Panelists Discuss Energy Trends at ASME Member Assembly

The panel participants at the Annual Meeting's Member Assembly were (left to right) Dr. Satya Gupta of Baker Hughes Pressure Pumping; Dr. Fort Felker of the National Wind Technology Center; Dr. Ranga Pitchumani of the DOE's SunShot Initiative; Susan Skemp of Florida Atlantic University's Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center; Marc Goldsmith, ASME president; Madiha Kotb, ASME president-elect; Thomas Loughlin, ASME executive director; and Vickie Rockwell, ASME immediate past president.

Energy took center stage at the ASME Member Assembly held June 23 in conjunction with the Society’s 2013 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. A panel of distinguished energy experts, representing a broad range of energy sources and related technologies, discussed R&D trends in emerging energy sectors.

ASME Executive Director Thomas Loughlin moderated the lively panel discussion, which featured topics ranging from solar and wind power to hydrokinetics, natural gas, hydraulic fracturing and other critical energy sources and alternatives. Panelists included Dr. Ranga Pitchumani, director for Concentrating Solar Power at the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative; ASME Past President Susan Skemp, executive director of the Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center at Florida Atlantic University; Dr. Satya Gupta, business development director for Production Enhancement Technology at Baker Hughes Pressure Pumping; and Dr. Fort Felker, director of the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

A video, produced by ASME, featuring some of the latest developments in the emerging energy sector of concentrating solar power kicked off the one-hour event.

(Left to right) Fort Felker, Satya Gupta, Susan Skemp, Ranga Pitchumani and Tom Loughlin talked about R&D trends in emerging energy sectors at the Member Assembly.

ASME President Marc Goldsmith greeted the audience and emphasized the value that ASME places on facilitating important discussions around the Society’s strategic initiatives in energy. He also talked briefly about the ASME Energy Forum, a year-long multi-media series that explores the technical aspects of a broad range of energy sources and related technologies.

“With the launch of the ASME Energy Forum earlier this year, ASME continues to deepen its strategic commitment to energy-related issues as the Society continues to serve as an essential energy technology resource for business, government, academia, practicing engineers and the general public and as a leading energy policy advocate for balanced energy policies in the U.S. and other areas of the world,” said Goldsmith.

ASME Executive Tom Loughlin (right), who served as panel moderator, discusses U.S. Government energy initiatives with Ranga Pitchumani of the DOE's SunShot Initiative.

Following a robust discussion spanning a number of topics related to the world’s energy present and future, audience members participated in a question-and-answer period before the Assembly closed with comments from ASME President-Elect Madiha El Mehelmy Kotb. “We want you to stay informed about today’s energy topics and join the conversation by visiting the ASME Energy Forum landing page at go.asme.org/energyforum and also register to be a participant on asme.org,” Kotb said.

Mel Torre, ASME Public Information