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Missouri Energy Summit to feature prominent energy leaders

University outreach will extend to schools, libraries across state

April 10, 2009

Story Contact:  Jennifer Hollingshead, (573) 882-0601, hollingsheadj@umsystem.edu
Christian Basi, (573) 882-4430, BasiC@missouri.edu

The Missouri Energy Summit scheduled for April 22-23 and sponsored by the four campuses of the University of Missouri System will feature a robust lineup of speakers on topics ranging from energy policy and research to energy security, management and consumption.

The two-day event will be held on the MU campus. Headlined by keynote speaker T. Boone Pickens, the summit also will feature other leading energy experts, including:

  • Hon. Dale Klein, chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • Joan Woodard, executive vice president and deputy laboratory director for integrated technology programs at Sandia National Laboratories
  • Daniel F. Cole, senior vice president for Ameren Corp.
  • Richard Sayre, director for Enterprise-Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels, Donald Danforth Plant Sciences Center
  • Himadri Pakrasi, director of the International center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability at Washington University
  • Bob Dixon, senior vice president and global head of efficiency and sustainability for Siemens Building Technologies; industry vice chair for the Alliance to Save Energy
  • Michael Chesser, chairman and CEO of Great Plains Energy and KCP&L
  • Bob Kruse, executive director of global vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries for General Motors
  • Robert K. Dixon, leader of the Climate Change and Chemicals Team at the Global Environment Facility
  • Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for 21st Century Energy
  • Robert Duncan, vice chancellor for research and professor of physics at the University of Missouri-Columbia

Complete speaker information, including biographies, can be found online at www.missourisummits.com.

Gov. Jay Nixon, who will provide remarks during the summit, says the upcoming Missouri Energy Summit will provide an important impetus across the state in cultivating greater collaboration and investment in energy solutions and the creation of new jobs.

"Missouri is home to the hardest-working and most productive people in the country, and we have the potential to become a real leader for energy independence," Nixon said. "We just need the ideas, the determination and the policies to make it happen. That's why this Energy Summit is so exciting. Together we can transform Missouri's energy future and create green jobs for the 21st century. This summit is a key step in the right direction, and I am confident it will lead to real progress for our state."

"The purpose of the Missouri Energy Summit is to engage in a comprehensive discussion on energy policies and issues that affect Missourians and beyond," added Missouri University of Science and Technology Chancellor John Carney, who is chairing the summit. "The university has an important mission to enhance the economic development of the state, and through this impressive program, the summit will help the state focus on current and future energy needs."

Summit accessible to schools, libraries across the state
Access to the Missouri Energy Summit is also being extended to schools and libraries across Missouri through the Missouri Research and Education Network (MOREnet), one of the nation's first statewide research and education networks. MOREnet is a consortium of schools, public libraries and higher education institutions. Part of the University of Missouri System, MOREnet will provide a live video stream of most summit speakers so students and others in Missouri can use the presentations for class discussions and enhanced learning opportunities.

"Our future energy leaders are sitting in Missouri's classrooms right now, so we are pleased to make the Energy Summit available to them as a learning tool," said University of Missouri System President Gary Forsee. "In so many ways, this summit will provide the information Missouri needs to know to reach the next frontiers of energy research, policy and consumption in the state."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Media should contact the MU News Bureau at 573-882-6211 to obtain media credentials for the conference. Credentials may be picked up at the News Bureau in 329 Jesse Hall.-UM-