Event
Special Distinguished Alumnus Seminar: Steve Chalk
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Room 2108, Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Professor Ganesh Sriram
gsriram@umd.edu
ChBE and UMERC Present:
The Clean Energy Race
Steven Chalk (B.S. '83)
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
America is in a global clean energy race. While the Department of Energy was founded in the 1970’s to address energy security issues associated with dependence on foreign oil and today is a lead federal agency in combating climate change, it is the economic stakes associated with leadership in innovating, manufacturing and deploying clean energy technologies that drive countries who want to lead the 21st century global economy.
Steve Chalk, a 1983 University of Maryland Chemical Engineering graduate, will lead a seminar that explores the technology development progress and market potential of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Mr. Chalk will discuss the major technical and economic barriers associated with deploying renewable power technologies such as solar and wind, new transportation technologies such as hydrogen fuel cell cars, advanced batteries and infrastructure-compatible biofuels, and innovative manufacturing technologies. He will evaluate the effectiveness that different federal and state policies have had on influencing early markets for these technologies and how the U.S. compares to other countries such as China in the clean energy race. Mr. Chalk will also provide insight to students on employment opportunities in the clean energy field and leadership attributes important for a successful engineering career.
About the Speaker
In his role as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Steve Chalk has led multiple clean energy technology development programs over the last 20 years. He currently leads the mission-support operations for DOE’s $2B clean energy portfolio in support of the President’s Climate Action Plan and national energy security objectives.
As a leader in the clean energy field, Steve has directed applied research, development, and demonstration programs in building efficiency, wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, marine and hydrokinetic technologies, hydrogen and fuel cells and biofuels. He has also led efforts to integrate variable renewable technologies into a modernized electric grid infrastructure. As part of President Obama’s Recovery Act initiative, Steve led the implementation of $17 billion in research grants, a major part of the Nation’s largest-ever one-time investment in clean energy. Steve also supported the Treasury Department’s launch of two new clean energy tax programs—the 1603 grants-in-lieu-of tax credits and the 48C advanced manufacturing tax credits, both of which contributed significantly to deployment and domestic manufacturing of renewable energy.
Steve received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland in 1983 and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the George Washington University in 1991.
In September 2008, the Partnership for Public Service honored Steve with a Service to America Medal in Science and Environment. This award recognized his management of several innovative clean energy projects, as well as his leadership in the federal government's efforts to expand renewable energy and energy efficiency. Steve has also received the Meritorious and the Distinguished Presidential Rank Awards that honor outstanding senior leadership in the Federal government.
