potential for Carbon Neutral Energy (12:05 pm MT)
- Hope Morrow, Idaho National Laboratory, and Idaho Workforce Development Council, formerly with the Idaho Department of Labor
- Johnny Anderson, Economic Development and Innovation Advisor, Idaho Power
- Adam Scheerer, Talent and Employment Senior Manager, Idaho Power
- Todd Otanicar, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Boise State University
- Eli Bowles, Renewable Energy & Industrial Systems Technology Program, College of Southern Idaho
- Bob Borrelli, Nuclear Engineering, University of Idaho
- Moderators: Kathy Araujo, Director, CAES Energy Policy Institute, and Paul Cooperider, Lead, Idaho Chapter of the CleanTech Alliance
Register and receive Zoom link here.
Panelist Bios
- Johnny Anderson is the Economic Development and Innovation Advisor for Idaho Power. He has over 20 years of experience with Idaho Power in various roles, including natural gas and power trading, power supply operations, compliance, and load and resource balancing operations. Johnny’s diverse company experience creates opportunities for the Economic Innovation and Development department to conceive and promote company and customer solutions.
- Bob Borrelli is Associate Professor in the nuclear engineering program at the University of Idaho. His research interests include advanced fuel cycle analysis and risk assessment. This includes developing methodologies to optimize proliferation resistance and physical protection with the safety and security for the advanced nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear hybrid energy systems modeling and transportation of advanced nuclear reactor components, nuclear cybersecurity and plant modernization, radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) satellite design for deep space missions, and risk assessment of disruptions to the grid. Dr. Borrelli has a B.S. in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, and an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he was also an NRC licensed Senior Reactor Operator at the Leslie C. Wilbur Nuclear Reactor Facility. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering at UC Berkeley, working in high-level nuclear waste management. He completed additional work at The University of Tokyo, and UC Berkeley for post-doctoral research in the field of safeguards, safety, and security.
- Eli Bowles is an Assistant Professor of Renewable Energy and Industrial Systems Technology Trade and Industrial Education (Associate of Applied Science) with the College of Southern Idaho. As the Program Manager for the Renewable Energy Systems Technology program, he trains and prepares students to work in the renewable energy field. He has worked in the renewable energy field since 2010, as a wind turbine technician and technical training specialist for Siemens Energy, and as a solar sales representative for EGT Solar.
- Steve Hall is a Senior Infrastructure Analyst for the Idaho National Laboratory and Lecturer in Economics at Boise State. He earned his master of science in economics at Boise State University, following a bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics with a minor in applied mathematics. Steve’s focus areas include sustainability, localized economic growth, renewable energy, real estate markets, emergence in complex systems, machine learning, data science and engineering, and Python programming. He has completed research projects involving distributed solar networks, real estate valuation, real estate taxation and is currently working on an urban land expansion growth accounting project. He has also presented research to the City of Mountain Home and the Idaho Tax Commission, and is an affiliate of the Energy Policy Institute at Boise State.
- Karen Humes is Professor of Geography and Geological Sciences at the University of Idaho. She has worked for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on space-based geodesy and spacecraft tracking, held a graduate fellowship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in remote sensing, and served as a Post-doctoral Research Assistant at the USDA/Agricultural Research Service Hydrology Lab in Beltsville, MD. Her early research involved field work in remote sensing of land surface characteristics that control land/atmosphere interactions. More recently, she has worked with graduate students in the applications of remote sensing data (both lidar and multispectral data types) for a variety of topics – including characteristics of conifer forests, monitoring snowpack, and an emerging program in planning for renewable energy from wood based-biofuels. She is interested in outreach in climate, energy and geographic education. She became Chair of the Department of Geography in July 2011.
- Hope Morrow is Idaho National Laboratory’s resident Labor Economist, leading workforce development strategy for the lab. Hope comes to INL with vast experience, following her years of service with the Department of Labor in both Idaho and Utah. Hope was appointed to Idaho’s Workforce Development Council by Idaho Governor Brad Little and serves the Council’s Policy Committee Chair. Hope co-chairs Idaho’s Nuclear Contractor Consortium where she leads industry, education partners and leadership to make data driven decisions, especially as it pertains to workforce and economic needs. Hope and the INL team published INL’s first set of workforce projections in 2020 and will continue this practice annually. Hope connects partners across the state and nation on workforce development topics, labor market analysis and strategies.
- Todd Otanicar is Associate Professor and Chair of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at Boise State University. He directs the Thermal Transport and Solar Energy Lab at Boise State where the focus is on developing novel heat and mass transfer solutions for a wide range of applications. The primary application for many of these is in the field of solar energy, including concentrating solar thermal and photovoltaics Dr. Otanicar has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University, a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Kansas. Prior to joining Boise State, he worked at the University of Tulsa, Loyola Marymount University, and GE Aircraft Engines. His research has been supported by NSF, NASA, DOE, ARPA-E, Department of Interior, and industry collaborators.
- Bruce Savage is Professor and Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Idaho State University. His research interests include application of computational fluid dynamics (RANS) to hydraulic structures, physical modeling of hydraulic structures, flood control structures, fish passage and habitat, dams and spillways, and wave energy. Bruce received his Ph.D. from Utah State University in 2002.
- Adam Scheerer is the Talent and Employment Senior Manager for Idaho Power. As a native Idahoan, he graduated from Boise State University in 2003 and has spent his entire career in Human Resources with the last 15 years in various roles at Idaho Power. With a primary focus on recruiting and employee relations, he is currently focused on enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for the company and the larger community.
Power Talk - Carbon Accounting for Forest-based Bioenergy
June 2, 2022 – 2pm MT
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- Bill Moomaw serves on the National Advisory Board for the Union of Concerned Scientists; and is Chair of the Board of Climate Group North America. He is also Professor Emeritus of International Environmental Policy and the Founding Director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at the Fletcher School with Tufts University. He serves on the boards of Earthwatch Institute, Center for Ecological Technologies, and the Consensus Building Institute. He is also the past chair of the Woodwell Climate board.
- Jim McMillan is a Principal Engineer with National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); and Lead for the IEA Bioenergy Task 39. Jim works to advance lignocellulose and algal biorefining science and technology. He has more than 25 years of research experience on biochemical and sugar platform approaches to biomass conversion and integrating the key processing steps of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation/microbial conversion to efficiently and cost-effectively produce biofuels and bio-based chemicals from cellulosic feedstocks. Jim currently leads the NREL Biomass Program’s Separations Development and Applications task.
- Annette Cowie is Principal Research Scientist for Climate with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries in Australia, Lead for IEA’s Bioenergy Task 45; and Adjunct Professor for the University of New England, Armidale. She has a background in plant and soil science, with particular interest in sustainable resource management, indicators of sustainability and resilience, life cycle assessment, and greenhouse gas accounting of the land sector for application in inventory and emissions trading. Her recent research has focused on quantifying and managing climate effects of agriculture and forestry, including through bioenergy and biochar.
- John Sterman is the Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a Professor in the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. He is also the Director of the MIT System Dynamics Group and the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative. John’s research centers on improving decision-making in complex systems, including corporate strategy and operations, energy policy, public health, environmental sustainability, and climate change. John’s work ranges from the dynamics of organizational change and the implementation of sustainable improvement programs to climate change and the implementation of policies to promote a sustainable world.
Register and receive Zoom link here.
Power Talk Roundtable - Geothermal Prospects- Federal Policy, Jobs, and Technology Build-out
June 15, 2022 – 1pm MT
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- Roy Mink is the Principal with Mink GeoHydro, Inc. and the former Director of Geothermal Technologies Program for U.S. Department of Energy (2002-2006). Roy’s technical expertise is in geology, hydrogeology, and geothermal resource characterization. He began his career as a hydro-geologist with the Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology and was associate professor of hydrogeology at Boise State University. Roy also served as research geo-hydrologist for the US Environmental Protection Agency in Las Vegas and was a geothermal energy project manager for the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Will Pettitt is an applied geophysicist with both business and technical management expertise. Will is Executive Director of Geothermal Rising, a non-profit professional association that was established in the U.S.A. in 1972 and today has over 1200 members in 44 countries. Geothermal Rising supports and promotes geothermal energy to a wide audience of government, industry, academia and the general public, through communication of robust research, knowledge and guidance.
- Kathy Araujo is the Director of the CAES Energy Policy Institute, and Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems, Innovation, and Policy at Boise State. She specializes in energy-environmental systems change and resilience. This includes socio-technical aspects of low carbon management, as well as the resilience of critical infrastructure in extreme weather events. Her book, Low Carbon Energy Transitions: Turning Points in National Policy and Innovation (Oxford University Press), examines decarbonization following the 1973 oil crisis, including that with Icelandic geothermal energy. Currently, she evaluates regional diversification strategies in fossil fuel-based economies, and regulatory change in emerging energy markets.
- Jeff Tester is Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems in the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University. He serves as principal scientist for Cornell’s Earth Source Heat project. He is also a Croll Energy Fellow and a Fellow in the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Prior to his appointment at Cornell, Jeff was the H.P. Meissner Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT where he served as Director of MIT’s Energy Laboratory and Director of MIT’s School of Chemical Engineering Practice). His research on geothermal and biomass energy extraction and conversion and environmental control technologies has resulted in over 300 scientific publications and 13 co-authored books.
- Travis McLing is the Energy & Water Lead & Research Scientist with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES). He also serves as the Carbon Storage Lead. He has been working in the field of geology and geochemistry, and is an expert in the fields of geologic mapping, fieldwork, carbon sequestration, geomicrobiology and hydrochemistry. Travis has developed geochemical models to aid in the characterization of CO2 transport at potential storage sites. His primary interest in this field is the study of the geochemical mineralization reactions controlling the fate and transport of carbon dioxide in subsurface environments.
Register and receive Zoom link here.
Power Talk - Consent-based Siting for Nuclear Energy
Date and Time Pending
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- Larry Susskind is the Ford Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning at MIT; the Director of the MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program; and Founder of the Consensus Building Institute. His research interests focus on the theory and practice of negotiation and dispute resolution, the practice of public engagement in local decision-making, and cybersecurity for critical urban infrastructure. His work also includes entrepreneurial negotiation, global environmental treaty-making, the resolution of science-intensive policy disputes, renewable energy policy, water equity in older American cities, climate change adaptation, socially-responsible real estate development and the land claims of Indigenous Peoples. Larry is the author or co-author of 20 books.
- Richard Meserve is the President Emeritus of the Carnegie Institution for Science; and former Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He is senior counsel in the Washington, D.C., office of Covington and Burling, LLP. In addition to serving as co-chair of the Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee, he formerly served as a member of the U.S. Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board. Richard has been actively involved in the recovery from the Fukushima accident as an executive adviser to the Japanese Nuclear Risk Research Center and as an international adviser to the Japanese Nuclear Regulatory Authority.
- John Kotek is Senior VP of Policy Development & Public Affairs for the Nuclear Energy Institute; and former Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy with the U.S. DOE. John is responsible for providing policy and public affairs leadership on financial, economic, tax, electricity market and environmental issues related to the nuclear energy industry. Under the Obama Administration, John was appointed principal deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. DOE of Nuclear Energy and later nominated to serve as assistant secretary for nuclear energy. In that role, he was responsible for DOE’s research efforts on nuclear energy systems, maintaining the government’s nuclear energy research infrastructure, establishing a path forward for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste management program and a host of other national priorities.
Register and receive Zoom link here.
Power Talk – Tribal Energy Decision-making and Development
Date and Time Pending
Development Prospects & Jobs
Decisions on Energy Resilience & Salmon with the Lower Snake River Dams