The Next Climate Frontier – Industrial Decarbonization

Originally aired March 13, 2024

Co-hosted by ASU LightWorks, ASU’s EPIXC (funded by DOE), and the Security and Sustainability Forum, this panel tackles one of the hardest problems in the clean energy transition: decarbonizing heavy industry. While significant progress has been made in power generation, transportation, and buildings, industries like cement, steel, chemicals, and food processing present far greater challenges due to high process heat requirements.

Panelists discuss the speed and capital required for industrial decarbonization, the economic implications of carbon pricing, and how research, policy, and industry collaboration can accelerate the transition.

Speakers

Sridhar Seetharaman

CEO, ASU EPIXC; Vice Dean for Research and Innovation, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, ASU

Sridhar Seetharaman is CEO of ASU EPIXC — the DOE’s 7th Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on electrified processes for industry without carbon — and Vice Dean for Research and Innovation in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. He previously served as a Senior Technology Advisor at DOE’s EERE and held the POSCO Chair of Steelmaking at Carnegie Mellon University.

Bob Litterman

Partner, Kepos Capital; Chair, Niskanen Center; Co-Chair, Climate Leadership Council

Bob Litterman enjoyed a 23-year career at Goldman Sachs and is now a partner at Kepos Capital, a New York-based investment firm. He serves as Chair of the Niskanen Center, Co-Chair of the Climate Leadership Council, and as a Premier Member of the Climate-related Financial Risk Advisory Committee of the U.S. Treasury.

Vijay Swarup

Director of Technology, ExxonMobil

Vijay Swarup is the Director of Technology at ExxonMobil, leading a team of scientists and engineers developing ways to improve energy resource supply options and advance carbon capture technology, biofuels, and alternative energy solutions.

Michael Baldea

Chief Technology Officer, EPIXC; Henry Beckman Professor, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

Michael Baldea is Chief Technology Officer of EPIXC and the Henry Beckman Professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on the dynamics, optimization, and control of process and energy systems, with applications to industrial decarbonization.

William Brandt (Moderator)

Director of Strategic Integration, ASU LightWorks

William Brandt is the Director of Strategic Integration for ASU LightWorks, where he supports renewable energy communities of practice and facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration on energy, sustainability, and governance challenges across Arizona State University.