Location: Pavilion B Presenters: Larry Garcia, Seattle City Light; Paul Horton, Climate Solutions Facilitation Team: Pat Hughes, Host; Sandra Poulson, Harvester
This organization's motto is "Practical solutions to global warming." They have strong efforts in the following areas, which are well documented on their website.
1. Poised for Profit in Clean Energy A major focus is the smart grid opportunity for the Northwest. Smart energy grids are self-healing (reducing power disturbances), economical (decreasing need for peak power generation), and cleaner (making it easier to use local distributed generation from renewable resources). "The Poised for Profit II Partnerhip ...in 2003 identified smart energy as the region's leading opportunity to develop a job-rich energy technology sector on the scale of current regional leaders such as aerospace and computers."
2. Harvesting Clean Energy Information on the Harvesting Clean Energy Conference (Jan 27-29 in Portland) is attached. This conference is aimed at NW farmers, rural utilities, and energy developers. It provides information on wind power, biofuels, geothermal, and remote solar, as well as energy efficiency.
Another program is the Our Wind Co-op, which has placed small-scale wind turbines on farms, ranches, and other facilities across the Northwest.Through this collaborative effort, 10-kW turbines have been installed at numerous rural sites serviced by publicly-owned utilities. "Our Wind goal (is to) establish a cooperative model for achieving energy independence, rural economic development and community ownership."
3. Northwest Climate Connections This is a network of organizations, businesses, and jurisdictions that are working together to demonstrate how protecting the climate helps build a healthier, more sustainable region. Members provide a market for: -Energy solutions -Transportation solutions -Ecosystem solutions -Economic solutions Members have access to communications and targeted, solution-oriented partnerships.
Paul Horton said:
"The fossil fuel economy is the largest economy in the world... but there are some seismic shifts (i.e. new drivers) coming into play. These include: -Oil sticker price (now at $90 a barrel) -Energy security (can't depend on oil from middle east) -Energy independence (especially for rural areas and the underdeveloped countries) -Climate change (ability to emit carbon is going to close down) -Culture (people are starting to get it. It's raining climate groups.) -Grid Technology (switching from large power stations with inefficient transmission to local networks. Impoverished areas want small scale, distributed energy systems and there will be a market for this.) -Clean Energy Technology (huge market - biggest investement opportunity of our time)"
"On a small scale and a large scale, there's lots and lots of things that need to happen. But this is the moment. Everything is encouraging."
They have strong efforts in the following areas, which are well documented on their website.
1. Poised for Profit in Clean Energy
A major focus is the smart grid opportunity for the Northwest. Smart energy grids are self-healing (reducing power disturbances), economical (decreasing need for peak power generation), and cleaner (making it easier to use local distributed generation from renewable resources).
"The Poised for Profit II Partnerhip ...in 2003 identified smart energy as the region's leading opportunity to develop a job-rich energy technology sector on the scale of current regional leaders such as aerospace and computers."
2. Harvesting Clean Energy
Information on the Harvesting Clean Energy Conference (Jan 27-29 in Portland) is attached. This conference is aimed at NW farmers, rural utilities, and energy developers. It provides information on wind power, biofuels, geothermal, and remote solar, as well as energy efficiency.
Another program is the Our Wind Co-op, which has placed small-scale wind turbines on farms, ranches, and other facilities across the Northwest.Through this collaborative effort, 10-kW turbines have been installed at numerous rural sites serviced by publicly-owned utilities. "Our Wind goal (is to) establish a cooperative model for achieving energy independence, rural economic development and community ownership."
3. Northwest Climate Connections
This is a network of organizations, businesses, and jurisdictions that are working together to demonstrate how protecting the climate helps build a healthier, more sustainable region. Members provide a market for:
-Energy solutions
-Transportation solutions
-Ecosystem solutions
-Economic solutions
Members have access to communications and targeted, solution-oriented partnerships.
Paul Horton said:
"The fossil fuel economy is the largest economy in the world... but there are some seismic shifts (i.e. new drivers) coming into play. These include:
-Oil sticker price (now at $90 a barrel)
-Energy security (can't depend on oil from middle east)
-Energy independence (especially for rural areas and the underdeveloped countries)
-Climate change (ability to emit carbon is going to close down)
-Culture (people are starting to get it. It's raining climate groups.)
-Grid Technology (switching from large power stations with inefficient transmission to local networks. Impoverished areas want small scale, distributed energy systems and there will be a market for this.)
-Clean Energy Technology (huge market - biggest investement opportunity of our time)"
"On a small scale and a large scale, there's lots and lots of things that need to happen. But this is the moment. Everything is encouraging."
Written by Joanna