Sep 22 2008
Speaking at the opening of the University of Delaware Energy Institute in Newark, Del. on Friday, DuPont Senior Vice President and Chief Science & Technology Officer Uma Chowdhry encouraged greater collaboration between industry, government and universities to accelerate the development of sustainable alternative energy solutions.
"Universities and National Laboratories in the United States have a critical role to play in addressing our serious energy challenges," Uma said. "The challenges we face can and must be solved."
She called on the federal government to set a long-term energy strategy, increase investment in energy research and development, and take bold actions to secure our energy future.
"The United States has the capability to lead the way in providing energy solutions that can reduce the impact of global climate change, create renewable energy solutions and fuel the growth of our economy," Uma added.
Uma urged the federal government to encourage partnerships among National Laboratories, universities and businesses to foster collaboration in new and unique ways that will accelerate the development of commercially viable solutions.
DuPont is heavily investing in a broad set of energy solutions through biofuels, photovoltaics, wind power, and energy efficiency. The company is a leader in photovoltaic materials and expects to exceed USD 1 billion in sales within the next five years from eight material components essential to photovoltaic modules. In biofuels, DuPont has several partnerships with other companies, government labs and universities to develop the science and create new, economically viable biofuels that will expand energy options and reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline.