Public Policy Professor Marilyn Brown spoke to a luncheon briefing at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., about solar power on December 15. Brown, a professor in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, was one of three guests invited to give their views on the current state of solar technology, the probable future of these devices and potential barriers to implementing them.

The luncheon was hosted by the American Chemical Society's Science and the Congress Project and was co-hosted by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX). Julia Hamm of the Solar Electric Power Association and Nate Lewis of the California Institute of Technology also spoke to the gathering.

Brown is one of Georgia Tech's most sought after experts on energy policy. In addition to informing national leaders about energy policy, she is also the author of Georgia Tech's quarterly energy sustainability index, the EnergyBuzz (www.gatech.edu/energybuzz).

She joined Georgia Tech in 2006 after a distinguished career at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. There she held various leadership positions and led several major energy technology and policy scenario studies. Recognizing her stature as a national leader in the analysis and interpretation of energy futures in the United States, Brown remains affiliated with ORNL as a Visiting Distinguished Scientist.