Ball State University alumnus Jim Turner, group executive of Duke Energy, returned to his alma mater Friday to give a presentation about energy use.
Turner said electricity is instantaneously produced and consumed, however, an estimated 1.6 billion people do not have ready access to it.
"We think so little about the amount of electricity and the cost of power when we flip on our lights, charge our cell phone at night and play guitar hero," he said. "We do not stop to think about how much we really do take for granted the electricity we are able to provide."
Although Turner said people often times take electricity for granted, it is a good thing because it means the electric companies are doing their jobs. Providing reliable, affordable and clean energy is what matters to customers and stakeholders, he said.
"It's tough on the economy if we don't get the balance right," he said.
Duke Energy is constantly looking into alternative methods of generating energy, such as nuclear plants, hydrogen, wind and solar power, Turner said. But sometimes these efforts are not well received by advocacy groups, he said.
"Dealing with government opposition and advocacy groups is part of the process," he said after giving his presentation. "I like honest discussion, not working with people who have a hidden agenda."
As a company-specific project, Duke Energy is trying an experimental power plant in southern Indiana named Edward's Port. At this plant, coal will be converted into gas. That coal gas will then be burned to create electricity and the heat waste will be used to create steam that will be used to move turbines to create more electricity.
Michael Maggiotto, dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities, said Turner's executive position at Duke Energy puts him in charge of one of the company's biggest sectors.
"He works at the epicenter of the debates on how best to address America's energy future," Maggiotto said.
Turner said the energy supply industry is trying to reduce its emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen-oxygen compounds and carbon monoxide. He said he was proud to report that despite the growth of electrical productivity across the country, emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen have been reduced significantly by 30 percent and 44 percent, respectively.
Other topics of Turner's speech included metering technology called a smart grid and saving and selling energy through a program called save-a-watt. The smart grid will allow customers to regulate, and therefore optimize, energy consumption, he said. Save-a-watt deals with implementing energy efficient technology in the home, but at a price which offsets the cost of producing the same energy by conventional means such as using coal, he said.
Turner encouraged crowd participation in his discussion of sustainable energy. His family is from the Muncie area, and his mom, dad, brother and in-laws attended the lecture, sometimes adding their own interjections.
Honors student Brittany Harvey, who had lunch with Turner and other Honors students and faculty, said it was nice to get to speak to Turner one-on-one before attending his lecture.
Kayla Aaron contributed to this story
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