By Calvin Butler
Last week, the University of Chicago did something extraordinary.
Recognizing the urgent need to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the University opened a new, flagship Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth — the first of its kind for Illinois’ top-ranked university.
In recognition, well-known names in politics, academia and energy flocked to the David Rubenstein Form in downtown Chicago, including Gov. JB Pritzker; former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, co-founder and chair of the One Country Project; U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, and John Podesta, President Joe Biden’s senior adviser for International Climate Policy. I joined former Department of Energy Undersecretary for Science Paul Dabbar, and Shirley Meng, a world-leading research in energy storage and technology, on a panel focused on the growth of battery storage technology and the demands on the grid from increased electrification needs. There was a spirited debate and a shared commitment to driving action on climate change.
But now that the panels have concluded and the launch celebration is behind us, how will this new institute do what it has committed: lead the way in developing solutions to the complex challenges of the world’s energy transition?
Despite an impressive push for start-up funds, money won’t be the only answer. Even the laudable hiring of distinguished new faculty in fields ranging from climate economics and politics to geoengineering and materials science won’t do it. Not entirely.
If the institute is to be a success in its efforts to take on, in its own words, “the greatest challenge confronting the globe today,” it will need to link arms with a critical partner: its local energy company.