Extracting useful heat and work from energy sources is essential to human civilization, and the energy infrastructure that has developed to meet the world’s needs is immense, complex and weighted with legacy technology. Today issues of energy equity, environment, climate change and climate adaptation are transforming the context in which the energy system is evolving. Linkages to world-wide water, land and mineral use must be included in developing world’s future energy systems

Fortunately, the U.S. infrastructure of research and development has created a wealth of tools and approaches that allow new progress in providing energy efficiently, cleanly and sustainably.

The connectivity of energy with other resources will be reviewed, and examples of high-potential energy innovation will be presented, including highlights from the goal-oriented programs of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy.