With a passion for all things related to energy and power systems, Bill Brown has made a career out of his expertise in the business, legal and engineering facets of energy innovation. “I have always had a curiosity for how things worked and that curiosity has always driven me to learn,” he says of his continued motivation, noting that along the way he has developed a well-rounded skill set through his efforts.
Revered by his colleagues as an industry leader, Mr. Brown excels today in two roles. He is the chief executive officer of Net Power LLC, a global energy company focused on changing the way we think about electricity. “Net Power is a new power system that generates lower-cost electricity from fossil fuels than current power systems while producing zero air emissions,” he says, adding that he and his team are constantly challenging the status quo to drive change for a more sustainable world.
In addition to his progressive work with Net Power LLC, Mr. Brown serves as co-founder of 8 Rivers Capital in Durham, N.C., a technology commercialization firm that supports innovation and commercialization in the medical and energy technologies sectors. At 8 Rivers Capital, he invests in upcoming organizations and programs to further innovate in the way he has under Net Power LLC. For Mr. Brown, his purpose in life is leaving behind the best possible world that he can for generations to come.
Over the course of his nearly 40-year career, Mr. Brown has held prominent roles that have led him in gaining recognition as an expert. Notably, he was an energy innovation fellow at Duke University. While at Duke, he was also a professor of law, a visiting lecturer and a member of the board of visitors. Further, Mr. Brown held roles with Morgan Stanley in New York City. He was the global co-head of listed derivatives, the head of U.S.E.M. and non-dollar debt sales, head of U.S.F.X. sales and principal. Other noteworthy positions held by Mr. Brown include chairman of Palmer Labs, LLC, executive director of Goldman Sachs in London, and partner of Sidley Austin LLP in New York.
As of 2015, Mr. Brown holds several patents for his innovation work in the energy field. He holds a patent for an apparatus for combusting a fuel at high pressure and high temperature and associated system; a patent for system and method for high efficiency power generation using a carbon dioxide working fluid; a patent for method of using carbon dioxide in recovery of formation deposits; and lastly, a patent for hybrid fossil fuel and solar heated supercritical carbon dioxide power generating system and method.
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