Energy the Focus of Keynote Panel at the 2010 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress

NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2010 – With a growing sense of urgency to address global energy challenges, a panel of leaders from the energy sector will discuss energy technology and policy at the keynote session of the 2010 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition.

Panelists include Donald P. McConnell, the president of Battelle Energy Technology; Kip Morison, chief technology officer at BC Hydro and John M. Reilly, Ph.D., co-director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. The keynote event will be held on Sunday, Nov. 14, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at the Vancouver Convention and Exposition Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Drawing on the theme, “Energy Technology and Policy – Beyond the Rhetoric,” the panel will examine opportunities for the engineering community to impact today’s energy grand challenges and explore the role of new innovation in technology development. The speakers also will discuss the roll that public policy plays in determining alternative and sustainable energy solutions.

The keynote panel will be moderated by Llewellyn King, founder of The Energy Daily and creator and executive producer of “White House Chronicle,” a weekly news and public affairs show.

About the Panelists

Donald McConnell directs energy-related business activities at Battelle focusing on near-zero emission hydrocarbon conversion, carbon management, sustainable energy, energy infrastructure, and nuclear fuel cycles. Among other executive responsibilities, McConnell serves on the boards or committees of the six national laboratories that Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory. Battelle oversees nearly $900 million annually in energy technology research.

A member of the ASME Industry Advisory Board, McConnell attended New York University, where he earned a B.S. in aeronautics and astronautics and M.S. in engineering and mechanics.

Kip Morison has more than 30 years of experience in the electric utility business and been involved in power transmission systems, equipment design and testing, operations, and technology innovation. He became chief technology officer at Vancouver-based BC Hydro earlier this year. Morison holds an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto and is a member of IEEE and the International Council on Large Electric Systems.

John M. Reilly is an energy, environmental and agricultural economist. His research at MIT is focused on understanding the role of human activities on global environmental change and the effects of environmental change on society and the economy. Reilly has published articles on carbon sequestration, climate change, emissions trading, and cap-and-trade, among other subjects. He received his education and training at the University of Wisconsin and University of Pennsylvania, earning a Ph.D. in economics from Penn in 1983.

Many other presentations on energy technology will be featured at the ASME Congress, which will continue to Nov. 18. In addition to the keynote session, the conference will include a full track of technical presentations focused on hydrogen energy, solar and wind power, bio-fuels, energy conversion, sustainability, and emerging technologies. Sixteen technical sessions in the track will cover the state of the art in engineering research and applications and feature presenters from leading academic institutions, corporations and engineering consulting firms.

In addition to energy, the multidisciplinary technical program will address the latest advancements in aerospace technology, manufacturing, dynamic systems, safety engineering, and transportation, among other subjects.

About ASME

ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.