FUEL, ENERGY CONSERVATION FOCUS OF ECONFERENCE

A one-day symposium, called the ECOnference, brought many leading experts to Old Dominion on April 10 to speak about issues such as fuel and energy conservation. Hosted by Business Gateway and Inside Business, the conference sessions took place at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

The keynote speakers for the event included former Virginia gubernatorial candidate and green entrepreneur Terry McAuliffe; Jay Kimball, founder of technology consulting firm 8020 Vision; and Capt. (Sel.) James Goudreau, director of the Navy Energy Coordination Office.

The ECOnference attracted approximately 200 participants coming together to share ideas and information. Attendees to the event consisted of regional decision makers; leaders from military commands and the marine and shipping industry; government contractors; representatives from the nascent wind energy industry; ODU students and faculty; and interested citizens.

The three symposium strands focused on:

• Wind Energy
• Fossil Fuel Reduction
• Alternative/"Green" Energy Technologies

Larry Atkinson, Slover Professor of Oceanography at ODU and director of the university's Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Initiative, headlined a series of talks on wind energy, speaking about the potential of offshore wind energy development. An afternoon panel discussion looked at the readiness of workforce development for the offshore wind industry.

Other ODU faculty researchers featured at the ECOnference included biofuels expert Pat Hatcher, executive director of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium; photovoltaic energy expert Sylvain Marsillac, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; and Erika Marsillac, assistant professor of decision sciences and a green supply chain management expert.

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