Background

Against the backdrop of growing global demand for energy and new energy legislation, AIChE and its members launched a series of initiatives that apply chemical engineering expertise to help develop solutions to energy problems.  In 2005 alone, the Annual and Spring Meeting attendees witnessed a surge in the number and variety of papers devoted to energy.  CEP published a series of articles on the critical issues surrounding energy.  Operating councils heightened their plans to focus on chemical engineers roles in energy.  It was clear that strategies are required to ensure that chemical engineers play a central, if not preeminent role in advancing energy research and development. 

To help guide this endeavor, the AIChE Board of Directors organized its Commission on Energy Challenge as an assembly of industry and academic experts and consultants representing a broad portfolio of energy technologies as well as business and research interests.  The nine-person commission’s report can be found here.