Stay focused on the changes within your control during tumultuous times in order to continue the pursuit of a just and equitable energy future. This was the theme echoed by the speakers and graduate student research posters at this year’s Energy Transition Symposium, recently hosted at the Campus Center by the UMass Amherst Energy Transition Institute (ETI), ELEVATE program, School of Earth & Sustainability, and Integrated Concentration in STEM (iCons) program.

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The April 10 event featured an introduction from Steve Goodwin, former deputy chancellor, chief planning officer and dean emeritus of the College of Natural Sciences; a keynote speech by Secretary Rebecca Tepper of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; and a poster session from ELEVATE graduate students.

Both speakers highlighted the importance of staying focused during tumultuous times. Goodwin began by arguing that we are not in an energy transition, but an energy transformation.

 “Why am I making such a big deal about the semantic difference between transition and transformation?” he asked. “I think our transitions are slow and easy processes, but I think of transformations as being bumpy, choppy, full of missteps and setbacks, and even a few dead ends. Transformations are always driven by a powerful idea, but they never go in a straight line.”

His call was for the audience—leaders in energy transformation—to not get discouraged by the rough road. “Do not give up the work,” he said. “We’re not going to agree on every step along these pathways, but if we all are willing to fight for what we believe in and work hard, I know we’re going to get there.”

Secretary Tepper brought her own perspective on endurance in the face of challenges at the national level. “The federal government has really left the states to step up, and that’s what we’re doing in Massachusetts. We regrouped, as I’m sure you all have as well, and decided that we were going to not get wrapped up in the chaos. We’ve had to pivot and really start thinking about what it is that we can do. What do we control here in the state?”

She highlighted the research efforts spearheaded by the Wind Energy Center, Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind (ARROW), the Clean Energy Extension and ETI.Doctoral 

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“One of the things that really struck us was how focused you are on people and on making sure that this transition is done in an equitable way,” she said, adding that whether it’s considering what it means for people to make impossible compromises to pay their utility bills, to live in air pollution that causes childhood asthma, or even to simply have air conditioning in the summer, “It is incumbent on all of us to protect our neighbors.”

She then highlighted such efforts at the state level. “Like you, we’re taking a very practical approach,” she said. “Our top priorities are lowering people’s bills and protecting health. And the past year we’ve really made it clear that the states need to have new tools to protect our residents and to avoid the chaos that is all around us.”

These efforts included bringing the vineyard wind facility online to power 400,000 homes with offshore wind, bringing affordable hydroelectricity to the state from Canada, and exploring demand response and virtual power plants by investing in 10 gigawatts of battery storage over the next eight years or so. And, of course, continuing to promote energy efficiency because, as Tepper noted, “The cheapest energy is the energy that you do not use.”

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She also explained how the state has been laser-focused on efforts to get a clean supply of electricity, and the hard questions they have had to ask communities and developers to make necessary changes to the clean energy permitting process. “Having clean energy is the cornerstone of any decarbonization policy,” she added. “It’s not going to work to electrify your cars or to put in air-source heat pumps if the electricity that they’re using is not clean.”

“We are lucky to be here in Massachusetts,” concluded Tepper. “Every single day, I am appreciative of the fact that the people of Massachusetts support the energy transformation and support the work that you’re doing here. These jobs are hard. But when you’re able to actually make a difference and help people, it’s worth it.”

A poster session from the ELEVATE graduate students, iCons and Smith College undergraduate students, followed the remarks, covering a wide swath of energy-transition research projects around offshore wind, renewables adoption and grid development.

“We were honored to host our state partners from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and MassCEC and showcase the innovate energy research happening at UMass and beyond,” said Jared Starr, executive director of the Energy Transition Institute. “Events like these are critical to bring together policymakers and researchers and keep Massachusetts as an energy transition leader.”