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Rethinking
Power
How can we power our 21st- Credit: sxc.hu
Because energy systems are so inherently
century world while leaving complex, however, individuals from myriad
behind minimal waste and of areas of expertise must convene in order
pollution? For too many years, humans to efficiently pursue research and policy
have been following the same recipe – change.
dig, burn, bury, repeat. For some time,
policy makers and researchers have been To encourage these collaborations, Stanford
considering methods to convert energy established the Precourt Institute for Energy
into useable forms without compromising (PIE), which will become the overarching
our environment and national security. organization dedicated to energy research
In recent years, unpredictable swings in at Stanford. Donations totaling over $100
energy prices and increased geopolitical million brought this institute to life, with
uncertainty have drawn wider attention the hopes that collecting a critical mass
on the questions surrounding energy use. of interdisciplinary researchers will greatly
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ETHICS + POLICY
facilitate basic energy research as well as the solve difficult problems. Orr’s list of Stanford
dissemination of innovative ideas. faculty members already involved in energy
research across campus includes over 130
PIE’s mission is to foster the development faculty distributed across twenty-one
of advanced energy technologies that will departments. To complement these research
allow us to live our modern-day lives while groups, $25 million of the establishing PIE
still protecting the environment. Though donation will be used to hire new faculty,
Stanford already spends $30 million annually “filling in gaps” by adding expertise in
on research dedicated to sustainability and additional energy research areas. From
clean energy, this new initiative will serve as the physics department to mechanical
a parent institute tying together a number engineering and materials sciences, and
of related entities currently present on even the medical school, many labs will have
campus. important roles to play in this endeavor.
Credit: sxc.hu
projects investigating many aspects of interested and excited and anxious to figure
sustainable energy production – from out a way to contribute.” To facilitate student
solar energy and biomass conversion research, another $20 million will be set
technologies, to the study of new aside for twenty Stanford Interdisciplinary
materials and design for batteries and fuel Graduate Fellowships, designed to support
cells, to innovations in nanotechnology. graduate students for up to three years of
Founded in 2002, GCEP sought ways their career at Stanford. These fellowships
to reduce the environmental impact of will allow talented graduate students to
energy technologies, including reducing work on projects of their choice, even if
greenhouse gas emissions in cost-effective this research spans a number of traditional
and sustainable ways. GCEP will now research boundaries or departments.
become part of PIE, as will another Stanford For example, a student wanting to study
center created in 2006 – the Precourt fundamental materials science that might be
Energy Efficiency Center (PEEC), which aims associated with energy conversions could
to increase energy efficiency by targeting just as easily hail from engineering, chemical
buildings, transportation systems, energy engineering, electrical engineering,
policy, and people’s everyday behaviors. physics, applied physics or any number of
other departments. Orr notes, “There are
PIE as a whole will focus on all aspects of a lot of interesting problems sitting in the
energy issues – from basic research to local boundaries. We want to make it possible for
Credit: sxc.hu
and national policy suggestions. In short, people to work across those boundaries.”
Orr sees PIE as a way to “bring together the
groups of faculty and students and research Orr’s role as director involves collaborating
that are related to energy ... and to make it with department heads and the university
possible to do some things together that administration in order to determine the
best mix of faculty and graduate students to
”We need to take a
go beyond what we are all trying to do
individually.” facilitate energy research at Stanford. As part sustained look at how
of this process, he enjoys the opportunity to
People Power see what is going on in many different labs we humans interact
across campus. “A job like this one gives me
A primary focus of the new Institute will
be to attract top faculty, postdoctoral a mandate to learn about all the talented with the planetary
researchers and graduate students to
tackle energy issues across a number of
people and the research areas that I didn’t
know as well,” says Orr. “What I really hope
systems, because
different disciplines. Given that energy to do is to unleash the talents of a bunch of
people who are smarter than I am. So I’m
humans are now a
conversion and use is an inherently
interdisciplinary topic, PIE wants to ensure just excited about working with a bunch of global force.” – Lynn
really great people.”
that top researchers from diverse scientific
backgrounds continue to come together to Orr
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