The energy transition is no longer theoretical. It’s unfolding in real time, shaped by people and ideas across Southern California. That reality was evident as 300 innovators, policymakers, and entrepreneurs gathered for Sustain SoCal’s 16th Annual Energy Conference: Energy in Perspective at UCI Beall Applied Innovation.
The day offered insight into technologies, policy, and partnership. From hydrogen and carbon capture to AI-driven efficiency and microgrid resilience, sessions revealed a single theme: collaboration is the foundation of the clean-energy future.
Keynote speaker David Hayes, former White House climate advisor and now at Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability, emphasized that the path to decarbonization depends on the alignment of innovation, markets, and public will. Panels with experts from UC Irvine, ARCHES, Toyota Tsusho America, SoCalGas, Siemens, and the California Public Utilities Commission expanded that vision, presenting examples of work underway across the region.
For RevHub, the event affirmed a central idea: lasting energy transitions depend on early-stage innovation. Startups and social enterprises test solutions in communities, translate research into application, and respond quickly to emerging needs. Their agility and creativity position them to strengthen the clean-energy economy at the ground level.
“The energy transition is being built one idea and one partnership at a time,” said Stephan Erkelens, CEO of RevHub. “Early-stage ventures show that meaningful impact begins where innovation meets human need.”
This commitment to innovation was visible in the discussion on fusion energy, featuring TAE Technologies, a company created from UC Irvine research in 1998. While fusion remains a long-term pursuit, its progress demonstrates that discovery and entrepreneurship continue to advance the field of clean energy.
The conference closed with optimism and resolve. In a time of global challenge, Energy in Perspective reflected a region united by purpose. Southern California is not waiting for the future to arrive. We’re building it right now.
