2021 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit

ARPA-E held its 11th ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit on May 24-27, 2021. To ensure the health and safety of all participants, the 2021 Summit was an all-virtual event. To accommodate time zones across the United States, most programming occurred during afternoon hours, Eastern Time. For more information, please visit the Summit website.

This event gathered thousands of experts from government, academia, and industry to advance cutting-edge energy technologies. The four-day program featured inspiring keynotes, practical breakout sessions, a technology showcase with 300+ innovative technologies, and targeted networking opportunities.


ARPA-E Program Director/Fellow Fast Pitch Presentations

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021: Heat

Dr. Scott Hsu - Fusion Energy: Time to Swing for the Fences
Dr. Jenifer Shafer - Why can’t (ARPA)-wE be friends?
Dr. Zak Fang - Seeking New Pathways to Low-Cost Green Hydrogen – Making the Case for Hydrogen Again
Dr. Peter Debock - Frosty Fuels Future
Dr. Christina Chang - Ore We There Yet? Reimagining Metals Extraction

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021: Carbon

Dr. Jack Lewnard - Leave it in the Ground…But Use It at the Surface
Dr. Marina Sofos - Everything and the Kitchen Sink: Drawing Down Emissions via Carbon-Storing Buildings
Dr. Scott Litzelman - Cloudy with a Chance of DAC
Dr. Ian Robinson - Carbon Capture and…?


Wednesday, May 26th, 2021: Carbon (Oceanic)

Dr. Marc von Keitz - Floating Energy Islands
Dr. Jake Russell - Under the Sea: Rethinking Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Dr. Greg Thiel - Water, Water, Everywhere; So Many Drops to Treat: Meeting the Potential for Oceanic Carbon Dioxide Removal
Dr. David Babson - Reversing the Carbon Flows at Deep-sea Oil Rigs

Wednesday, May 26th, 2021: Materials

Dr. Doug Wicks - Waste Not, Want Not – Mining Without Tailings
Dr. Halle Cheeseman - Fishing for Riches
Dr. Elizabeth Troein - No need to bore: Bio-ore (for carbon-negative mining)
Dr. Joseph King - Waiting to Exhale


Thursday, May 27th, 2021: Systems

Dr. Mario Garcia-Sanz - Damping the Grid Oscillations
Dr. Emily Yedinak - Beyond Plastics: The Next Materials Revolution
Dr. Philseok Kim - Building on Nature
Dr. Robert Ledoux - Beyond Binary: Exploring Quantum Computing Solutions for Energy’s Toughest Problems
Dr. David Tew - Artificial Sustainable Transportation Fuel Intelligence