1. Panel Title Environment, Water, Energy, and Waste Management Name: Chandra Pillai Designation: Nuclear Physicist Organization:Los Alamos National Laboratory Email:cpillais@yahoo.com

2. Energy Production ● Conventional Sources ● Hydroelectric ● Coal, Oil, Natural Gas ● Nuclear

3. Pros and Cons ● Hydroelectric ● Considered Clean ● Need Large dams, Possible relocation of large population ● Age and integrity of dams ● Coal, Oil and Natural Gas ● Abundant for most countries and the main source of energy ● Pollution: mainly carbon emission – cause of global warming ●

4. Nuclear World produces about 15% of its power from Nuclear – some countries more than others High Peak power – mostly uninterpreted - Lessons from Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and recently from Japan Tsunami accident are hard lessons - Waste storage, Radiation effects are main concerns - Nuclear fusion is ideal for infinite source of energy. Attempts to tame this beast in the US and Europe not yet successful.

5. Alternative Energy Sources ● Solar Energy ● Wind Power ● Bio-materials

6. Solar Energy ● Most plentiful – 5000 times more energy reaching Earth than all of human consumption ● At present can't compete with conventional sources – costs about 3 times more in the US ● Expensive solar cell material, low efficiency, inefficient storage and inverter devices

7. Solar Energy (Contd.) ● Recent results from Los Alamos with 'quantum-dot nano-materials' shows promise – efficiency as high as 40% has been achieved in the lab. ● Research to replace expensive solid sate crystals with organic and other materials are also in progress ● Progress in energy storage devices – fuel cells, batteries ● Improvements in Inverter technology and 'smart grid' are also happening.

8. Wind Power ● Wind power is also catching up – typical output of 1MW is possible per wind-mill ● Depends on the location and wind pattern. Smart Grid is a must for wind mills to be effective.

9. Nuclear Power - revisited ● Power generation using low enriched uranium- completely en-capsuled modules producing 25 MW of power. ● Small size (~6 cubic meter), buried underground, lasts for 7-10 years before the core is replaced ● NRC approval and prototype are in progress ● India and US are considering new generation nuclear power plants using Thorium as nuclear material

10. Summary ● Research and development in the area of Alternative energy sources should be pursued very actively in universities and research centers. ● It is possible in the near future for homes and villages to be self sufficient using Alternative Energy sources ● High power demands for industries may still need to use conventional sources – hopefully more efficient and environmental friendly?