The X PRIZE Foundation (XPF) will solicit ideas from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Pittsburgh Section to help choose the topic of world’s first Energy X PRIZE at an April 29th meeting at 6:30 PM in 1175 Benedum Hall at the University of Pittsburgh. The purpose of this unique endeavor is to get the Pittsburgh technical community involved with an important new prize – an Energy X PRIZE. The event is free and open to the public but reservations are encouraged.

According to John Twigg, Chair of the IEEE Pittsburgh Section, “We are working directly with the XPF which has asked for our help in deciding the topic of their new $10m Energy X PRIZE. XPF has defined five infrastructure-level areas including energy generation, transmission, efficiency, storage, and low-carbon fuels. XPF wants to choose one area to be the focus of the first Energy X PRIZE. They like ideas that capture the public’s imagination.”

“For example, the original X PRIZE was won in 2004 by Burt Rutan and his aerospace company, Scaled Composites. Burt’s team won a $10 million prize for becoming the first private spacecraft, SpaceShipOne, to make it to space (62 miles) twice within two weeks and return the pilot safely”, explained Twigg.

Twigg emphasized the importance of such an approach stating, “Prizes focus the media’s attention on reaching a new milestone and generate enthusiasm and participation. It changes people’s minds about what is possible. The X PRIZE brought a lot of media exposure for a new milestone in space travel that otherwise may have happened in obscurity. The public soon realized that private industry and not just governments could make it to space.”

For more information about the IEEE Pittsburgh Section and the Energy X PRIZE initiative, visit http://www.ewh.ieee.org/r2/pittsburgh/ or the XPF website at www.xprize.org