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POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

THE SEVENTH MANSFIELD PACIFIC RETREAT
SEPTEMBER 19-22, 2004
WHITEFISH, MONTANA

Clean Energy Alternatives in the Asia-Pacific: Can Hydrogen Provide a Sustainable Future?

Energy supply is undoubtedly a critical issue for industries, communities and governments in both the developed and developing world. The U.S. Department of Energy’s International Energy Outlook 2003 shows a precipitous growth in worldwide energy demand over the next 24 years. According to the report, total world energy consumption is expected to expand by 58 percent from 404 quadrillion BTUs in 2001 to 640 quadrillion BTUs in 2025. The report also projects that the consumption of every primary energy source will increase dramatically over the 24-year forecast horizon.

Many see a movement to a hydrogen economy as the long-term solution to the environmental and energy problems associated with fossil fuels. Due to its abundance, suitability to store and transport energy generated from renewable sources, and non-polluting nature, hydrogen is often cited as the panacea for global energy problems.

In November 2003, representatives from 14 countries including the United States, China, Japan, and Korea signed the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy (IPHE) agreement, pointing to hydrogen as a key contributor to energy supply and environmental protection in the foreseeable future. Japan’s R&D annual budget for fuel cells and hydrogen has tripled since 1995, reaching $200 million in 2002. Other countries including China and South Korea either have R&D programs in place, or are expanding their investments. The United States has announced a five-year $1.7 billion program on hydrogen, fuel cells and related infrastructures, and the U.S. Department of Energy's fiscal year 2005 budget of $24.3 billion (the largest ever) includes $22.8 million for the department's hydrogen programs.

As hydrogen-based technologies show promise and attract increased interest, there are questions about how the nations of the Pacific Rim might solve the region’s complex and pressing energy and environmental problems. Any transition to a hydrogen economy calls for careful consideration of technological advances, infrastructure requirements, economic and political implications, and policies that encourage the development and deployment of this technology.

What are the medium-term energy policy incentives for the Asia-Pacific region? Does hydrogen have the potential to provide clean, alternative energy to the region in the near future? Can the problems of extracting hydrogen be solved in a pollution free, cost-effective manner? What barriers exist to the successful implementation of hydrogen-based approaches? And what types of regional approaches and R&D collaboration might be developed?

Program Overview

To answer these and other questions, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation and the Mansfield Center at the University of Montana will hold the Seventh Mansfield Pacific Retreat entitled: Clean Energy Alternatives in the Asia-Pacific: Can Hydrogen Provide a Sustainable Future? The Retreat will take place September 19-22, 2004, at the Kandahar Lodge in Whitefish, Montana.

Retreat participants will consist of an interdisciplinary group of 20-25 experts representing government, academia, industry and NGOs from Japan, South Korea, the People’s Republic of China and the United States.

The Retreat agenda will focus on:
· An overview of hydrogen-based energy systems and their potential to provide a sustainable future in the Asia-Pacific region.
· Identification of energy challenges in the Asia-Pacific region that would benefit from hydrogen-based technologies.
· Discussion of the economic, political and policy implications of adopting hydrogen-based technologies.
· Exploration of how hydrogen-based technologies might be applied to address pan-Asian issues and contribute to environmental protection.

While there will be presentations from participants from each country represented at the Retreat, the Retreat agenda will depart from a standard conference format by allocating at least half the time for informal discussion and exchanges among participants. Participants in past Retreats have rated these informal discussions as the most valuable aspect of the meeting because they allow for in-depth discussion and exchanges of perspectives not possible in larger groups or conference formats. Past Retreats have also demonstrated that these discussions lay the groundwork for subsequent networking, exchanges of information and future intra-regional cooperation.