Featuring: Reuben Sarkar, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy

Tuesday, December 15th
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST
The Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy
Paid parking available at the White Ave. Garage

U.S. Department of Energy’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Reuben Sarkar will speak during the annual “Opportunities in Energy” event the afternoon of Tuesday, December 15, 2015, at the Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Sarkar’s moderated fireside chat will be complimented by three panel discussions with representatives from leaders in the automotive industry; the utilities, energy, research and academic sectors; and the policy and economic development sectors. The event will also feature a TAEBC member lightning round.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Sarkar oversees EERE’s Sustainable Transportation area, which includes the Vehicle, Fuel Cell, and Bioenergy Technologies offices. EERE is at the center of creating the clean energy economy today and leads the U.S. Department of Energy’s efforts to develop and deliver market-driven solutions for energy-saving homes, buildings, and manufacturing; sustainable transportation; and renewable electricity generation.

For more information about Deputy Assistant Secretary Sarkar, click here.

Sponsored by:

        

Agenda:

1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST

Welcome

Member Lightning Round
Fast-paced TAEBC member updates from across the state

Keynote

• Reuben Sarkar, U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation and Executive Director of the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative
• David Keim, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Moderator)

Driving Innovation, Accelerating into the Fast Lane
Tennessee’s Advanced Energy Economy Fuels Rapidly Changing Automotive Industry
From aluminum production and 3-D printed cars to vehicles powered by an electric charge, the auto industry is increasingly being shaped by advanced energy innovations. Finding efficient ways to build a vehicle that is economical, safe and also helps reach a fleet wide average of 54.5 MPG by 2025 is the challenge faced by automotive manufacturers.

• Tom Rogers, Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) and Oak Ridge National Lab
• Tom Quinn, General Motors
• Jay Rogers, Local Motors

Connecting Resources, Powering Our Nation’s Future
Microgrid Research, Energy Resilience and Economic Development
Microgrid research holds the keys to optimizing energy supply and demand and integrating cost competitive advanced energy technologies into our electric grid. And it’s being investigated right here in East Tennessee. Cherokee Farm’s Microgrid Research Platform plans to utilizes the 188 acre business park campus to develop an operational microgrid that enables live research and development of various microgrid technologies and the interoperability between them. Learn how this public/private partnership has the potential to impact economic development by creating a leading educational, research and development facility.

• Cliff Hawks, Cherokee Farm
• Coleman Adams, Hitachi
• Cortney Piper, TN Advanced Energy Business Council

Firing Up the Job Market, Bolstering Growth and Opportunity
Tennessee’s Advanced Energy Sector Boosts Recruitment for High Quality, High Tech Employment
Attracting the best and brightest in technology, innovation and development means creating jobs that are on the leading edge of industries. Tennessee’s advanced energy industry is quickly making the region the cradle of high quality job development. Will the trend continue for the next decade and how will the changes in advanced energy continue to impact economic and workforce development?

• Tom Ballard, Pershing Yoakley & Associates and TAEBC President
• Jim Plourde, Schneider Electric and TAEBC Board Member
• Dr. Matt Murray, Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy
• Gary Human, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

Closing Remarks & Networking

When:

Tuesday, December 15, 2015
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST

Where:
Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy
Toyota Auditorium
1640 Cumberland Avenue
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
Paid parking available at the White Ave Garage, 1621 White Ave. between 16^th and 17^th Street. Click here for a map.

Walking Directions from White Ave Garage to the Howard Baker Jr. Center:

1. Head southwest on White Ave toward 17th Street
2. Turn left on 17th Street
3. Continue on 17th Street for 370 ft
4. Turn left on Cumberland Ave.
5. The Howard Baker Jr. Center will be on the right.
6. Click here for street view.