Conference Kleinman Center Event

Roads to Removal: Pennsylvania

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 | 8:15AM - 4:00PM

Location

Energy Forum at the Kleinman Center
220 S. 34th St.
Fisher Fine Arts Building, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104

This all day conference explores the Roads to Removal report, commissioned by the Department of Energy, with national and regional experts as well as the report authors.
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Event Summary

The Roads to Removal report, commissioned by the Department of Energy, is a national-scale analysis of carbon dioxide (CO2) removal required to achieve a net-zero greenhouse gas economy in the United States by 2050

Join national and regional experts as well as the report authors for a one-day symposium designed to explore specific CDR opportunities, advantages, and implications within the greater Pennsylvania region.

Hosted by the University of Pennsylvania, this symposium convenes University experts, Department of Energy leaders and scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, along with regional and community leaders within the state to rigorously examine the opportunities and challenges associated with developing localized carbon dioxide removal (CDR) initiatives in response to the impacts of climate change.

The in-person and virtual symposium is free and open to the general public. Speakers will discuss the “Roads to Removal” report—a comprehensive, region-by-region CDR analysis detailing the economic, environmental, and employment opportunities across the United States in order to reach net-zero greenhouse gas goals by 2050 and specific regional opportunities for Pennsylvania.

Agenda:

8:15 AM: Registration and Breakfast

9:00 AM: Welcome

  • Jennifer Wilcox, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania

9:10 AM: Plenary

  • Robert Socolow, Emeritus Professor, Princeton University

9:40 AM: Opening: Roads to Removal Opportunities in Pennsylvania

  • Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Lead Roads to Removal Author, Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

10:00 AM: Panel: Coupling Direct Air Capture with Sustainable Building

  • Dorit Aviv, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Weitzman School of Design
  • Noah McQueen, Co-Founder and Head of Research, Heirloom
  • Christopher Neidl, Co-Founder, Open Air Removals
  • Simon Pang, Roads to Removal Author, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Marina Sofos, Program Manager, Carbon Dioxide Removal: Enhanced Mineralization, U.S. Department of Energy

10:45 AM: Break

11:00 AM: Panel: The Potential for Greenhouse Gas Removals in Agriculture

  • Alyssa Charney, Senior Advisor, Farm Production and Conservation, U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Allegra Mayer, Roads to Removal Author, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Dipti Pitta, Professor of Ruminant Nutrition, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
  • Mary Yap, Co-Founder and CEO, Lithos Carbon
  • Jane Zelikova, Director of the Soil Carbon Solutions Center, Colorado State University

11:45 AM: Panel: The Potential of Negative Hydrogen Using Biomass as Feedstock

  • David Edwards, Director and Advocate for Hydrogen Energy, Air Liquide
  • Wenqin Li, Roads to Removal Author, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Robert Schrecengost, Division Director of Hydrogen with Carbon Management, U.S. Department of Energy
  • Josh Stolaroff, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mote, Inc
  • John Vohs, Carl V. S. Patterson Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania

12:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 PM: Panel: Durable Removals and the Importance of MMRV

  • Rory Jacobson, Division Director for Carbon Dioxide Removal, U.S. Department of Energy
  • Vijay Kumar, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania
  • Katie Lebling, Associate, World Resources Institute, United States Climate Program
  • Kim Mayfield, Roads to Removal Author, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Hannah Murnen, Chief Technology Officer, Graphyte

2:15 PM: Panel: Societal Considerations and Impacts

  • Vilas Annavarapu, Environmental Justice Fellow, Great Plains Institute
  • Kyle Clark-Sutton, Principal of Climate-Aligned Industries, Rocky Mountain Institute
  • Margo Corum, Director for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration, White House Council for Environmental Quality
  • Hélène Pilorgé, Roads to Removal Author, Research Associate, University of Pennsylvania Clean Energy Conversions Lab
  • Simone Stewart, Senior Industrial Policy Specialist, Climate and Energy Policy, National Wildlife Federation

3:00 PM: Break

3:15 PM: Panel: The Role of Removals in Net-Zero Climate Goals

  • Chris Avila, Legislative Assistant, Energy, Environment, and Technology Office for Senator Chris Coons
  • Noah Deich, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Energy
  • Seth Shapiro, President and Chief Executive Officer, Philadelphia Gas Works
  • Nina Morris, Sustainability Director, University of Pennsylvania Sustainability Office
  • Sasha Mackler, Executive Director of the Energy Program, Bipartisan Policy Center

4:00 PM: Closing

  • Jennifer Wilcox, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania