Massive transformations in how and where energy is produced and consumed are drastically changing our energy economy. This dynamic energy landscape is challenging government and industry decision makers to formulate a clear path forward. Policy and investment decisions need to balance the use of natural resources with impacts on the environment and local economies. One answer is to stimulate innovative technologies to enable access to increasing supplies of energy as well as more efficient consumption. But doing this requires appropriate policies, incentives and mandates, something that challenges even the most well informed policy makers.

The conference will bring together business, government, academic and other professionals to explore these themes through a series of plenary, concurrent, and poster sessions. Speakers will address current issues and offer ideas for improved policies covering all facets of energy development and use. The conference also will provide networking opportunities for participants through informal receptions, breaks between sessions, public outreach, and student recruitment. There also will be offsite tours to provide a direct and close-up perspective on the region’s dynamic energy landscape.

The 2015 conference will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of the main centers of American energy. The region around Pittsburgh contains a rich history of energy, with the discovery of the Coal Hill seam in 1762, the commercialization of the Drake Oil Well in 1859, and the formation of Westinghouse Electric Company in 1886. Today, the Pittsburgh area is a U.S. leader in energy development and ranks amongst the top 25 employers in energy-related industries. Among other things, it is the center of one of the most active natural gas plays in North America, the Marcellus Shale, and is the locus of the first U.S. nuclear power plants being built in over 30 years. Over the past three decades, Pittsburgh has had a remarkable environmental evolution and has been repeatedly named one of America’s most livable cities. The Pittsburgh region is fortunate to support a diverse mix of energy activities including nuclear, coal, natural gas, and renewables. The region is home to a host of energy businesses, research facilities, industry groups, and worldclass colleges and universities, many of which have active energy centered policy and academic programs. Finally, more than $1 billion per year in government-funded research flows through the region’s academic, corporate and government energy research centers, assuring that new ideas and new technologies constantly emerge.