Power Void

Professor Will Childress is immersed in a complicated, high-stakes quest. A large grant from the U.S. Department of Energy enables him to begin a research project to pursue new techniques in photovoltaics that will bring low-cost electricity to 1.2 billion people who now have no access to electricty in developing countries. He teams up with professors and students at the Indian institute of Science in Bengaluru and an Indian solar panel manufacturer to invent a radical transformation of existing solar technology. Yet the complexities of university policies, the cutthroat competitiveness of industry leaders, and the dangers of becoming involved in war-torn Kashmir create obstacles that threaten to block the way. A young Kashmiri graduate student emerges as a key contributor as she outsmarts hackers, rebel leaders, and red tape. But can she and Childress successfully frustrate the murderous intent of enemies as well?

Power Void seeks to describe the interlocking roles played by private firms, government agencies, and research universities in developing and making available transformative new technologies. It also shows how intense competition can often lead to unintended, and even illegal, consequences. While the characters and events in Power Void are fictitious, the problems and potential solutions described are quite real.