The Future of the Grid: Trends, Strategies, and Evolution

Join the Thayer School of Engineering virtually and hear from three Dartmouth engineers who have spent their professional careers in the energy industry.

Ben Bollinger, Ph.D., ’04 Th’08, Stina Brock ’01 Th’02, and Andrew Jean-Louis ’09 Th’10, will share their perspectives on what lies ahead for the nation’s electrical grid system. Learn about emerging markets, current utility trends, and the role of renewable technologies in the energy ecosystem.

Dartmouth students, staff, and community members can RSVP here to receive Zoom information.

New Energy Series: Michael Craig, “Electric Power in a Changing Climate”

Climate change might impact various components of the bulk electric power system, including electricity demand; transmission; and thermal, hydropower, wind, and solar generators. Most research in this area quantifies impacts on one or a few components and does not link these impacts to effects on power system planning and operations. In his talk, Michael Craig will present his recent collaborations on how climate change will affect bulk power system planning and operations. Those collaborations include quantifying compounding effects of climate change on thermal plant availability, wind and solar resources, and electricity demand in Texas; and optimizing generator investment decisions given atmospheric and hydrological impacts in the Southeast United States.

Michael Craig primarily researches how to reduce global and local environmental impacts of electric power and other energy systems. In prior work, he quantified the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction potential of new technologies, such as rooftop solar, grid-scale batteries, and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). He focuses on system-level analysis to understand the deployment potential and operations of new technologies given the constraints and features of the larger system in which they are embedded. Through system analyses, his research also illuminates how the operations and evolution of energy systems respond to new technologies and other factors, e.g. nonstationary environmental conditions induced by climate change. He loves collaborations with other disciplines, and has worked with economists, climate scientists, and others.

Dartmouth students, staff, and community members can RSVP here to receive Zoom information.

Alumni Sparks: Wendy Hado D’11

This week we welcome Wendy Hado D’11, clean energy associate at CLASP, a leading international voice & resource for appliance energy efficiency policies and market acceleration initiatives.

Wendy is a clean energy associate at CLASP, where she leads initiatives to reduce energy poverty in developing countries by strengthening markets for high-quality off-grid solar products—particularly focusing on household and productive-use appliance technology. She manages the Global LEAP Awards competition, which identifies the world's best off-grid appliances to accelerate market development and innovation. The awards provide information on off-grid appliance quality, suitability, and performance that enable companies, investors, and policymakers to make faster, better-informed decisions regarding off-grid appliances.

Before joining CLASP, Wendy's performed policy analysis, research, and project management in the energy efficiency, environment, and sustainable development fields. She managed energy efficiency projects at the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility to help commercial buildings ratepayers to save energy costs. At the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment, she conducted greenhouse gas emissions accounting to inform the Sustainable DC Plan, District Climate Action Plan, and the 2014 Climate Disclosure Project Global Report.

Wendy holds a BA in anthropology modified with economics from Dartmouth College and an MPH in environmental health science and policy from George Washington University.

Dartmouth students, staff, and community members can RSVP here to receive Zoom information.

Virtual San Francisco Ecosystem Deep Dive

This year’s virtual visit to the Bay Area, is led by the Center for Entrepreneurship and the Revers Center for Energy for the T’22 class. A distinctive component of the Tuck experience is the people. As such, the EDD has three tracks to choose from in order to facilitate a more customized experience and a better sense of community and connection. Programming is organized around mix of individual track company visits, and balances with EDD-wide group events to engage with and connect with peers and alumni.

This year’s programs are scheduled for pre-Tuck Launch Wednesday, July 29 — Friday, July 31 and there will be three tracks to choose from:

1.         Entrepreneurship - This entrepreneurial option immerses students in the Bay Area’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Aimed at giving students an in-depth view into early-stage companies, investments in early-stage companies, and the overall startup ecosystem, this program provides first-year students a jump start on their entrepreneurial exploration and journey. Hear from Bay Area founders, builders and investors across industry and stage. 

2.         Clean Tech - The Clean Tech track will explore themes around innovation in various clean tech sectors including clean energy, sustainable food and products, and impact investing. We will explore themes related to clean tech innovation, regardless of company stage. This track is ideal for students who are interested in the intersection of business, sustainability, and environmental impact in the Bay Area.

3.         Energy - The Energy track is aimed at giving students and in-depth view of the energy ecosystem in the 6th largest economy in the world. California is a leader among U.S. states, and the world, in driving energy innovation. Students will explore a breadth of energy-related companies, roles, and business models across power generation, oil and gas, renewables, and discover ways that non-energy companies are developing and applying sustainable technologies.

The deadline for T’22 students interested in applying is Monday, July 6th. 

Clean Energy Transition and Lessons Learned from the Caribbean with Kaitlyn Bunker, Rocky Mountain I

Caribbean islands are among the first to be impacted by our global climate crisis, although their direct contribution to GHG emissions is minimal. At the same time, islands have chosen to be leaders in clean energy transition, recognizing that moving from their current centralized fossil-fueled electricity systems to distributed clean energy options brings a range of benefits, from reducing emissions to lowering electricity costs, increasing system resilience, and using local resource options. The Rocky Mountain Institute Islands Energy Program partners with Caribbean islands to define optimal pathways and accelerate their clean energy transitions. This presentation and discussion will focus on the approach developed by the RMI team to best support islands in their efforts through inclusive energy planning processes and a whole-systems approach. While there are unique aspects of small island electricity systems that create both challenges and opportunities, the presentation will also highlight aspects of islands' experiences that are relevant to larger electricity systems in other regions.

About the Speaker

Kaitlyn Bunker, Ph.D., P.E. leads the Islands Energy Program at Rocky Mountain Institute, including leading energy modeling and technical analysis to complete integrated resource plans in partnership with Caribbean island utilities, governments, and regulators. These plans take a whole-systems view of various options for the future of the electricity sector on each island, and lead to specific investment plans for clean energy solutions. She has worked closely with stakeholders in Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Bermuda. Kaitlyn also leads modeling efforts related to small island microgrid opportunities. She joined RMI after completing a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI.

Alumni Sparks: Marcy Reed D’85

Energy Career Conversation with Marcy Reed D’85, President, National Grid's Massachusetts business and Executive Vice President of US Policy and Social Impact

Join the Revers Center for Energy and the Dartmouth Energy Collaborative for a virtual discussion on Wednesday, July 22nd at 8:00pm with Marcy Reed who will talk about her career path after obtaining her economics degree from Dartmouth and offer her perspective on the current energy career market.

Alumni Sparks: David Yeh D’94

Date: July 15, 2020
Time: 7:00 PM

David Yeh is managing director at 3x5 Partners, a top quartile venture capital firm investing in health and environmental solutions, and a member of the Irving Institute Advisory Board. His career spans global finance, innovation, and the Obama White House.

At the White House, David aided the administration's effort to grow impact investing. He personally convened a $7 trillion event with the world's largest sovereign wealth funds to stimulate investment in the USA. He also helped run the world's largest sustainable infrastructure portfolio ($30 billion) that included some of the largest solar and wind power plants and Tesla. He founded the Presidential Executive program which recruits C-suite executives to solve national challenges such as the Western water crisis, investing in rural America, and cybersecurity.

Prior to his presidential appointment, David was a multi-asset investor in Beijing, London, and New York. In London, he worked at Generation IM's (Al Gore's co-founded fund). In China, David launched the strategy and business development for a $100bn+ energy efficiency lending public private partnership.

David holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. At Dartmouth, David was a Reynolds scholar and Tucker public service fellow. He is a published author (e.g. Forbes, Wall Street Journal) and active speaker (e.g. Council of Foreign Relations and World Economic Forum). He is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Dartmouth students, staff, and community members can RSVP here to receive Zoom information.

New Energy: Conversations with Early-Career Energy Researchers - Rebecca Ciez

Transportation and electricity systems are two of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Energy storage technologies, especially batteries, are poised to play a substantial role in both of these sectors. Given the scope of the challenge, and the diversity of applications, it is imperative that we design storage technologies that are suitable for vehicles and the changing demands of the electricity grid. Storage must also be inexpensive enough to be widely adopted while minimizing the environmental impacts of manufacturing and disposal. Focusing on lithium-ion batteries—the incumbent energy storage technology—this talk will discuss methods and outcomes to analyze technologies with these competing goals. Process-based cost modeling methods and results show which attributes are most significant to reducing the cell-level battery cost. Life cycle assessment highlights the limitations of current battery recycling methods, and the tension between incentives for low upfront cost technology and profitable recycling methods.

Rebecca Ciez is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Columbia University and incoming Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Earth and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University. Her research focuses on how energy systems, including transportation, electricity, and industrial systems, can work together to transition to a decarbonized future. Using a systems-analysis approach, her work draws upon methods from engineering, policy analysis, and economics. She holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dartmouth students, staff, and community members can RSVP here to receive Zoom information.