RATIONALETHE WORLD POPULATION INCREASED FROM 6 BILLION IN 2000 TO 7.8 BILLION IN 2020 AND IS PROJECTED TO EXCEED 9 BILLION BY 2050. THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION WILL REQUIRE AS MUCH AS A 50% INCREASE IN FOOD PRODUCTION. THIS ALONG WITH ACCELERATING INDUSTRIALIZATION AND EXPANDING URBANIZATION WILL LEAD TO A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN ENERGY DEMAND. THE CURRENT ENERGY PORTFOLIO RELIES HEAVILY ON FOSSIL ENERGY, WHICH LEADS TO MANY ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC CONFLICTS. WE MUST DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE APPROACHES TO MEET THE EVER-GROWING GLOBAL DEMAND FOR ENERGY. ENERGY SOURCES MUST BE DIVERSIFIED, SECURE, AND SUSTAINABLE WITH EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY. ACHIEVING A SECURE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PORTFOLIO ON A GLOBAL SCALE IS DAUNTING AND CHALLENGING. EACH REGION OR COUNTRY HAS ITS OWN CONSTRAINTS. THEREFORE, A MULTI-NATIONAL AND CROSS-DISCIPLINARY DISCUSSION IS URGENTLY NEEDED TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION.GOAL AND OBJECTIVESTHE PROJECT WILL DELIVERA U.S. LED INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE TOPIC OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. THE GOAL OF THE CONFERENCE IS TO ENABLE CROSS-DISCIPLINARY DIALOGUES AMONG MULTI-NATIONAL SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND GOVERNMENT AGENTS TO DISCUSS NEW RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES (FOCUSING ON DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SOLUTIONS) AND REGIONALLY BASED ENERGY INNOVATIONS. THE KEY THEMES WILL INCLUDE: 1) NOVEL RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES; 2) DISTRIBUTED RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND THEIR ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY; 3) ENERGY AND FOOD SECURITY; 4) REGIONAL ENERGY SOLUTIONS AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE; AND 5) REGULATION AND POLICY FOR REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ENERGY SECURITY.APPROACHTHE CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA FROM MAY 16 TO 19, 2022. COSTA RICA IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF USING RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES WITH NEARLY 90% OF THE COUNTRY'S ENERGY COMING FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES (HYDROPOWER, BIOENERGY, AND GEOTHERMAL), MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST SUSTAINABLE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WITH RESPECT TO ENERGY. COSTA RICA IS LOCATED IN THE TROPICS, WHICH IS THE REGION REPRESENTING THE NEXT WAVE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE WORLD. THE CONFERENCE WILL BE STRUCTURED IN AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT WITH PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS ORGANIZED IN FIVE SECTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE THEMES LISTED ABOVE. EACH SESSION WILL INCLUDE 20 MINUTES OF PRESENTATIONS BY EACH PANELIST FOLLOWED BY A 30-MIN MODERATED PANEL DISCUSSION. TOURS TO RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITIES (I.E., BIOGAS PLANT, HYDROPOWER PLANT, AND SOLAR FARM) WILL BE INCLUDED. WE WILL HAVE SEVERAL INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND WILL INVITE PARTICIPANTS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES INCLUDING STUDENTS. IMPACTS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMESTHE CONFERENCE IS ALIGNED WITH THE PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY OF ENGINEERED PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY AND CAPACITY OF BIOFUELS AND EXPENDING UTILIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE AND BYPRODUCTS FOR BIOENERGY PRODUCTION. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THE CONFERENCE INCLUDE 1) GAINING PERSPECTIVES ON HOW REGIONAL ENERGY SOLUTIONS WILL INFLUENCE THE GLOBAL ENERGY MARKET AND CLIMATE CHANGE CONSIDERING SOCIAL, GEOPOLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS; 2) ESTABLISHING A RENEWABLE ENERGY DISCUSSION FORUM ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR A VARIETY OF AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCENARIOS, 3) ENABLING THE U.S. AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO RENEWABLE ENERGY CHALLENGES FACED BY MAIN AGRICULTURAL EXPORT/IMPORT MARKETS OF THE U.S.; AND 4) RAISING THE PROMINENCE OF THE AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSION GLOBALLY IN THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SECTOR.