Renewable Energy Discussion Series: Concentrating Solar Power

On May 16, the offices of Senators Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) held the first in a series of informal conversations about renewable energy technologies. The discussion series is cosponsored by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). Through this series we hope that Senate staffers will better understand the possibilities of different kinds of renewable energy. After each briefing, the speaker presentations will be made available on the EESI website at www.eesi.org.

A small group of energy experts will lead each interactive discussion, and will answer a variety of questions, including:

· How does the technology work?
· Where is it currently used and where can it be deployed?
· How much of our energy could we get from the technology?
· What are the upfront costs and long term benefits?
· How many design, construction, operation, & maintenance jobs are created?

The first meeting explored the potential of concentrating solar power.

There are many ways to harness the energy of the sun. With over 400 Megawatts in operation and another 4,000 Megawatts of projects in the pipeline, utility-scale solar power could be the hottest technology in the US electric industry. But can the sun really provide a significant amount of our electricity? How fast can this industry grow? Come learn from two nationally recognized experts about how concentrating solar power is being deployed:

Speakers:

Dr. Tom Mancini - Concentrating Solar Power Program Manager, Sandia National Laboratory
Presentation (pdf)

Dr. Fred Morse - Senior Advisor of U.S. Operations, Abengoa Solar, Inc
Presentation (pdf)


For more information, please contact Amy Sauer at 202-662-1892 or asauer [at] eesi.org.