The world today is better than ever and one of the foundational reasons for this is because of access to energy. We have gas to power our cars and planes, electricity to run our appliances, natural gas, and other sources to control the heat in our homes. Dubai and Las Vegas don’t exist without cheap energy to power them.

Conversations surrounding energy sources, energy consumption, and ways to use energy efficiently have been on the rise. Alternative sources to coal have emerged with solar, wind, and hydroelectric as front runners. As America strives to optimize energy use, innovations such as battery storage, the Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence will be disruptive.

In this interview, Lauren Azar draws on her 25 years of experience working in the energy sector. She talks about why coal is not a viable, long-term source of energy, how new technologies will make energy consumption cheaper, and where America’s energy is most vulnerable from security threats. Lauren also candidly discusses how to get more girls and young women involved in energy and other STEM careers.

Over the course of her career, Lauren Azar has worked at the federal government level as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Energy, at the state government level as Commissioner at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, and in the private sector as an attorney representing utilities and utility customers.