Wisconsin-based Virent, one of the industry partners collaborating with the LSU AgCenter on its Sustainable Bioproducts Initiative (SUBI), has been selected as a semi-finalist for the Energy Innovation Award presented by the Washington, DC-based organization, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE).

Other semi-finalists are:

• Achates Power
• HEVO Power
• National Fuel and Power LLC
• Nostrum Energy LLC
• Vorbeck Materials

From this group, three finalists will be chosen based on votes from an expert selection panel and the public. Go to http://oilembargo40.org/#vote to vote. These finalists will have the opportunity to present their technology at SAFE’s OPEC Oil Embargo +40: A National Summit on Energy Security, Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington D.C. 

Featured speakers for the summit are:

• Dr. Henry Kissinger.
• Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, president and CEO of FedEx.
• General James Conway (Ret.), former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
• Admiral Dennis Blair (Ret.), former director of National Intelligence and commander in chief, U.S. Pacific Command.
• Daniel F. Akerson, chairman and CEO of General Motors.
• Jeffrey R. Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric. 
• Seifi Ghasemi, chairman and CEO of Rockwood Holdings, Inc.

To learn more about the Summit or to register for the event, visit: www.OilEmbargo40.org or join the conversation on Twitter at #OPEC40.