1400 N. Bishop, Rolla, MO 65409-0330

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The Wind Hazard Mitigation Laboratory (WHAM) will host Dr. Walter Guidroz, research scientist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey, for the WHAM CAN (Climate Action Now) Lecture Series. His lecture is titled "Renewable Energy Supply Chains: From the Ocean Depths to Your Cell Phone."

Abstract: Energy delivery in the 21st Century will depend heavily on innovative approaches to meet increased demand, particularly in developing countries. Moreover, a long-term shift of energy resource reliance from traditional fossil fuels to renewables is presently underway, the success of which is heavily dependent on diverse, secure supplies of critical mineral and rare earth resources. These supplies will be required to keep pace with rising demand, especially in a world increasingly dependent on technology. Many of these resources are concentrated in select nations or are technologically challenging to extract, such as those located in the deep ocean. Additionally, extraction involves inevitable tradeoffs that must be balanced with respect to environmental and ethical impacts and resource value. When coupled with geopolitical upheaval around the world, geology and related scientific principles will play key roles in helping to meet demand – they will help underpin the U.S. economy and help inform decisions related to tradeoffs involving energy resource discovery, production and consumption in the U.S. and globally – thereby enhancing their relevance to everyone.

Short Bio: Walter Guidroz is a Research Scientist Emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Reston, Virginia. Prior to his retirement in 2021, he led the USGS Energy Resources Program where he provided strategic direction to energy-related research and assessments. He has over 40 years’ experience in the energy industry, having worked at Amoco, Enron and BP in multiple geoscience and management roles prior to joining the USGS in 2016. Dr. Guidroz has worked as a geoscientist in a variety of locations, not only in the U.S. but also internationally in diverse areas such as Russia’s West Siberian Basin and offshore Brazil’s Campos and Santos Basins. Through his work at the USGS, he has also participated in government-to-government consulting roles in Uzbekistan, Greenland, Romania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dr. Guidroz holds a B.S in geology from Nicholls State University, an M.S. in geology from the University of Mississippi, an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in geological oceanography from Louisiana State University.

  • Cherise T Fung (RKICRS)
  • Ethan Corder

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