John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
The Stanford Forum on the Science of Energy Transition held on April 10 at Stanford University brought together experts from various fields to discuss the challenges and innovations in transitioning to clean energy at a rapid pace.
Robert Wallace, the CEO of Stanford Management Company, emphasized the importance of informed decision-making in the energy transition, stating, "Instead, the paths we choose must be informed by science."
Arun Majumdar, the dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, highlighted the necessity of implementing a price on carbon to effectively address climate change, stating, "If we’re serious about addressing climate change, we’ve got to have a price on carbon."
Anthony Kovscek, a professor at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, discussed the role of electrification in the future energy landscape, noting, "Our challenge is to think that the future is electrification, but that doesn’t mean that electrons are going to do everything for us directly."
Eric Toone, from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, emphasized the potential of hydrogen as a versatile energy source, stating, "Hydrogen is pure, reactive chemical energy. If you have enough hydrogen, you can do anything."
Zara Summers, the chief science officer at LanzaTech, highlighted the importance of cost parity and flexible policies in scaling up clean energy solutions, stating, "If you’re going to go big, you have to be at cost parity or better."
Chris Field, the director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, discussed the potential co-benefits of utilizing low-tech solutions like enhanced weathering to remove carbon from the atmosphere, stating, "It really highlights where you can potentially accomplish these big co-benefits that can make something that’s a real challenge logistically or financially come into the realm of possibility."
Steven Chu, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, emphasized the role of new materials in driving global changes, stating, "As a physicist, when I stand back and look at things: What really changed the world? New materials are actually what changed the world."
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