ISSUES OF CONFLICT

OMINOUS HEADLINES IN RECENT MONTHS forecasting doom to the global economy have replaced similarly dire headlines projecting desperate energy needs.

We can quibble whether headlines reflect public sentiment or public sentiment is a byproduct of the headlines, but we can’t question the gravity of two of the most serious issues confronting us.

The global economy has undergone peaks and valleys before, so we patiently wait and do what we can to climb up from the economic gorge. Much like the financial crisis, energy is a complex issue mired in conflicting and deep-rooted opinions. Politics, ideology, and simple misinformation about certain alternatives muddy the waters too.

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee this month is expected to end its deliberations on a draft of “The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,” which promises to “create millions of new clean energy jobs, [and] save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs.” ASME has embarked on its own mission to bring clarity to the subject and enable engineers to be heard on matters related to global energy.

At a recent workshop focusing on what ASME is calling the Energy Grand Challenge, the society brought together more than 60 experts in technology and other areas to hear their ideas on ways that the organization can serve as a catalyst in the debate about energy.

The reasons for involvement are clear because ASME comprises engineers holding a broad range of expertise, especially in energy areas.

Those who participated agreed that ASME should assume the role as an important and unbiased medium disseminating accurate information on different technology alternatives. It should also be an educator to the public and to congressional leaders on sustainable energy options. Finally, the society should be a facilitator of collaboration among diverse energy industries and government. Some executives expressed fears that energy providers have a myopic view of energy solutions and are not considering broad-based integrated answers.

ASME’s president, Thomas M. Barlow, stressed that the goal for the society is to be a leader in the advocacy and development of a balanced energy policy. A full report on the workshop is pending.

Energy is one of three areas that ASME considers a strategic priority for the organization. The others are workforce development, including education, and the challenges and opportunities created by globalization.

This issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine, with its semiannual focus on power and energy, showcases the expertise of engineers in different energy-related areas—hydrogen, wind power, renewable marine energy technologies—as well as in gas turbines, in our annual overview of the industry by ASME Fellow Lee S. Langston.

We may not have the answers to directly solve the financial troubles we’re in, but this month’s headlines in our magazine celebrate the opportunities and the developments that are a part of a holistic solution to the Energy Grand Challenge.

—John G. Falcioni, Editor-in-Chief
He can be reached by e-mail at falcionij@asme.org