The Silicon Valley Energy Summit 2011 focused on our energy future, the US investment in the clean tech economy, and public and private innovation in this space. Produced by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) and the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center (PEEC) at Stanford University, the event was held on June 24 at the Stanford campus and drew over four hundred attendees.
For decades it has been apparent that the way Americans produce and consume energy is not sustainable. The growing demand of energy in our digital world - coupled with America’s dependency on foreign oil and fossil fuels - threaten our economy, our national security and environment health. In fact, our needs for electricity will continue to grow as we continue to electrify more aspects of our lives, such as the increased use of electric vehicles, proliferation of digital media applications and computing, and more. Research has found that we will need more electricity than what we would save in energy efficiency and the demand for electricity will double by 2050.
At the summit, both federal and state officials sent the message that developing and incorporating renewable energy sources and clean technologies will lead the US to bolster the industries of the future, help put the US in the lead of the global green economy, and create new jobs.
John Weyant, Deputy Director at PEEC, introduced keynote speaker Cathy Zoi, Managing Director at Silver Lake Kraftwerk and a former Senior Executive in the Department Of Energy (DOE). Zoi talked about the federal energy policy in the past few years. She said that President Obama’s administration and the Congress have been working on comprehensive energy and climate legislation to not only enhance the US economy and create jobs, but also to reduce strategic and security risks associated with US reliance on imported oil, as well as to reduce carbon pollution and the effects of climate change. This approach has encouraged investment in the green economy andbrought a greater focus on innovation. Investments in clean energy and technologies, in developing greener transportation, the smart grid, in energy efficiency systems, greener buildings, etc. have increased. In the past decades, the utilities industry has invested relatively very little in research and development (R & D), in particular in energy efficiency. However, investing in R&D is not enough, Zoi said. We need to shorten the time it takes from innovation to commercialization by setting the policies, workforce training, public education, and more.
In a Plenary Session titled 'California Energy and Climate Policy', Mary Nichols of the California Air Resources Board, and Robert Weisenmiller of the California Energy Commission talked about the California Energy and Climate Policy in the past decade. Moderator was Jim Sweeney, Director of PEEC at Stanford University.
Today, the US spends billions of dollars each year to import the energy needed for our economy. Investing in clean energy sources and renewables will lead the US to be in control of our energy future. The California Energy Commission created the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program in 1996 in order to serve public interest in energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D). The PIER public interest energy research helps achieve state energy policy goals by conducting research that is not adequately provided by competitive and regulated markets or by the Energy RD&D under the PIER Program is conducted in accord with the state’s public interest energy goals, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, related infrastructure development, and environmental stewardship. The PIER program funds research in energy efficiency, demand response, renewable energy resources, advanced electricity generation, transmission and distribution, energy‐related transportation, and energy‐related environmental research.utility businesses.
Nichols and Weisenmiller said that the estimated job benefits from PIER have been significant, generating 10,000 direct jobs and 20,000 from private investment, pursuant to PIER’s small grants funding.
Examples of projects from several clean energy sectors include:
· Automated demand response
· Reduced peak loads
· Reduced emissions
· Smart grid reliability
· Better renewable energy sources integration
· Energy efficiency research
· Home Retrofits
· Energy savings
In order for us to achieve the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals, technologies and innovations need to move forward faster, accelerating the demo-phase to commercial-scale. To read more about PIER and PIER’s 2010 Annual Report (posted in March, 2011), click here.
Francisco Sanchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade at the US Department of Commerce, talked about keeping the US competitive in a global economy. As Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Sanchez plays a leadership role in advancing President Obama's National Export Initiative, which is designed to grow exports abroad while creating and supporting American jobs. Sanchez oversees the development of US trade policy, promotes American companies, strengthens American competitiveness across all industries, including energy.
Sanchez said that 95% of consumers are outside the US. In fact, 87% of the economic growth in the world will occur outside the US. Therefore American companies need to think of global markets to embrace this economic opportunity. To compete abroad, US companies need an even play field. In the green energy domain we should focus on growing the markets worldwide, and not just in the domestic plain. Energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources is key in impacting climate change, he said.
Some believe the US is battling to keep economic leadership. America’s economic growth and competitiveness depend on our ability and capacity to innovate. Sanchez said that by creating jobs and the industries of the future, America needs to invest in the creativity and imagination of our people. The ability to quickly make business and financial decisions is crucial for the US to lead. He also talked about keeping an open and attractive financial environment so it is easy for foreign investment to come to the US. To help foster local manufacturing, government will need to expand the policies.
Sanchez message was clear: we need to focus on bringing manufacturing and jobs to America, but also cater to global markets. Keeping manufacturing close to the innovation source and addressing the supply-chain needs of these manufacturers will create and keep jobs here, he said. Government, business, and academia need to work together.
MORE INFORMATION
California clean energy jobs - http://www.energy.ca.gov/cleanenergyjobs/
Federal energy policies and programs - http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy
Silicon Valley Leadership Group SVLG - Energy - http://svlg.org/issues/energy/index.php
The Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) is a non-profit member organization in Silicon Valley, CA. The organization engages senior managers in cooperative efforts with local, state, and federal officials to address major public policy issues that affect the economic health and quality life in the region. For future events check http://svlg.org/events/index.php
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