Cars of the future were the talk of the town Nov. 17-18 as Auburn hosted the Sixth Annual Alabama Renewable Energy Conference at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.
More than 200 scientists and engineers from across the country attended the conference, exchanging concepts ranging from alternative forms of energy to the design of vehicles to implement these technologies.
"I was very pleased with the turnout at the conference," said Kathy Hornsby, renewable energy program manager with the energy division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. "The level of the presentations and the interaction from the participants was very good. We got good feedback from the attendees and it was a great networking opportunity. It brought a lot of people together to help promote biofuel and the renewable fuel industry in our state."
Among the attendees was Dennis Smith, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Clean Cities program. This program is closely tied with the development of alternative fuel sources, as well as vehicular design for future generations.
Smith was a speaker at the conference and used the occasion to comment on the difference between cars as depicted in science fiction and what they will actually look like.
"As far as appearance, I think cars will look a lot like they look today," Smith said. "We're not going to be in hovercraft or rocket cars or things like that."
While Smith's presence drew a portion of the crowd, gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Artur Davis also spoke.
He appealed to Alabama's technological advances in the past, including Werner Von Braun's development of the Saturn V in Huntsville during the '60s, as proof that Alabama is an ideal place to develop these technologies.
"It can happen in the next decade," Davis said. "We can be a leader on the research front. There is no reason why Auburn University should not be at the forefront in 2019 of alternative energy research in this country."
Davis also said innovations in biofuels would be invaluable to the Black Belt region of the state, areas with mounting unemployment rates reaching excesses of 25 percent.
This area, while lacking paying jobs, is rich in natural resources typically used for these fuels such as trees and grass. He cited in his speech that this, combined with Auburn's research capabilities and the people's "can-do" attitude, would be a great help in maximizing energy efficiency.
Hornsby said, should this happen, both Auburn and the state as a whole will continue to grow in notoriety.
"Sometimes bringing the right people together makes things click," Hornsby said. "There has been a great partnership between ADECA and Auburn."
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