The Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center, based in Stony Brook, NY hosted its annual conference this year at the Hilton in NYC. Sessions focused on current and emerging clean energy technologies, the smart grid, and improved battery storage for vehicles. Though inspiring to hear what is possible, it is a bit frustrating to wonder when these advances will actually be put in pace, which requires some good policy. One session featuring Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig of the NASA Goddard Center for Space Studies at Columbia spoke about current science on climate change. That afternoon, Governor Paterson addressed the crowd as keynote speaker with a strong message calling for action, and announced his draft Climate Change Action Plan for NY through 2030. It is a good, comprehensive plan but lacks one important aspect— incremental requirements leading up to 2030. Hopefully this conference will lead to the implementation of the technologies necessary to move our state quickly towards wiser energy production and use.