Last Wednesday, Rotary welcomed to our luncheon meeting at the Lincoln Center Bryan Willson, Executive Director of CSU’s Energy Institute, and a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department. Mr.Willson started his talk by providing his definition of “innovation:” the network that is assembled to get things done.
When he spoke to the Club in 2003 the U.S. was experiencing an energy shortage and his focus was on developing practical solutions to meeting our energy needs. Since then new technologies, such as underground fracking, has resulted in a surplus of energy. Now, twenty years later, his focus is on practical solutions to meet our energy needs while we decarbonize the economy. In short, it is about reducing/eliminating carbon admissions.
During this interval his Institute—and businesses spun off to market practical solutions—have
worked to develop:
-clean energy for 2-stroke engines, which power much of the developing world, and which spread harmful pollutants; and
-clean cook stoves, which much of the developing world use on a daily basis and which causes the death of millions of people annually (greater mortality even than as a result of covid).
Currently the Institute—along with partners CSU, CO, and the Co School of Mines (three research universities in Colorado) are focusing on practical solutions to reducing carbon admissions by
-storing carbon underground: his Soil Carbon Energy Center focus is on this; and by
-producing energy from hydrogen.
In addition, four western states, including Colorado, have established a consortium to work on decarbonization with 2050 as the crucial date to have the U.S succeed in decarbonizing the environment.
In the process and under his leadership, CSU has refurbished an abandoned city power plant to serve as their first Powerhouse (which, in part, is leased out to move than a dozen companies working on decarbonization goals), and is in the process of building a second headquarters, the Powerhouse !!.
Finally, the Institute is developing a mobile energy lab—on wheels--to take education about clean energy to people around the state.
In the question session following his address, Mr. Willson was asked his opinion about the promise of small modular nuclear energy plants. He stated that since the 3 Mile Island event none of the existing nuclear plants have been shown to be economically successful. While a smaller version of nuclear power plants have potential, how to dispose of nuclear waste is still a concern.