Energizing Disruption: Fostering Innovation and Collaboration Across The Energy Ecosystem

NOV 8, 2023

GENEEN AUDITORIUM

FUQUA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Conference recordings are now available!

Conference Format

The 15th annual Duke University Energy Conference will leverage Duke’s reputation as an academic institution at the center of the global energy conversation to address the energy transition.

Keynote Conversations

Speaker Panels

Networking Receptions

This year, the conference will have a domestic and global outlook. The topics will reflect upon how policy changes are influencing the implementation of new energy systems, how public and private financial resources are being leveraged to fuel high-impact technologies and how technological innovation is adapting to a rapidly changing technical and political landscape.

Introducing The Inaugural Company Expo!

The company expo is designed to showcase companies from across the energy landscape, including companies involved in energy, renewables, storage, mobility, hydrogen, carbon capture, and more. As part of the broader Duke University Energy Conference, our goal is to highlight the diverse array of companies and technologies within the energy sector.

Come join a growing list of Energy Leaders involved with this year's Duke Energy Conference!

Keynote Speakers

FEATURED INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Mark E. Hickson

NextEra Energy, Inc

EVP, Corporate Development & Strategy

Mark E. Hickson is Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy for NextEra Energy, Inc. He identifies and prioritizes top investment opportunities across the company, including corporate strategy, mergers, acquisitions, and related integration activities. He is also EVP of Corporate Development and Strategy of NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), a growth-oriented limited partnership formed by NextEra Energy, Inc. NextEra Energy Partners acquires, manages, and owns contracted clean energy projects with stable, long-term cash flows. Mark serves on the board of directors of the general partner of NextEra Energy Partners. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and a B.S. in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University.

Audrey Lee, PhD

Microsoft

Senior Director of Energy Strategy

Dr. Audrey Lee is Senior Director of Energy Strategy at Microsoft. She leads global technology, resilience, infrastructure, and commercial strategy on the Microsoft datacenter energy team to enable a resilient and sustainable cloud. She serves on the board of Redaptive Inc., deploying energy-as-a-service across commercial and industrial real estate portfolios. She also serves as a board member of Gridworks, Linux Foundation Energy, and Clean Energy for America Education Fund. She holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Princeton University and a B.S. in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology.

Eric Toone, PhD

Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Chief Technical Officer

Dr. Eric Toone leads science, technology, and engineering across the entire Breakthrough Energy platform. As CTO at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Eric serves on the Investment Committee and is responsible for the overall technical direction of the organization, with responsibilities ranging from thesis development to technical diligence. Dr. Toone is responsible for the Fellows Program at Breakthrough Energy and directs technology diligence at Catalyst and other BE components. Prior to BEV Eric was a member of the faculty of Chemistry at Duke University and is the former Director of DOE’s Advanced Research Program Agency – Energy (ARPA-E).

Originally trained as a bioorganic/physical organic chemist, Eric has long worked in both exploratory science and the translation of that science to practical implementation. At Duke University he authored nearly 300 original papers and abstracts. From 2012 – 2016 he served as Vice Provost and Director of Duke’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative. He is also listed as an inventor on over 30 patents and is the founder of three venture backed pharmaceutical companies.