Supplying energy to the American people is an increasingly complex task. These complexities include not just the conversion of the various forms of energy (oil, gas, wind, hydropower, etc.) into useful forms (transportation fuel and electricity) but also moving the more useful form to where it can be used (transmission). Economics and government regulations complicate the matter further.

Let’s focus on electricity supply. The U.S. Electricity Grid, which could be considered the largest machine in the world, has innumerable moving parts. All elements must work together to provide a sufficient amount of electricity to homes, schools, businesses, and factories when its needed and at an affordable price. How do we know what is sufficient? How do we know when to supply it? How can we make it cheaper?

I believe we are at the forefront of a revolution here in California. We are fundamentally changing the way we live our lives. We are moving, awkwardly, but inevitably towards a more sustainable future. It began with the minds and hearts of the people: People who are committed to cleaner air, climate change mitigation, and renewable energy. People who vote for leaders committed to building a cleaner economy. People who vote with their pocketbooks to install roof top solar and drive electric vehicles. People who devote their careers to developing innovative clean technologies. And people who decide to live more frugally. While we haven’t found every policy and technology solution yet, and we haven’t built the infrastructure needed for this revolution to be successful, the revolution has begun.

Cheap abundant natural gas has transformed US industry and global energy, with implications for energy security, geopolitics, manufacturing, environmental quality, and global climate change. Underlying this energy supply are new approaches to stimulation of tight hydrocarbon reservoirs all over the US, chiefly multi-stage stimulation and hydrofracturing (commonly called “fracking”). To understand and assess the longevity and continued impact of a gas-dominated energy future, the Howard Baker Forum and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory hosted a two day symposium featuring experts from the commercial, industrial, research, and political worlds. The resounding conclusion is that abundant low-cost gas is here to stay, but the nation’s ability to use this resource depends on how technology, policy, and regulation interact.

How exactly does a company use HPC modeling and simulation to develop new technologies? HPC for Energy has produced “HPC in Action: Navistar” to give a behind the scenes look at one company’s HPC success story. This video explains how Navistar worked with a team of LLNL scientists to improve tractor trailer fuel economy across the country. The combination of wind tunnel testing and HPC enabled Navistar to optimize the design and significantly reduce the testing period for new drag-reduction technologies. By quickly identifying and deploying practical solutions, Navistar and LLNL improved tractor trailer fuel economy by 17%, which will save 4.6 billion gallons of fuel per year in the U.S.

This week concluded the Washington Conference and Technology Workshop entitled The Changing Outlook for U.S. Energy: Will Shale Gas Transform America’s Energy Future?. The conference identified high-performance computing as a powerful tool to improve the production and environmental impact of shale gas. HPC’s value reaches beyond the oil and gas industry, and energy companies of all sizes will benefit from clear information on how to engage the HPC resources resident at our national labs.

In May 2011, national leaders established the National Roadmap on Advancing Energy Technologies through High-Performance Computing. Since then, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Howard Baker Forum have launched the HPC for Energy Initiative to enact the Roadmap’s recommendations. In this video interview, Dona Crawford, leader of Livermore’s cutting-edge HPC programs, details various elements of the HPC for Energy Initiative.

On March 5, U.S. Senator John Hoeven hosted a meeting at North Dakota State University, bringing together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to discuss how to advance energy innovation.

For anybody that follows energy, North Dakota is known for its vast resources in oil, gas, and wind. What may not be quite as obvious is the role that supercomputing plays in offering these resources to the marketplace.

University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources is a high-test research and development institution supercharged by industrial sponsors and the State of Wyoming. On occasion, the School (led by the mighty Mark Northam) puts together speakers from around the state and across the country to discuss key topics in energy science, technology and policy. A great example was last fall’s Hydraulic Fracking Forum, which gathered experts from academia, industry, regulatory agencies, state legislatures and national labs.