Katherine Gaston, National Bioenergy Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO

1. What I like best about doing science?

I like how nature and the universe unfold before my eyes, the more I study something. It's amazing how a big picture starts to fit together, as I fill in more puzzle pieces to a problem, and how elegant the solution and that picture often is.

2. 2. Why is your work important?

Working on biomass to transportation fuels, I'm helping to provide one piece of what is going to be a new portfolio of sustainable sources of energy. Biofuels have great long-term potential, but I think they'll be key in the short-term solution for sustainable transportation. Biofuels are immediately compatible with our existing infrastructure, which means that we can start to use them in all of our gasoline and diesel cars now, without having to ask everybody to make expensive changes all at once (like buying new automobiles).

3. How do you think we will meet our energy needs in 25 years?

In order to meet our energy needs in 25 years, I think we will have to provide solutions that include massive reductions in the amount of energy we use today, a variety of sustainable sources of that energy, and a nation-wide educational effort to make everyone aware of our energy challenges going forward, and what they must to do to help.

 

Ian Baring-Gould, Senior Engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO

1. What I like best about doing science?

At its heart, I see science as either trying to understand the world around us or using that knowledge to solve problems. I work in the second of these two areas, finding new ways to do things that will have a positive impact on our society, the global society, and our planet. Being able to see the benefits of what one is doing, whether that's helping turn the lights on in a community that has only had candles, or helping the nation embrace new technology that not only helps the planet, but makes our nation stronger and saves lives, with the knowledge that the world, not only yourself, is better off because of your efforts, is very rewording.

2. Why is your work important?

Our civilization is completely dependent on modern energy supplies; the food we eat, the water we drink, how we light and heat our homes, communicate with each other, get from one place to another, and entertain ourselves. If that energy system went away, even just for a short time, it would be hard for many people or our nation to survive. Americans used to think nothing about tossing trash out of with window of their car, we currently think that way about our air. For the last 40 years we have relied primarily on energy supplies that either emit harmful pollutants, are being brought to us from faraway places, or both, which is not sustainable. Developing and teaching people how to use clean energy sources using the inexhaustible natural resources that are all around us, the wind and the sun for example, at a reasonable cost is the only way we will save our nation and our planet.

3. How do you think we will meet our energy needs in 25 years?

Although 25 years might seem like a long time, when thinking about the nation's energy system, it is not. Many of the power plants that provide us with energy today were built more than 25 years ago and will continue to provide power for the next 25. Additionally, the US energy industry is driven by three principles; reliability of service, cost, and profit. Any change not relating to these principles will only happen slowly. For these reasons I don't think our energy system in 25 years will be much different from today. Some changes however are very likely. Large wind farms in the hart land and off our coasts, solar power stations in the southwest, and solar and wind technologies on our energy efficient homes and businesses will mean an increasing amount of our energy will come from renewable sources. Subsequently we will have a reduced dependence on coal and nuclear energy, but both will continue to be major contributors to our nation's energy system. The bigger changes are likely in the ways we move around, with smaller cars being powered by electricity and bio-fuels becoming more prevalent, reducing the need to import ever more oil from far off places. We will also rely more on a vastly improved public transportation system. I think the biggest change however is that people will know much more about energy and how its use affects our planet. With this knowledge each of us will play a more active role in determining how energy is generated and used.

 

Trudy Forsyth, Senior Project Leader II, NREL-National Wind Technology Center

1. What I like best about doing science?

I guess I think of myself more as an engineer or an applied scientist. I work with industry to help them develop new turbines and new turbine standards. For me the most fun is when the 'light comes on' for people or a team of people when they come up with a new solution to some engineering problem.

2. Why is your work important?

I feel that my work is important because there is a desperate need for new clean energy solutions across the world. I work in the area of small or distributed wind, finding technology solutions that meet market needs and result in empowered people who can generate their own electricity. As global climate change continues to threaten our planet, we need many different solutions to reduce our dependence on traditional electricity sources, thereby cleaning up the environment.

3. How do you think we will meet our energy needs in 25 years?

I think we will always have a need for a multitude of electricity generation sources, I'd anticipate that small wind use with increase over time as will other renewable energy sources. The use of renewables will complement and not fully replacetraditional electricity generation sources.

 

Teresa Alleman, Senior Chemist, Fuels Performance Group, Center for Transportation Technologies and Systems, NREL

1. What I like best about doing science?

I really like that science is a challenge. The field is constantly evolving and I have to be nimble enough to adapt to these changes. I also like to be able to get my "hands dirty" and see results at the end of the day.

2. Why is your work important?

One of the things I like best about my work is that I have been able to see rapid impact of my projects. For example, one of the things that I work on is to provide unbiased data to ASTM for fuel specifications. Recently, I've been able to provide significant data that led to the adoption of blend specifications for biodiesel. This has an immediate impact because states need this information to ensure fuel quality for the consumer and provide confidence in the fuels they purchase.

3. How do you think we will meet our energy needs in 25 years?

I think we need to continue to pursue a wide slate of alternative technologies to meet our future energy needs. There is not one energy solution that can meet all our energy needs.