Danfoss held its third and final EnVisioneeringSM Symposium in Washington, D.C., Dec. 4, 2006, focusing on America’s 21st century energy challenges.

Dr. Raymond L. Orbach, U.S. Department of Energy’s undersecretary for science, noted that dependence on fossil fuels and imported oil poses a growing risk to the U.S. economy, the environment and national security. He suggested five pathways to transforming energy: conservation, wind, nuclear, bioenergy and fusion.

He also mentioned that in September 2006 the U.S. launched a major cooperative project with the European Union, Japan, Russia, China, Korea and India to develop an International Thermal Energy Reactor (ITER). This experimental fusion reactor will be the “penultimate step to the development of commercial fusion energy,” he said.

Other experts agreed that while renewable energy sources are currently a focus of the federal government, industry needs to use available natural resources more efficiently and effectively.

Danfoss will release a comprehensive industry report of the three conferences this month at the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Expo in Dallas. In addition, plans are underway for the 2007 EnVisioneering Symposium Series to gather new and creative technologies and approaches needed for a secure energy future. For more information, visitwww.envisioneering.danfoss.com/symposium