Description:

Wind energy costs have—historically—declined dramatically. But the future of wind will hinge in part on technology advancements and cost reduction. Are significant additional technology advancements and cost reductions still feasible? Or, has the industry matured to the point of only modest incremental improvements? Join EPIC as we host Ryan Wiser, one of America’s preeminent renewable technology and policy experts, who will summarize what is possible and where advancements are most likely for land-based and offshore wind.

Speaker: Ryan Wiser, Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Ryan leads and conducts research and analysis on renewable energy, including on the planning, design, and evaluation of renewable energy policies; on the costs, benefits, and market potential of renewable electricity sources; on electric grid operations and infrastructure impacts; and on public acceptance and deployment barriers. His recent analytic work has included studies on the economics of wind and solar power; the impacts of higher penetrations of renewable energy on the electricity sector; the design of renewable energy promotion policies; the risk mitigation value of renewable electricity; the treatment of low-carbon supply options in utility resource planning; and community acceptance of wind and solar power. Ryan regularly advises state and federal agencies on issues related to renewable energy; is an advisor to the Energy Foundation's China Sustainable Energy Program; is on the Corporate Advisory Board of Mineral Acquisition Partners; and serves on numerous other advisory committees. Ryan has been a consultant to, among others, the California Energy Commission, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the International Energy Agency, the World Bank, the Energy Foundation, the Center for Resource Solutions, and several private companies. Prior to his employment at Berkeley Lab, Ryan worked for Hansen, McOuat, and Hamrin, Inc., the Bechtel Corporation, and the AES Corporation.