UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Energy Days, an annual conference that brings together professionals working in all areas of energy, will be held on May 19 and 20. This year’s event will be virtual, and it is free and open to the public. Registration is now open.
Topics will range from energy technology to energy policy and equity. Energy Days 2021 will include breakout sessions and a poster session open to all Penn State students and faculty as well as Energy Days guests.
The keynote speaker for Energy Days will be Shalanda Baker, the deputy director for energy justice in the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy. Her talk is titled "Energy Justice in a World on Fire, and will occur at 11:30 a.m. on May 20.
Lora Weiss, senior vice president for research at Penn State, will speak on day two, and also University President Eric Barron, who will present a talk on Energy University, including the initiative's current status and an overview of areas that Penn State will focus on for growth and investment.
A highlight of day one includes a panel discussion on achieving negative carbon emissions, hosted by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Additionally, there will be breakout sessions on a wide variety of topics, including solar technology; advanced nuclear; energy equity; community engagement; managing greenhouse gas emissions; microgrids; renewable natural gas; and health and energy efficiency.
In addition to Baker’s keynote speech, day two will include sessions on transportation and energy storage; rare-Earth and critical minerals; social justice and low-energy housing; energy education; and strategies for a carbon-neutral Penn State.
Energy Days will also feature a poster session. Undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, extension educators, faculty, and guests are encouraged to submit posters for a virtual poster session focused on energy. The poster session will occur from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19, and from 10:30 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 20. Posters will be available for attendees to view during the entire event. The deadline to submit a poster is Monday, May 10.