Dr. Charles Goodman had a long career in electric utility research and development at Southern Company -- primarily in establishing and improving coal-to-energy processes and in addressing the public policy issues associated with coal utilization. His contributions span heat transfer, emission controls, environmental science, and advanced generation technologies.
Prior to retirement in 2007 he was the senior vice president for generation policy with responsibilities that included serving as chairman of the board for the FutureGen Industrial Alliance.
Prior to 2006, he held the position of senior vice president for research and environmental policy. In that position he served as the chief environmental officer for Southern Company. He also directed research & development, environmental policy, environmental research, and compliance strategy development efforts for Southern Company as it developed cleaner and more efficient ways to meet the energy needs of its customers. Dr. Goodman served for many years on the Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) Research Advisory Committee and was chair of its Environment Sector Council.
He is a member of the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, the Energy and Environment Directorate Review Committee at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the R&D Advisory Council for the Babcock and Wilcox Company. He is a member of the School of Science and Engineering Board at Tulane University and a member of the College of Engineering Board of Advisors at the University of Texas at Arlington.
He was also among a group of experts who served on the Committee on America’s Energy Future, a panel of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science, which in late 2009 published a comprehensive examination and analysis of US energy technology options.
He has chaired the Environmental Staff Committee of the Business Roundtable and was a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee. His responsibilities have included oversight of the Power Systems Development Facility, the United States’ premier clean coal technology research center, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In addition, he was responsible for the development and execution of four DOE Clean Coal Technology projects that provided new emissions control options that have been applied to the industry’s conventional power plants.
He is a Life Fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Dr. Goodman received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Tulane University and his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from University of Texas at Arlington.
