Valeria and Austin at MIT
I had the exciting opportunity to attend this year’s MIT Energy Conference, which focuses on transformational technologies in the energy industry, alongside my thesis partner, Austin Fry. The keynote speakers and panelists ranged from individuals at large energy corporations, energy finance and investment companies, energy startups, and research professors in energy related fields. With a wide array of experts in all fields of energy, we were able to obtain a holistic view of the energy industry and learn from key players.
Topics of conversation included the potential for blockchain to transform the energy exchange, a smart grid to handle supply and demand, the future of electric vehicles, energy financing, the future of energy storage, and the disruption that renewable energy will have in the energy industry in the next few decades. We were fortunate to meet with the individuals who are committed to disrupting the energy industry and make renewable energy sources price competitive through advances in technology and innovation in financing.
Our thesis project involves the creation of an energy fund with a focus on investing in solar energy projects. The need for this energy fund was validated as there was a consensus that solar could be the leading energy source in the United States due to feasibility in construction and price, however, the need remains for significant innovation in solar financing.
