Duke U. conference focuses on ways to capitalize on changes in energy sector

DURHAM – The 11th annual Duke University Energy Conference will bring together hundreds of students, faculty/staff and members of the private sector to hear keynotes and panels discussing ways to capitalize on changes in the energy sector.

The conference takes place Wednesday, November 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

Headlining as keynote speakers are Mark Florian, managing director of New York investment management firm BlackRock, and Barbara Burger, president of Houston-based Chevron Technology Ventures. Burger’s talk will be moderated by Nichelle McLemore, managing director of Deloitte’s Oil, Gas and Chemicals practice.

Panels and talks will cover energy resilience in the face of climate change, present and future needs in transportation and changes in the electricity market.

The panelists hail from major companies including Tesla, ABB, Duke Energy and Con Edison, as well as nonprofits such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund.

MORE CALENDAR NEWS: Check out WRAL TechWire’s extensive listings covering events across North Carolina for this month – and coming months.

Stuart Styles, co-chair of the Duke Energy Conference and a 2020 MBA candidate in the Duke Fuqua School of Business, says the event aims to address the evolving nature of the global energy market and how companies can respond with greater insight into these changes.

“Our goals for the conference are to bring in a broad set of industry stakeholders to share their diverse views on topics such as energy infrastructure investments, alternative energy sources and the impact of new energy technology, energy resilience and climate change, mobility solutions, and the electricity business of the future,” Styles said. “We seek to create an environment for Duke students and those currently working in the industry to become more informed of the coming developments in the energy industry and develop an ability to address these changes/trends more effectively.”

Styles says he expects a turnout of around 400 attendees coming and going throughout the day.

The conference is a part of Energy Week at Duke, an annual program that brings together over 1,000 students, faculty members and professionals to discuss trends affecting the shifting dynamics in the industry.

Energy Week, which is now in its fourth year, is organized by students and faculty from several departments and clubs across campus. The program is headed by the MBA Energy Club in Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

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