EGI Director and Professor of Chemical Engineering Dr. Milind Deo spoke about the current state of the hydrocarbon energy sector at the Traditional Energy Landscape breakout session.
In this panel, leading scientists, industry professionals, and government experts explored the current state of the hydrocarbon energy sector, as well as the latest hydrocarbon research and technology and its potential for enhancing production, improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and better integrating hydrocarbons with renewable energy sources.
Principal Investigator of The Utah FORGE Project Dr. Joe Moore, spoke during the Geothermal breakout session. Geothermal technologies offer vital energy solutions that are available around the clock with minimal environmental impact. However, these resources currently meet only a fraction of both U.S. and global energy demands. In this panel, experts from the scientific community and industry discussed the rapid advancements in geothermal exploration and technology, including enhanced geothermal systems.
Dr. Masood Parvania, Director Utah Smart Energy Laboratory at the University of Utah, spoke on the Electronic Transmission Resilience and Expansion panel. The electric transmission system has served reliably for over a century. However, it is now under growing strain—threatening to hinder affordable economic growth. Addressing the rising demand for electricity will require a combination of strategies: evolving electric markets to better optimize system use, streamlining permitting processes, identifying innovative funding mechanisms for capacity expansion, while enhancing grid safety, reliability, and resilience. In this panel, experts shared their insights on the actions needed to ensure transmission remains a cornerstone of our electric future.
Dr. Kody Powell, Associate Professor at the University of Utah, spoke on local energy needs during the Efficiency, Affordability, Access, & Reliability breakout session. Meeting local energy needs necessitates satisfying the following criteria: efficiency, affordability, access, and reliability. This panel discussed practical solutions, with an emphasis on timelines, resource availability, challenges, and opportunities. The goal was to ensure that attendees leave the event equipped with actionable insights and recommendations that will move Utah forward in advancing its energy initiatives.
