Duke’s ninth annual Energy Week brought together students, faculty and industry leaders to explore the pressing challenges and opportunities in the energy landscape.
The week-long program, which ran from Nov. 11 to 15, centered around the theme of “advancing energy innovation in the Southeast and beyond,” according to Energy Week Co-Chair Tyler Ratcliffe, a junior.
Energy Week brought together students from the Nicholas School of the Environment, Fuqua School of Business, Pratt School of Engineering and Sanford School of Public Policy in an interdisciplinary effort.
"We all have really different perspectives on energy and the energy transition, and we all brought something new to the table," said Energy Week Co-Chair Madeleine Fox, a senior.
Energy Week included both community-driven events and expert-led panels.
The week’s programming opened with an Opportunities and Challenges of Small Modular Nuclear Reactor (SMR) Development panel, where participants discussed the cutting-edge technology that is gaining traction — according to Ratcliffe — among regulated utility companies.
Ratcliffe noted that technologies like SMRs were a subject of Energy Week because of their particular relevance to innovation occurring in the southeast.
The Community Dinner, a staple Energy Week event, provided a space for students and professionals to share ideas, discuss energy challenges and foster connections.
“While these problems seem so massive and global, there's a part that we can do as Duke students and being in North Carolina,” Fox said.
The Energizing Tomorrow: Innovation Showcase highlighted breakthrough technologies and innovations in renewable energy, from solar and EV infrastructure to grid technology.
The programming also included site visits — such as a trip to the Kempower EV manufacturing facility in Durham — to explore the region’s growing role in the renewable energy sector.
“North Carolina and other states in the Southeast “[serve] as a template for best practices that can be replicated elsewhere," Ratcliffe said.
Energy Week also featured an Energy in Emerging Markets Case Competition, where graduate student finalists from five universities presented business models for electric mobility infrastructure in Africa.
A focal point of Energy Week was the Duke University Energy Conference: Moving from Vision to Action Amid Uncertainty, an all-day event which featured keynote speakers, panels and networking sessions about navigating “societal uncertainties” while transforming the energy landscape.
Looking ahead, the organizers of Energy Week hope to continue growing the event’s scope, with a particular focus on increasing involvement from other schools such as the Law School, Divinity School and Medical School.
"Energy and climate are things that impact everyone’s profession,” Ratcliffe said.
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