The portal to energy innovation at ASU

Connecting people, ideas and action to spark collaboration, advance education and drive real-world impact across the energy landscape

The global energy transition isn’t just a technical puzzle — it’s one of the most complex, highstakes challenges of our time, touching every aspect of how we live, work and thrive. Meeting it demands more than theory. It requires new models of action, collaboration and accountability.

Energy Forward is Arizona State University’s bold response — not just another institute, but a new kind of “do tank” built to accelerate realworld progress. Launched in November 2024 and led by seasoned energy innovators Gary Dirks and Kelly Barr, Energy Forward brings together leaders across science, engineering, policy and business to move discovery into deployment.

Anchored within the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, Energy Forward operates as an agile, transdisciplinary engine — drawing from the full breadth of ASU’s expertise to tackle energy challenges from every angle. We convene researchers, practitioners, policymakers and business leaders in one coordinated effort, focused on breaking down silos and accelerating practical solutions. With its inaugural projects already underway, we’re actively identifying barriers, testing strategies and unlocking scalable pathways to power a more sustainable future.

Kelly Barr, associate vice president and chief alliance officer at the Global Futures Laboratory, says collaboration is absolutely critical in successfully addressing the people’s energy needs.

In large-scale energy change, the most powerful technology we have is collaboration. It is through co-creation that we turn ideas into action, possibilities into realities and bold visions into solutions strong enough to shape the future,” says Barr.

That’s why Energy Forward prioritizes deep collaboration — not only with energy and environmental experts, but also with communities, industries and decision-makers who are directly impacted by and instrumental to the energy transition. Our approach is built around a three-step framework: jointly identifying problems, co-creating relevant solutions and cultivating the dialogue and partnerships necessary for effective implementation.

At its core, Energy Forward is committed to working alongside a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders to reshape the energy landscape into one that is sustainable, inclusive and resilient. This mission is fueled by a powerful network of collaborators — from community partners to pioneering researchers and sector innovators — all aligned in accelerating the shift to a thriving energy future.

Gary Dirks, senior director of the Global Futures Laboratory, says it is not enough to simply envision the future. To be successful, humanity must convert ideas to action.

Energy Forward was created to challenge the conventional ways universities engage with complex societal issues. Rather than functioning as a traditional “think tank,” it was intentionally designed as a “do tank” — a dynamic, action-oriented model that emphasizes implementation over abstraction. This approach reflects a broader aspiration: to inspire a shift in how academic institutions nationwide engage with urgent, real-world challenges beyond the walls of research and into the realm of tangible impact.

At the Global Futures Laboratory, collaboration isn’t just a value — it’s our operating model. We invite communities, companies and organizations to bring us their most pressing challenges, then work side by side to design and implement solutions. By uniting research, technology and policy in an action-driven partnership, we can move quickly, act decisively and deliver real impact where it’s needed most,” says Barr.