Leading ethicists, engineers, economists and energy industry decision makers will gather Oct. 28 and 29 (Thursday and Friday) at the University of Notre Dame for a conference titled “Ethics and Changing Energy Markets: Issues for Engineers, Managers and Regulators.”p. Organized by Notre Dame and Carnegie Mellon University, the conference will examine the ethical, market and regulatory issues associated with the shift from regulated to competitive markets in the electric and gas utility industries.p. The California energy crisis and the Enron scandal have shaken public confidence in deregulated systems, according to conference organizers. They note that questionable ethical decisions caused some of the problems, and an adherence to high ethical standards will be essential in restoring confidence in the markets.p. Among the conference speakers who will address the origins of the problems and best practices to avoid their repetition are Patrick Wood, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Vernon Smith from George Mason University, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in economics; and Beth McLean, a reporter from Fortune magazine and co-author of the best-selling book “The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron.”p. A complete schedule, roster of speakers and more information are available on the Web at http://energyethics2004.nd.edu p. _Contact: Ken Sauer, associate professor of electrical engineering, University of Notre Dame, 574-631-6999 or sauer.1@nd.edu _ p. __
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