AzSEC 2021

10th Annual Arizona Student Energy Conference (AzSEC): 21st Century Energy Transition

Renewable Energy Science, Technology, and Policy at the Energy-Water-Food Nexus

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Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez headshot

AzSEC Fall 2021 keynote speaker: Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez

Graduate students and post-docs from University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University meet every Fall semester with the state's leading renewable energy experts and researchers for the Arizona Student Energy Conference (AzSEC), an annual symposium focusing on developments and exploration in the fields of renewable energy science, technology, and policy at the energy-water-food nexus. Our theme for 2021 was The 21st Century Energy Transition. This virtual event was held on September 30, 2021 as a Zoom webinar.

This year’s event was virtual both days and included a live video stream of our keynote address and panels on Thursday, September 30. Thursday’s keynote featured Mr. Jonathan Nez, President of the Navajo Nation. His keynote was followed by a panel focused on the “Energy Transitions on Native Lands” and included panelists from the Navajo Nation, NREL’s Tribal Energy Program, NAU’s Center for American Indian Economic Development, University of Arizona’s Native American Initiatives, and Arizona Utilities. This year’s theme has helped our graduate students see their work in a broader context, and to begin understanding the challenges faced by Native Nations and areas of the U.S. where energy is abundant but where energy and water scarcity are still pervasive.

The conference also focused on the energy transition and energy systems integration. The featured speakers were Dr. Karletta Chief (University of Arizona), Paul Veers (Chief Engineer at the National Wind Technology Center), and Joseph Guzman (Northern Arizona University). Policy panel discussions and PhD presentations demonstrated the broad scope of research activities being conducted at the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University.

Questions or need more information?

For further information, please visit the FAQ page or contact a university conference representative:

Ruby Sayed, robina.sayed@asu.edu (ASU) 

Dr. Tom Acker, tom.acker@nau.edu (NAU)