The Stanford Energy Seminar: "Reducing GHG for Buildings and Industry Essential to Meeting 2030 and 2050 Targets" Carolyn Snyder

Talk title: Reducing GHG for Buildings and Industry Essential to Meeting 2030 and 2050 Targets

Abstract: From the homes we live in to the very food that sustains us, America’s buildings and industrial sectors are the foundation of our modern world. People spend 90% of their time in buildings and manufacturing generates more than 11 million jobs and makes up 11% of U.S. GDP. But today’s buildings and industrial sectors come at a high price. Together, these industries are responsible for more than 60% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. Addressing emissions from buildings and industry will be vital to achieving the Biden-Harris Administration’s economy-wide goal of reducing such emissions 50–52% below 2005 levels by 2030 and reaching a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to accelerating the innovation needed to fully transform these sectors to net-zero. Deputy Assistance Secretary for Buildings and Industry Dr. Carolyn Snyder will join us on May 6, 2024, to present DOE’s all-hands-on-deck strategy, investments, and technical assistance programs that will move decarbonization technologies out of the lab and on to our nation’s factory floors.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Carolyn Snyder is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Buildings and Industry at the U.S. Department of Energy. In this role, she leads offices that advance energy efficiency and reduce emissions from our nation’s buildings and industry while supporting U.S. energy security and manufacturing competitiveness. She oversees over $800 million annually for R&D across U.S. national laboratories, private industry, and universities, as well as comprehensive partnerships with energy sector leaders, other federal agencies, and state and local governments to demonstrate and deploy these technologies and support the transition to a clean energy economy. Dr. Snyder oversees three offices. The Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office accelerates the innovation and adoption of cost-effective technologies that eliminate industrial greenhouse gas emissions. The Building Technologies Office invests in high-impact solutions to equitably and rapidly scale decarbonization technologies across the buildings sector. The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office drives innovation in energy-related materials and manufacturing technologies to increase global competitiveness and support a clean, decarbonized economy. Previously, Dr. Snyder served as the Director of U.S. EPA’s Climate Protection Partnerships Division where she led voluntary partnerships with thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations. She also served as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, a White House Fellow in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and Director of Delaware's Division of Energy & Climate. She earned a Ph.D. in Environment and Resources from Stanford University, Masters Degrees as a Marshall Scholar from Oxford and Cambridge, and a B.A. from Amherst College. Her scientific research has been published in Nature, Paleoceanography, and Climatic Change.

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The Stanford Energy Seminar has been a mainstay of energy engagement at Stanford for nearly 20 years and is one of the flagship programs of the Precourt Institute for Energy. We aim to bring a wide variety of perspectives to the Stanford community – academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, big businesses, and more. We're proud to have hosted some of the biggest names in the energy world as well as those just starting out. If you'd like to join the Energy Seminar mailing list to hear about upcoming talks, sign up here and select the Energy Seminar checkbox.