Alternative Energy Models for a Low Carbon Transition

The world will continue to need more and cleaner energy as well as access to convenient, reliable and affordable energy to power the livelihoods of communities and economic activity. But power generation and energy consumption have become heated topics (pun intended) as they have been identified as culprits that create carbon dioxide emissions. In our panel discussion representatives of two energy giants will talk about how cities can achieve a clean energy transition towards zero carbon emissions and how new energy technologies like wind power and green hydrogen as well as distribution models contribute towards this transition.

We will be asking the panelists questions such as

• What does it take to achieve a clean energy transition and how can energy companies help cities to become carbon neutral by 2030?
• What technologies (clean or digital) can contribute to a low carbon transition?
• What does it take to build integrated systems that make the best use of available energy technologies?
• Why the hydrogen “hype” now and what would be a realistic timeline to reach a viable hydrogen economy?

Panelists:

• Jens Müller-Belau, Energy Transition Manager, Shell Germany 
• Philipp-Nikolas Otto, Market Research Manager, EnBW North America
• Annette Wiedenbach, GABC SmartCities Task Force (Moderator)

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Date: Thursday, March 18th, 2021

Time: 12PM to 1PM

Platform: Zoom Meeting

This is the fifth in a series of monthly “Smart Cities” virtual events leading up to our German-American Economic Forum, now scheduled for 2021. #GAEF2021

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Speakers

Moderator

Annette Wiedenbach, GABC SmartCities Task Force
Annette Wiedenbach is Country Manager China at Climate Scorecard and a 2018/19 Fellow of the Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT. As an international corporate communications and public affairs professional she worked over 20 years in global and local government affairs, communications, change management and sustainability leadership positions for German companies operating globally. She has lived and worked in Germany, China, Taiwan, Singapore and is currently based in Boston, MA, USA. Until 2018 she was a member on the steering committee of the Covestro-Tongji Chair for Sustainable Development at Shanghai’s Tongji University and Co-Chair of the Sustainability Task Force of the China Petrochemical and Chemicals Industry Federation. Annette is Content Lead for the GABC SmartCities Task Force conceptualizing and driving content for the 2020-2021 event series and conference.

Panelists

Jens Müller-Belau, Energy Transition Manager Germany, Deutsche Shell Holding GmbH

In March 2018 Jens Müller-Belau was appointed as the Energy Transition Manager for Shell in Germany. With a strong external focus, the role integrates ongoing Shell activities across various businesses, supporting Shell’s CO2 reduction ambition, which is aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement. In this role Jens leads the profiling and positioning of future business opportunities and associated medium and longer-term options across all Shell businesses in Germany. In his last role, he was the Managing Director for Shell Global Solutions Deutschland GmbH, leading the Shell Technology Centre in Hamburg, a global centre of expertise with 300 people focussing on research and development in automotive, industrial and domestic fuels, lubricants and greases, engine gearbox and vehicle technology, and marine technologies. He also was a member of the Board for CRI Deutschland GmbH, a Shell catalyst manufacturer in Germany and held the global role as General Manager for Innovation in Fuels Technology. His team was focussing on collaborating with multiple industry partners on key strategic drivers such as technology advances and bridging longer-term mobility trends with shorter-term innovation and product development needs, developing and deploying new fuel technologies to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global market place. Jens completed a master’s degree in chemical engineering and he began his career in Shell as a fuels scientist in 1996 at Shell Technology Centre Hamburg. Based in Hamburg and Houston, Jens held various global technology leadership positions in Shell, managing product strategies and development teams and programs for Shell across a range of fuels and lubricants products.

Philipp-Nikolas Otto, Market Research Manager, EnBW North America

Philipp has been a part of EnBW AG (Germany) since 2004. Since joining the EnBW North America team in Boston in 2020 as a market research manager, Philipp’s focus has been to monitor federal and state policies and market trends that are relevant to EnBW North America’s strategy.  EnBW North America is a subsidiary of EnBW AG, a German utility and leading European offshore wind developer with a portfolio of nearly 1,000 MW of offshore wind projects under operation or construction in Europe and more than 6,000 MW under development globally.

Prior to joining EnBW North America, Philipp was a regulatory manager representing EnBW AG, Germany, before federal and local regulatory authorities and served as a legal advisor. Additionally, he worked several years in policy, strategy and business development departments monitoring European markets as well as developing strategies to decarbonize district heating systems in the context of the German coal phase-out.

Philipp was a lecturer of Energy Law at the University of Applied Sciences in Heilbronn, Germany and has a degree in Business Law from the University of Applied Sciences  in Trier, Germany.