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The Future of Energy Initiative (FOEI-CIRCA 2012) is an open-source working group. Our mission is to develop sustainable concepts for clean energy systems. Our role is architect. As engineers we focus on tipping points and the key technical questions that will ultimately determine the structural foundations of clean energy systems. The main management process is review and critique during weekly 2-hour video conferences.

Our chosen goal is to power the planet without fossil fuel. With finite fossil resources, this goal is inevitable and has no ambiguity except for timing. Whether it is 50, or 150 years, it is important for policymakers to understand which concepts can be scaled to deliver 3.4 x 10¹⁷ Wh/y of primary sustainable energy. This process is explained in a paper titled Engineering Clean Energy Systems.

Primary products – The following links notable products by members:

· Alex Pavlak’s  addressed a number of key issues in the clean energy transition including:

o America’s Emerging Electric Power Emergency explains why the nations electric power systems have degraded to the point where National Emergency powers are needed.

o Decarbonizing CAISO (with Gene Preston) - NREL’s LA-100 report overstates the performance of wind + PV because their model misses the lackluster performance of wind + PV during December.

o States owned power authority for new nuclear – A centralized vertically integrated management structure, at least temporarily, would simplify the reintroduction of new nuclear.

· Charles Forsberg argues that the hydrocarbon industry will not disappear. Hydrocarbon fuels, with the highest theoretical chemical energy density are just too useful. Oil companies will shift their focus from refining crude to synthesizing biocarbon fuel from carbon and H₂.

· Darryl Siemer has a new university textbook titled Nuclear Power: Policies, Practices and the Future, 2^nd Ed

· Gene Preston submitted a filing to PUCT on how Transmission System Constraints Decrease Generation Reliability. He also has a paper explaining ERCOT’s continuing reliability decline

· Charles Rhodes provides an excellent summary of the causes and mitigation of global warming. He also explains why nuclear fission will evolve towards fast neutron reactors and the nuances behind interruptible electricity markets.

· Matt Wald has written a series of articles on decarbonization for the Breakthrough Institute.

· Paul Acchione through the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers authored a study of Ontario’s Electricity Supply mix. He also authored Retail Price Plans for a Zero Emission Future, a version of which is currently being implemented in Ontario Canada.

· Bob Borlick submitted a Review of market reform assessment produced by energy and environmental economics, inc as a formal filing to the PUCT.

· Ralph Ellis explains Why Ice Ages Occur without resorting to CO₂ as a greenhouse gas

· Jerry Cuttler has taken on the challenge of mitigating the public fear of radiation by showing that low dose radiation is an effective therapeutic for Alzheimers, arthritis, and COVID pneumonia

· James Conca explains why long-term nuclear waste disposal is a non-issue provided the disposal site satisfies appropriate engineering criteria.