ASME’s IMECE 2019 Government Relations Focus: Spotlight on Energy

ASME convened its annual International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE) in Salt Lake City from November 8-14, featuring several noteworthy ASME Government Relations developments. First, the Committee on Government Relations met to discuss issues including ASME position papers on energy and STEM issues, new developments in conferences and industry events, the ASME Federal Fellowship Program and the ASME Foundation, and collaboration with the Committee on Engineering Education.

Dr. Steven Chu, Nobel Prize winner for physics and former U.S. Secretary of Energy, presented a keynote speech on “Climate Change and Innovative Paths to a Sustainable Future.” Dr. Chu discussed the industrial and agricultural revolutions that have profoundly transformed the world for better, while unintentionally and simultaneously changing the Earth’s climate drastically. Dr. Chu’s informative talk proposed prosperity via innovations in food production, power transmission, energy storage, and population growth. Dr. Chu noted that major shifts in Federal legislation, energy research funding levels, and worldwide collaboration are needed to realize a sustainable energy future.

The Public Affairs & Outreach (PAO) Council also met at IMECE to discuss ASME’s footprint in the clean energy space and opportunities for the organization therein. PAO, which includes the Committee on Government Relations, discussed the urgent need for public policy solutions to address existential issues of sustainability, energy stability and security, and climate change. Outside speakers from the nonprofit Utah Clean Energy and Idaho National Laboratory spoke about the renewable energy sector at-large, new technologies for energy distribution, and ASME Codes & Standards in the nuclear and solar sectors, among other topics. PAO recognized that Government Relations continues to be a key pillar of ASME’s platform on clean energy and that effective advocacy relies on a coordinated and understandable message.

For further information on IMECE 2019, you can explore the event’s website at:
https://event.asme.org/IMECE