R.E.preneur

Insights from the EUEC Conference: Plenary Session

The 2008 Electric Utilities Environmental Conference kicked off on Sunday here in my college town of Tucson, AZ.  John Nangle, A colleague of mine in the McGuire Entrepreneurship program is helping to organize the conference and offered to let me join in the festivities in exchange for a little volunteer time.

The opening plenary Monday morning was headlined by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.  Pawlenty began with a famous quote from leadership and management guru Peter Drucker speaking about the future,

    "The things that got us here, will not get us there."

In terms of the environment, doing the same things that got us in this mess, will not get us out of it.  We need drastic change.  Pawlenty noted that the EIA expects a 30% increase in electricity usage in the U.S. alone in the next 20 years. 

As an expert in public policy, the governor provided accurate incite about the three stages that ALL major public policy debates go through:

    Stage 1: "That will never work"
    Stage 2: "It is too expensive"
    Stage 3: "I was for it all along"

The Governor then went on to state that the global warming debate is at least between stages two and three, an encouraging acknowledgment of how mature the debate has become. 

Like any good politician, Pawlenty proceeded to inform the EUEC crowd of the hard work that he was doing in this area.  As the chair of the National Governor's Association, he announced in July the Securing the Clean Energy Future initiative.  With the Department of Energy as a partner, this initiative has four main areas of focus:
   
    Area 1: Energy Conservation & Efficiency
    Area 2: Alternative Energy & Fuels
    Area 3: Compacts to regionalize research & development efforts
    Area 4: Reduce GHG

Pawlenty has shown admirable leadership of his state with good policy including mandates indicating the state's must purchase PHEV's when they become available, and purchase next-generation computers that will be 30-50% more energy efficient.  Pawlenty also led Minnesota to require the state to use 1.5% less energy each year going forward. 

My feeling is that Pawlenty is providing good leadership for many constituents and clearly chooses his words carefully (Clean & Alternative Energy versus Renewable).  By doing so, he can achieve more without leaving anyone in the dust.


The next speaker at the opening session was Anthony Early, Chairman of the Board of DTE Energy, parent to Detroit Edison and other utilities.  The Chairman applauded Pawlenty's focus of balancing the environment with the economy, and the challenge of not ruining one while trying to save the other. 

Early noted how the environmental game had changed for utilities in the last ten years.  In the past, environmentally focused employees were seen as necessary cost-centers, with environmental VP's speaking with their bosses only once or twice a year.  Now, these departments are seen as growth opportunities and communication is twice weekly, if not daily. 

The Chairman noted that 62% of Americans believe that our country is headed in the wrong direction in terms of the environment.  He expanded on Pawlenty's point about electricity growth noting that there is a strong correlation between electricity growth and an increase in the standard of living.  However, along with that increase, will come new and greater challenges.  Early did provide some encouraging news by focusing on recent gains in reducing Sulfur Dioxide (down 47%) Nitrous Oxide (down 41%) and Mercury (down 33% and expected to go down an additional 25% in next decade).

Early stressed that when climate change legislation comes, it must be fair to all parties.  He noted that only 1/3 of GHG come from the business sector, meaning that 2/3 comes from elsewhere.  Early feels it would be unfair to only legislate change in the business sector, it needs to be economy-wide. 

He went on to describe the clean energy efforts that DTE would be making under the correct legislation including filing a permit for a new nuclear facility (1 of 30 applications nationwide that can take 10-12 years in order to complete), and investing billions in wind power development.

Referencing Thomas Jefferson, Early stated that "Every generation needs a new revolution", this is ours.

Hopefully, more to come in later posts. 

Facts Win in Truth About Plastic Bags

Just days after writing my post on The Battle Over Plastic Bags, Hank Green at EcoGeek tells us about some interesting facts that may surprise the average reader about plastic bags.  He writes,

   

"Creating recycled paper, it turns out, is a much more energy-intensive process than creating plastic bags. That's why grocery stores prefer you take the plastic. Plastic is also much easier to ship, as it takes up way less space in packing, and they weigh far less per item of shopping you take home with you. And while we might worry that all that plastic is coming from foreign oil, the amazing thing is that even with all the billions of plastic bags we use every year, they constitute about 0.03% of our oil use in the U.S.. Obviously not the most pressing problem we've got."

  Based on this info, its probably likely that the U.S. will save more oil just by Toyota's efforts to implement an eco-driving indicator in all of their cars in the coming model year. Okay, so plastic bags don't use much oil, either in manufacture or transport, but aren't they still bad for the environment?  Yes.  Hank writes,

 There is one way in which paper bags win out: They don't harm wildlife as much. But if you think you can keep a handle on your bags, and not leave them to get blown into the ocean, then you're better with plastic than with paper.

Of course, the real solution is to not give out free bags, plastic or paper.  By charging a small fee for bags (and their associated carbon cost) you provide incentives for people to use reusable bags which is the friendliest solution.  You learn something new everyday!

The Role Of Competition: Automotive X Prize

Anyone want to make a quick $10 million?

Grab some designers, inventors, scientists, engineers, etc and sign up with the Automotive X Prize.

The Goal of the Automotive X PRIZE (AXP) is to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles to help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change.

I love this challenge, and I'm excited to see how the efforts from this competition change the automotive landscape. Below are some photos from my favorite concepts (Not including the Tesla Roadster or Aptera Typ-1h that I covered previously and are both entrants into the competition).

All of the cars are attempting to win the challenge by accomplishing the following task (info from the AXP rules):
ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
AXP winners must achieve the following energy and emissions requirements:
• Fuel economy (energy efficiency): at least 100 MPGe
• Total (wells-to-wheels3) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions expressed as equivalent grams of CO2 per
mile: no more than 200 g/mi
• Criteria emissions: no worse than US EPA Tier II, bin 5 standards
• GHG emissions from vehicle production no worse than typical vehicles in production today

PRODUCTION CAPABLE VEHICLES
Our goals require that AXP vehicles be designed to reach the market. Accordingly, all vehicles entered into the
AXP competition must be “production capable” as judged by the following criteria:
• Safety: Vehicles must be designed to meet safety regulations in the U.S. and other markets
• Cost: Vehicle cost at a production rate of 10,000 units per year must be within levels that
the market is likely to bear
• Features: Vehicles must be desirable, addressing the most important features and factors
consumers consider when purchasing an automobile
• Business Plan: Teams must articulate clear and viable business cases for bringing their vehicles to
market

A Finnish Sports Car Named the RaceAbout coming in Electric Version Soon!

3 wheels, 92 mpg, 1.7g in the corners, and 0-60 in 5 seconds. A product of Fuel Vapor Technologies.

The ZAP Alias is probably the sexiest three wheeled concept I have seen to date. Part batmobile, part planet-saving mode of transportation. And don't forget three wheelers qualify as motorcycles which allow HOV lane usage!

A Real world EV option, the ZAP-X Crossover sports a potential 644 horsepower with supercapacitor bursts of speed. 155 mph top speed and 5+2 seating. Can anyone say Porsche Cayenne Killer!

Check out the ZAP-X brochure here.Download zap-apx.pdf

The Zero Pollution Motors "Air Car"

Commuter Cars "Tango"

Society for Sustainable Mobility's "Kernel Crossover"

Convenience vs. Sustainability - The Battle Over Plastic Bags

I have written about the need for an all out attack against Coal due to its horrendous effects on the environment.  Certainly I believe that is an important battle.  I have been pleased by the attention it has gotten (at least on the democratic side) in the current election race. 

John Edwards came out in support of a complete moratorium on all new coal plants until they can demonstrate the ability to capture and sequester the massive CO2 emissions.  Hillary and Obama (read more about the Illinois factor) have been slightly less aggressive on the issue, but emphasize that the current energy mix is unacceptable and full support needs to be put behind renewables and future fossil technologies (come on guys you're almost there).

In much the same way that the last year has seen an upswell of environmental support against new coal plants, green advocates have also won big in the fight against plastic bags.  Recent crack downs on (free) plastic bags have been implemented in China, Israel, Ireland, Italy, Bangladesh, Australia (90% voluntary retail participation), Taiwan, South Africa, and San Francisco.

Californians Against Waste estimates that Americans use 84 billion plastic bags per year!  I read a study that said that  70% of Americans DO NOT KNOW WHAT PLASTIC IS MADE OF!!! Let's get this clear: PLASTIC is made from PETROLEUM OIL.  These bags increase our dependence on foreign oil producers and they are not recycled in any significant proportion and are therefore a large contributor to landfills and debris in the natural landscape.

I know, plastic bags are very convenient.  For years I have been able to put up to 7ish bags on one hand and walk in the house.  Last week, while my fiancee and I were unloading her groceries from Trader Joe's I almost lost hold of a big paper bag because one of the handles broke.  This was probably because I was sticking to my old habit of picking up as many bags as possible with one hand (yeah I'm a manly man, I know). 

Compare that to the next day when I bought TWO ITEMS at the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Center and was given THREE PLASTIC BAGS before I could even blurt out that I did not need a bag as I had carried the items to the counter.  I applaud Wal-Mart for their sincere efforts to be the sustainability leader in the retailing industry, but I think that the public needs to keep the pressure on and demand they voluntarily remove plastic bags from stores.  Correct me if I'm wrong but Wal-Mart is the largest company in the world right?  So an initiative like this could have real, tangible impact.

I know Wal-Mart takes sustainability seriously, and they also value customer feedback (when it is loud enough).  Take a moment to visit this feedback form on Wal-Mart's website and drop a quick note asking them to voluntarily phase out, or just abolish plastic bags, or start charging a fee that goes to support cleaning up the mess they make.  I just did, join me and let's see if we can get something started.

This same thought keeps running through my head lately, "If I was a local, state, or federal politician, this is what I would do FIRST".  Maybe that's a bit drastic but I think its high-time we move out of the 70's and 80's era of disregard for sustainable issues at scale and start considering how our daily actions affect our environment.  Our environment is like the human body, we only get one.

There is more than one way to have an impact, if you agree with me on the need to lose plastic in America, write your local Senator or Congresswoman and ask them to take up the issue.  After all, they work for you!

The solutions are simple.  Buy a reusable bag or use paper bags that can easily be made from post-consumer content and are easily recyclable. 

In my honest, unapologetic opinion: America should take leadership and ban free plastic bags, and while we're at it, stop buying bottled water and go get yourself a SIGG or a Nalgene or a Brita filter.  We should look back on this time ten years from now and think "Thank goodness we made the decision to remove plastic bags, where we would be today is a dreadful thought". 

Thoughts?

The Case for the Electric Car: Project Better Place Video

If you haven't heard of Project Better Place, here is your chance.  In this video, Founder and CEO Shai Agassi presents his case for a new model for personal transportation based around the electric vehicle.  Through this combination video and slideshow, its easy to see how the world could quickly transition from internal combustion engines to clean, efficient electric vehicles in a single generation. 

Here's some info from their website that details the company's innovative adaptation of an existing, proven business model. 

What is Project Better Place’s business model?
The business model for the electric cars will be similar to that used by mobile phone operators.  In the same
way that wireless operators deploy a network of cell towers to provide an area of mobile phone coverage,
Project Better Place will establish a network of charging spots and battery exchange stations to provide
ubiquitous access to electricity to power electric vehicles. 

The company has raised $200 million from investors and has a goal of deploying 100,000 EV's in its subscription service in ten test markets by 2010.  I love people who dream big, and then act on it.

Go here for a full size video, and to check out the rest of the company's website.

The 2030 Challenge: An Achievable Solution for Global Warming

In this short video, the award-winning and inspirational architect Ed Mazria briefly summarizes one of the clearest paths to fighting global warming I have ever seen.  Its called the 2030 Challenge and it has been adopted by the American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

 

There is an even better video here, click on the Ed Mazria Plenary link.  There he lays out in more detail how by 2030, 3/4 of all built square feet will be new or renovated from today's built environment. 

I haven't blogged much about green building, partially because I believe green building projects get tons of coverage.  However, even with all of the momentum moving in the press, the total number of green buildings being built is quite small. 

Ed makes a great point about the fact that building is a local issue, and we don't need federal mandates in order to achieve our goals.  I believe that's true, but I have a bit of an issue with Ed's contention that we need "only a little bit of help" from the federal government.  He calls for raising tax credits from 30% to 50% and lifting caps on the amount, increasing tax deductions from $1.80 to $2.75/sf if you meet the challenge, and he goes on.  While I would love for the federal government to basically double all tax credits and incentives for efficiency and renewable energy, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

I think renewable energy will get a few small victories in 2008, and hopefully see greatly increased support under a new presidency (hopefully Obama!).

Now, although I don't write about green building as often, let me stress that I believe green building (to the degree of the 2030 challenge) should be adopted immediately.  To put it blatantly, I basically think not doing it is just plain stupid. 

When I think about how many of these green issues are local, it makes me encouraged that there are great strides being made by local politicians in pockets of the country.  Hopefully, this will spread across the nation.  And maybe someday I will be in one of their positions... maybe not.

Plug-In Electric: Aptera Typ-1 h

How does this sound for your next car purchase? 

• Super low drag coefficient
• Plug-In Series Hybrid
• 300 MPG or more
• Batteries that charge in 2-4 hours costing just $1-$2 in California
• Three wheel design is registered as a motorcycle and qualifies for HOV lane
• Lightweight, composite body resembling an airplane
• Solar assisted climate control system to keep your car cool in summer and warm in winter
• Under $30,000 price tag

Meet the Aptera Typ-1 h

I admit I'm really becoming an electric car geek.  I still love Ferrari's and other beautiful gas-powered automobiles, but the more I think about my next car purchase which will probably be five years from now, I want to buy at least a plug-in hybrid. 

Plug-in Hybrids are becoming increasingly practical.   I really feel that plug-ins will continue to increase in market visibility.  Many traditional auto manufacturers are also working on plug-in versions of their traditional autos but so far I am most impressed by the start-up companies who are focused solely on bringing new technologies to market. 

The Aptera Typ-1 h looks much different than typical cars, and I like that.  The book Natural Capitalism talks about how much efficiency can be gained by using lightweight materials, and new low-drag sleek designs for automobiles.  The Aptera is a true application of many of the concepts that the book talks about. 

Take a few minutes to visit www.aptera.com and also click on the link below to view a video from Popular Mechanics profiling the vehicle. 

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid377000833/bclid452310430/bctid1351300070