Background
The Baker Forum’s mission is to bring together education and industry leaders in an ongoing dialogue to address issues of critical importance to United States leadership in science and technology and to identify creative higher education responses. Envisioned as a biennial event, the Baker Forum provides an issue-focused, highly interactive setting, designed to promote broad dialogue, to highlight issues that are important to the future of polytechnic and science and technology universities (PS&T), and to stimulate creative responses.

Panel Convener Richard F. Hartung
Chair, Cal Poly President’s Cabinet

Panel Moderator - R. Thomas Jones
Dean, College of Architecture and Environmental Design
California Polytechnic State University

Panelists
A panel of four experts has been invited to consider challenges and opportunities for the U.S. and California in the transition to a "post-oil" world.

• Martha Krebs, Deputy Director for Research and Development
California Energy Commission

• Linda K. Trocki, Bechtel Fellow and Project Manager
Bechtel National, Inc.

• Paul J. Turinsky, Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering
North Carolina State University

• Jan Hamrin, President
Center for Resource Solutions

Panel Format
The panelists will delineate the global, national, and state context; highlight specific issues; and suggest possible strategies for subsequent discussion in breakout sessions.

R. Thomas Jones, Cal Poly’s Dean of Architecture and Environmental Design, is the moderator of the panel. He will conduct the panel in a town hall format that will facilitate interaction among the panelists and with the invited participants.

The discussion will be organized in the following manner:

• Each of the panelists will be asked to share opening remarks.
• After all the panelists have shared remarks, the moderator will pose follow-up questions.
• Questions will be invited from the audience.

Panel Topics
The following topics are among those to be addressed by the panelists:

Martha Krebs, Deputy Director for Research and Development
California Energy Commission

1. The energy situation in California
2. Trends in California energy policy
3. Research trends:
• Research at the intersection of renewables, transmission, and energy storage
• Research around the water/energy nexus
• Research regarding climate change
• Research regarding building efficiency appliance standards (zero energy, new homes)

Linda K. Trocki, Bechtel Fellow and Project Manager
Bechtel National, Inc.

1. Incentives to industry to invest in sustainable energy solutions
2. Selected energy alternatives:
• transportation fuels from agricultural products
• coal gasification and CO2 sequestration
3. Potential solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
4. Potential related points include:
• built environment implications/options
• additional transportation options (e.g., fuel cells for cars, further development of rail transportation)

Paul J. Turinsky, Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering
North Carolina State University

1. The global nuclear energy partnership
2. Issues of sustainability in the nuclear energy field
3. Proliferation assistance
4. Hydrogen economy and the related role of high-temperature reactors

Jan Hamrin, President
Center for Resource Solutions

1. Renewables at the global level:
• The big picture of renewables in the world, nation and state
• Comparison of California, China, and other international targets
2. Renewables at the local level - examples of practical solutions:
• Green buildings – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program
• Corporation/business strategies to reduce greenhouse gas footprint
• Manufacturers of consumer goods: the "Made with Renewables Energy" Green-e logo

Panel Discussion Questions
The following questions are among those to be considered by the panelists:

1. How would you characterize current public opinion about energy issues and energy choices? How does this compare with the period of the last "energy crisis" in the l970s?

2. What kind of public consensus and technical approaches are found in other industrialized nations? Is any of this applicable to the United States or California?

3. Do you think the media is adequately and accurately covering the issue and possible technical solutions?

4. Which organizations or associations are working with the full spectrum of stakeholders and interest groups to generate policy consensus or technical advances?

5. What should our K-12 and university educators be doing to foster better public awareness and understanding around the issues and the alternative solutions?

6. What role can Cal Poly, as a polytechnic and predominantly undergraduate university, play in fostering awareness; advancing knowledge; and engaging in technical applied research?