Erik Hanberg Joins Energy Panel SST

Erik Hanberg is Executive Director of City Club of Tacoma, a Web Developer with Mary Holste Design, an author (The Saints Go Dying, Little Book of Gold) and occasional guest speaker in my class. But why is he on the Energy Panel at the South Sound Technology Conference?

Because last year Erik Hanberg was picked by Mayor Marilyn Strickland to chair Tacoma Reads Together, a community reading initiative. Additionally, last Tuesday the 22nd at the City Council meeting it was announced that “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope” would be this years selection.

Now we are all supposed to read and discuss this book together. I am going to.

As reported in the Tacoma News Tribune,

The 2009 book was written by William Kamkwamba and journalist Bryan Meale. In it, Kamkwamba tells how he went to his village library and checked out a book on energy that included pictures of windmills. Using scrap parts, he built a crude windmill to power several appliances in his family’s home in Malawi. He later created a solar-powered water pump to provide the first drinking water in his village.

Why did Mayor Strickland pick Erik?

“I selected Hanberg because he is a voracious reader, a champion of social media, and very active in the civic, arts and business arenas,” said Strickland. “As our city moves forward, I want to ensure that new voices are brought to the table to serve on boards, commissions and in other positions of leadership.”

Why is Erik on the panel? Given the panels energy focus and the conferences South Sound focus, this gives us a representative voice in the conversation.

KOMO has more on the Tacoma Reads Together initiative.

See you there on March 11th in the William Philip Hall on the UWT campus.

Register Here:

Registration It is only 15 dollars and it comes with lunch. Such a deal.

An Energy Teaser for the SST Conference

As more elements of the March 11th South Sound Technology Conference fall in to place I thought I might mention the morning energy breakout session presentation by Dr. George Mobus.

His current working title is:

The Critical Energy Challenges: Time and Scale

Dr George Mobus will be presenting on how effective alternative renewable energy sources may be as opposed to fossil fuels. He will discuss peak oil and peak net energy with attention to the potential decline rates from these sources. The biggest challenge according to professor Mobus is the time frame for replacing our current level of net energy with renewable/alternative sources, and the various conservation approaches to reduce the scale problem.

His passion for the topic is obvious, as is his straight forward approach. As he has said of his presentation, “ this represents an honest assessment of the challenges ahead as a prod to why we need massive investment in those technologies that stand a chance of meeting the challenges.”

To get a feel for his ideas and passion about energy and systems science, check out his blog "Question Everything".

Following his presentation will be a panel discussion from industry and energy experts, including Graham Evans, former Executive Director at Washington Clean Technology Alliance and current Senior Vice President with EQ².

Also on the panel will be Andy Wappler,vice president, Corporate Affairs for Washington-based Puget Sound Energy, utility subsidiary of Puget Energy.

As head of Corporate Affairs, Wappler is responsible for the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance relationships with communities, government agencies and major customers, as well as the company’s communications. He also is the chairman and president of the Puget Sound Energy Foundation.

According to their website, "Puget Sound Energy is the Pacific Northwest’s largest utility producer of renewable energy and, among investor-owned utilities, is America’s second-largest generator of wind power."

I have a third panel guest on tap, though they may be given a breakout segment of their own depending on how their presentation comes together.

So join us on March 11th for the day. Registration is only 15 dollars and it comes with lunch. Such a deal.

Tacoma Science Café at the Famous Harmon Brewery

As I was looking through my email this article came through on the Pacific Science Center newsletter. I though I would pass it on. Note that these meetings will take place at the "famous" Harmon Brewery in downtown Tacoma. When I was enjoying my hummus plate there yesterday I didn't know I was sitting amongst the famous. Neat.

I look forward to joining those meetings when I am able. I certainly know a couple of professors who are likely to be there.

Tacoma Science Café
Science Cafe
Pacific Science Center is pleased to announce our third Science Café, which will be located in Tacoma, Washington.

A partnership with KCTS9 Public Television, the Tacoma Science Café will take place the first Thursday of each month at the famous Harmon Brewery in downtown Tacoma. The pub known as "Tacoma's Downtown Gathering Place" will welcome local scientists and community to discuss current science topics from climate impacts in the Northwest to the science of chocolate.

"We are grateful to the Institute of Museum and Library Services for their generous grant that allows us to expand our Science Café program to the South Sound," said Meena Selvakumar, Acting Vice President for Strategic Programs at Pacific Science Center.

Science Cafés bring scientists face-to-face with the general public in the comfortable, lively atmosphere of a neighborhood café or pub. All Science Cafés are free to the public, open to all ages and no science background is required!

"People attend our science cafés for a variety of reasons," said Wendy Hansen, Ph.D., SCOPE Project Manager for Pacific Science Center. "But most are there to learn something new about current research and to ask questions of the speaker. The appeal of the cafés is that people get to learn about cutting edge research in a fun environment."

The new café will launch Thursday, November 4, at 7 p.m. at the Harmon Brewery in downtown Tacoma. Each Science Café begins with a local scientist presenting a backbone of science related to the night's topic, followed by a short break for table discussion and beverage refills. The highlight of the night is an extended question and answer session with the scientist.

Previous cafés have covered climate science, evolution and religion, robotics, and health care, just to name a few.

The Harmon Brewery is located at 1938 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma WA, 98402

Washington Clean Tech Open Gala

I have written about the Clean Tech Open before, but as a refresher, here is a blurb that they supply about themselves.

The Clean Tech Open is a catalyst for clean tech innovation. A non-profit organization founded in 2006, it provides today’s clean tech innovators with the tools, training and connections they need to become tomorrow’s viable clean tech businesses. The core of the Clean Tech Open is an annual regional business competition, supported by expert volunteers and mentors, that provides entrepreneurs with the crucial business training, services and insights they need to successfully go to market. The Clean Tech Open has assisted dozens of companies in raising nearly $140M in funding, and spurred the creation of hundreds of jobs in California. Fueled by a network of over 400 volunteers and sponsors, the Clean Tech Open unites the public and private sectors in a shared vision for making America’s clean tech sector a thriving economic engine. Past alumni successes include Adura Technologies, Cool Earth Solar and GreenVolts.

This year was the first in Washington, and 56 companies presented. I know that at least two or three were from the South Sound, though unfortunately none made the finalist list. But, and this is an important but, there is always next year. In fact, it is expected that the Clean Tech folks will be part of the morning breakout session at the SST Conference on November 20th, to discuss Clean Energy and Sustainability. More to the point, how companies and people from around the South Sound can prepare for next years Open.

If you want to know more, they are throwing a gala next week on Thursday the 29th at the ACT Theater in Seattle.

Here is more info on that:

Join us at the ACT Theatre in Seattle for the culmination of the first Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open business competition where we will celebrate the region's most promising clean technology companies and announce the three 2009 Regional Finalists. The three Regional Finalists will have been selected from an initial pool of 56 companies who entered the competition in May 2009. Each will receive a prize package consisting of cash and in-kind services, and all will continue on to compete against finalists from other Clean Tech Open regions for a national prize of $250,000!

Attendees have the chance to speak with the semi-finalists and meet other key regional players in the clean tech industry at a networking reception with drinks and hors d'oeuvres in the elegant Bullitt Cabaret. Enjoy the keynote presentation by a featured leader in the Clean Tech industry, hear from Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire, learn more about the Clean Tech Open's plans for 2010, and join us in enthusiastically recognizing our Regional Finalists as we send them off to the National Competition!

Five Things I Would Have Posted

This is the longest period of time that I have gone without posting in two years.

I have been busy with many different things, to a point where sitting down and putting together a post of any substance is difficult. In thinking through what combination of business and psychological barriers are at work, I pondered on the idea that maybe I didn't have anything to post about. I abandoned that thought when I quickly came up with several things that I could have written on had I put together the time and effort.

1) I met with the CleanTechOpen people today at the Columbia Tower in Seattle. They are near the end of the submission period for companies wanting to participate this year, which ends May 30th, and are already planning for next year. It is not to late to submit if you are an early stage company with less than 500,000 dollars in outside investment that wishes to be mentored and marketing through this West Regional initiative. If you are a company of at least two people, with a good idea for a business related to clean energy and/or sustainability, that can be articulated in a four page executive summary, you still have time. I will blog more at a later date. (what a view from the 76th floor of the Tower taken with my camera phone).



2) I taught origami at Crescent Heights on May 1st. I have posted on this sort of thing before, but it was a third grade class and the third model we chose to fold what the traditional Lily. That was an adventure.

3) I interviewed Dawn Lucien. One of Tacoma's most active and influential citizens agreed to allow me to interview her about her life in politics, Tacoma activism and civic projects. From the time she was the youngest delegate to the 1948 Democratic Convention, through her years on the City Council, Norm Dicks office, the Utility Commission and the UWT advisory board, it has been a fascinating and involved life. She is still on the UWT board and politically active. I will likely blog more another time.

4) The Producers is a show I blogged about the opening night arriving. But the cast and show are so much fun that I am certain I would have covered more (with pictures). The show has left them laughing or made them leave. Almost exclusively the former but a smidgen of the latter. What else would you expect from equal opportunity Mel Brooks?

5) I was invited to Olympia to give a talk about social networking applications and how they are being used in marketing of education. Though I spent more time on the evolution of the tools than the marketing itself, (they were all experienced marketers) we did get into some good "present use of" discussion. It was interesting to be presenting to a room of people and three other rooms via remote videocasting.

But I have not posted on these things, or others I could have.

6) My awesome purchase of an RR Anderson original.

7) Frost Park Chalk Off Season Two (sure, there have been plenty of posts, but none in verse)

And on....

Algae as a Biofuel

Yesterday I was able to attend a roundtable discussion on algae based technology for performing wastewater treatment and bio-fuel production. This is a process that is currently being explored in Virginia with the anticipation that the whole of the process would:


Provide a renewable biodiesel fuel that would be produced locally and economically competitive with fossil fuels

Provide a fuel that would result in carbon emissions lower than those for fossil fuels, with the aim of producing a zero-net-carbon-emissions-fuel

Become a catalyst for cleaner coastal waters

Be a producer of marketable credits for removal of nutrients and carbon dioxide from discharges and emissions.

The above are paraphrased from the invitation to the discussion, and a very interesting one it was.

As is a common situation I find myself in, just about everyone around the table knew more about the topic than I did. Whether it was the research scientists from WSU, the UWT and North Dakota State, the businesspersons who had already created functioning processes to extract biofuel, the community leaders looking for green solutions or the folks who help to articulate solutions from IP to product they were formidable in their knowledge.

What I enjoyed, was seeing how each mind set and area of expertise fit into the bigger picture of an executable solution at a larger scale. It is the essence of a strong team to bring area experts together for a common goal.

Yesterday was only a discussion but I hope that a project comes from it.

This might be an excellent birds of a feather conversation following the South Sound Technology Conference in November.

The above image was taken from the National Museum of Natural History.

It's Getting Easier Being Green

Though Kermit may have said otherwise, times are changing and it is much easier being Green. Goodness, everyone seems to be talking about going green these days. There are Green buildings, Green Halloween, Green Campuses and many others. In fact, if you Google on “Green Initiatives” it will return 464,000 entries and counting.

Just recently I was pointed toward three different Green Search initiatives.



The first was from one of the students in class who posted about Google Greenback Search.

GREENBACK SEARCH

"Greenback Search is powered by Google, so you'll get the same high quality results, but Greenback Search gives back to the environment by purchasing carbon offsets with the revenue it earns”

They do so by donating 50% of their revenues to, and I am paraphrasing, organizations that are dedicated to making it easy and affordable to eliminate climate impact as well as moving more quickly to a clean energy future.

They then informed me that my search benefits would be directed toward CarbonFund.org.

Next up, if you want to simply search for Green information, Green companies and Green architects, then you can try Green Maven.



“Green Maven is your gateway to the Green Web. We're a search engine that focuses on green, conscious, and sustainable websites. Use the search box above to search the green web!”

Powered by sustainablehosting.com and noting kudos from the likes of Times top ten lists, they provide three tools (just to start with) in order to go Green. These tools are a Green search engine, a Green newsreader and a Green directory. There mission is to “grow the green economy by leveraging the power of the collective internet.”

Which brings me to my third example and probably my favorite from a thinking out of the box front. It also is the least likely, in my mind, to catch on as it requires us to darken our outlook, or at least out output.

However, for those who believe in basic black, and want to do their part one starter home page at a time, check out Blackle.

Thank you to tacomachickadee, for bringing this site to my attention.



Blackle believes that “Blackle saves energy because the screen is predominantly black”, which in turn makes it Green.

This is supported with the notation that "Image displayed is primarily a function of the user's color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen." Roberson et al, 2002

Blackle was created by Heap Media, which purports to be committed to “developing and growing leading online services with global reach”, as a reminder to us all that even baby steps in our everyday lives can save energy.

They are currently in Beta and are intent on being a Green products and services search.

SEED to start Planting this Friday

I attended the West Sound Technology Professional Association (WSTPA) CleanTech Summit last night and was glad to hear of movement on the SEED project in Bremerton. The event was well attended and included speakers from both Congressman Jay Inslee’s office as well as Senator Cantwell’s. The meat and potatoes of the dinner event, aside from either the pork or the chicken, was a set of presentations by Bert Gregory, President and CEO of Mithun, (Architects, Designers, Planners) and Tim Botkin, Director of the Kitsap SEED Project (Sustainable Energy and Economic Development).

The SEED project has been germinating (I crack myself up) for some time and the presentation by Bert Gregory give some inspiring architectural detail of what the buildings and grounds would look like. The grounds are representative of the type of work Mithun specializes in. The press release from the company gave the intention they were following.

Mithun is targeting LEED Platinum designation to showcase the highest level of sustainable development and business operating practices. Pioneer companies at the Kitsap SEED business park will have the joy of inhabiting a space that demonstrates and promotes their technologies. Mithun's master plan is built on an infrastructure of renewable energy sources. To meet water needs, site design includes water collection, treatment, and re-use strategies.



The Kitsap SEED project furthers Mithun's mission to provide a sustainable world for future generations. Mithun is a founding member of the Washington State Clean Technology Alliance. The US Green Building Council has certified ten of Mithun's projects, and four Mithun projects rank among the nation's Top Ten Green Building Projects according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE).

This is a bold and challenging project, and there have been overt evangelists and vocal nay sayers to its viability and the likelihood of the complete project blossoming (there I go again). Its effects would be felt throughout the South Sound region and would include research and development opportunities with WSA Vancouver and the Institute of Technology here at the UW Tacoma. Tim Botkin makes it clear that he is aware of both sides of the belief spectrum when he talks about the “world class” intentions of the project and the logistical advantages and disadvantages of the region it is designated to reside in.

Whatever your position, there is one thing is that is not in doubt.

This Friday they are breaking ground for the first POD of the business and research park.

Tilling the soil as it were.

Tacoma Hydro vs Medford Solar

Under the category of fostering Unnecessary Interstate Alternative Energy Competitions.

Let’s have a race. You know, like Seattle and Tacoma competed for the terminus to the Transcontinental Railroad. Or perhaps more like the interstate rivalry that comes before a big game where the governors bet fish and coffee (or whatever delicacies they are known for) over the outcome.

Medford, Oregon and Tacoma, Washington are both looking to help meet the alternative energy expectations from there state charters by building out energy facilities. The state renewable portfolio standards for Washington are 15% by 2020 and 25% by 2025 for Oregon. Though wind power seems to have the lead for utility-scale development, and is the primary renewable resource available today, in this instance we are pitting the long time favorite solar against the relative newcomer hydro.

Medford has approved exploring construction of a 15-acre, 11,000-panel solar farm at the regional sewage treatment plant. The company which would project manage and construct the facility is SunEnergy, a Bend company that says it would find investors to pay for the 2 megawatt solar power plant. SunEnergy would sell the electricity to the water reclamation plant for below commercial rates. They hope to generate power by 2008.

Information from the FOX12 website says that “The solar panels would generate about 80 percent of the power the water reclamation plant purchases from Pacific Power. There would be no capital or maintenance costs to the city. The plan is projected to save the city about $33,000 annually in its first year, $46,000 annually in its sixth year, and around $154,000 annually in its 30th year.”

Curt Woodward of The Associated Press reported a couple of weeks ago on the mile-wide channel of the Tacoma Narrows being the next frontier of green energy.

“It’s awe-inspiring,” said Burt Hamner, chief executive of Puget Sound Tidal Power. “There is so much power out there that it boggles the mind.”

Indeed. So what’s happening on that project? In an August 7th update by Tacoma Power they report they are half-way through its site specific feasibility studies into generating power by using tidal currents in the Tacoma Narrows. The current phase of the project began in March 2007 when Tacoma Power hired Puget Sound Tidal Power LLC (PSTP) to conduct necessary work.

Puget Sound Tidal Power LLC, which was founded in 2006, was awarded a $300K contract by Tacoma Power believes that if commercial scale generation appears feasible then in 2008 Tacoma Power may start a $3-5M pilot project to validate the technology and obtain permits.

Now that’s not the same as generating power by 2008, but come on, the clocks ticking.

Obviously we need to pay attention to accessibility, (reliable, affordable modern energy services), availability (addresses the quality and reliability of the service) and acceptability (addresses environmental goals and public attitudes).

But not to digress, Tacoma and Medford energy power plant initiatives,...

Let’s get it on!

Solar Energy and Beer

While taking in the NY State Fair, I came across what I would normally consider an unlikely combination. The time had approached around beer-thirty on a hot day and my sister, her husband and I made our way over to the Bull and Bear Pub's bar in the food court. An excellent selection of microbrews were on tap and I sampled a Syracuse Pale Ale among others. What really caught my attention was the coaster I was using. On one side was Brooklyn Brewery and on the other was the slogan, "There's Wind in Our Ales".

The rationale for this turn of phrase was that on September 1, 2003, Brooklyn Brewery became the first New York city company to switch to 100% wind-generated electricity. As their web site information attests (though with sparse information) "The company's brewery and headquarters in Brooklyn are 100% powered by Newwind Energy, a product of Community Energy, Inc."

I was hoping to find a graphic of wind power turbines lined up with large kegs but that is not the case. The energy is purchased through a long term contract with Community Energy, Inc.

That is not to say that Brooklyn Brewery stops there in its quest to marry the two concepts. It also produces a Brooklyn Sustainable Porter. It's all organic malts ( the malts make up 99% of the beer) but since the brewmaster hasn't found organic hops up to snuff, the beer remains simply sustainable and not totally organic.

It also has "hopped" on to the alternative energy train by teaming up during an eco-festival held at a park on the East River in Manhattan. The NY Times covered the promotion at the third annual Citysol festival in Stuyvesant Cove Park. Their pitch was “Sign up for clean energy and drink free beer.” Those who signed up for electricity from Community Energy, received tickets for four pints of Brooklyn Lager.

Cheers to solar power.

The Sun Provides

At the dorkbot meeting on Tuesday, after the excellent robot behavior basics presentation and the interactive electric circuit art demo (which my kids loved), Solar Richard was on hand to talk about lighting up the Narrows Bridge with LED’s and solar panels. I have yet to visit his solar home, which I plan to, and would love to take a look around.

His story of being able to allow extension chords from his neighbors to draw from his supply after the storm outages this year was inspiring, and his recounting that we have funds to light the Narrows Bridge is great news. I believe I remember correctly that his fingers are crossed for July 4th of next year for the project to be up and illuminating.

Solar is not just photovoltaic cells either. While he was demonstrating the lights, which he powered from “Yesterday’s Sunshine” (the hand drawn label on the battery), the New York Times was running a story on Nevada Solar One, which is operating out of Boulder City, Nevada.

This parabolic trough, 64 megawatt (MW) power plant, is the first large solar thermal power plant to be built in 15 years and it will generate approximately 129 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of solar electricity annually according to a Pressbox release. That amount is enough to power 15,000 American households or possibly even one casino. OK, I made up that last part about the casino. We tourists to sin city will continue to foot the bill for those lights.

Nevada Solar One is big, forty seven miles of mirrors, but the power from the solar thermal energy costs 12 to 14 cents to produce as opposed to 18 to 40 cents on the solar cell side of things.

We don’t have the long desert stretches to handle the thermal approach, but even in the cloudy days, the solar cells are storing up energy. Enough that when the hardly noticeable, small array is put in place for the bridge lights, we may be seeing enough power to not only provide Tacoma with a visual delight, but also deliver some right back into the grid.

Looking forward to the next dorkbot meeting in September.

_______________

FYI, the company that built the Nevada plant is Acciona Energy. Practice your Spanish and check out the other projects they have going around the world. If you’d rather brush up your German, check out the site which provided information for me on the Solar One project.

You can find more information in the “SCHOTT Memorandum on Solar Thermal Power Plant Technology”, available for download on www.schott.com/solar

Powering Live Earth Concert's Internet Access with the Sun

They are the hosting company that is powering the web sites for this weekend’s Live Earth concerts. They have over 15,000 customers, guarantee ninety nine point nine percent uptime and are celebrating their tenth anniversary. Not only that, but since 2001 they have been powering their data centers one hundred percent with the Sun’s energy through 120 solar panels.

They are AISO, (Affordable Internet Services Online). With their green philosophy, there commitment to energy efficiency in design as demonstrated through their solar tube lighting and green roof, AISO seems to be the perfect choice to support the Live Earth concerts. The concerts themselves have been organized to evangelize for carbon neutrality.

I even love their somewhat twisted slogan, “Web Hosting as Nature Intended”.

Recognized as one of the top 50 Green Companies by Inc. Magazine in their November 1st 2006 edition, Phil Nail, the owner of the business notes how often people question how he can run his an his wife’s company on solar power alone and without taking carbon credits. In answer to that, he installed a live webcam on the roof of the facilities so that the company could proudly display the solar array responsible for providing the energy.

Here is how they describe their data center:

“Our data center is environmentally friendly design. It is completely steel framed with no wood at all except for the door frames on the interior of the building. Our walls are over 12 inches thick and filled with insulation that has recycled content. We built our data center, network and servers from the start to use the lowest amount of energy possible using the latest green design techniques, no other hosting company can do what we do without starting from scratch. We use solar tubes to bring in natural sunlight which eliminates the use for conventional lighting during the day. Our cooling systems are water cooled which reduces the amount of electricity because of the unique setup.”

It is a great example to think about while enjoying the concerts. I wonder if Solar Richard will be watching from his solar powered home.

This picture is from a Seattle PI photo gallery.

Google to Go....100 miles per gallon

I don't know how many dollars go into research and development of hybrid cars. This note off of www.hybridcars.com gives a clue.

"On Billions of Research and Development Dollars: "The American public has not seen a return on the substantial investment of tax dollars into auto efficiency R&D, and so it's difficult to say that the funds were well spent."

So I'm guessing billions.

Well add another 11 million to the pot. Google has given one million in research grants for hybrid vehicles that can go 70-100 miles to the gallon and offers up another ten million in dollars available to be distributed through grant submissions.

From the USATodays perspective, "Auto development is crushingly expensive, especially when it involves the kind of advanced battery and powertrain technology used in plug-in hybrids.", so does the little extra kick in make a difference.

I think so. Especially because it is targeted at entrepreneurs and inventors with a jones to advance the plug in potential, to hit the market that needs to drive less than 35 miles round trip in a day and that might even be able to provide a little kick back to the grid.

They won't be driven by market potential or confined by a corporate directive. They just need to solve the problem and advance a solution.

That doesn't mean I am betting against the well funded research, just that an enthusiasts approach may be the one to win out, and thanks to Google for giving that innovative engine a little jump start.

I wonder if the Kirkland campus of Google is taking part?

An Energizing Day

I spent part of my day today in Bremerton with a bright and energized group of community and civic leaders who are working to further the Kitsap SEED project along. The SEED project (Sustainable Energy and Economic Development) has several goals which include attracting technology leaders throughout the emerging energy and sustainable technology industries, and community outreach and education, which would promote efficiency, innovation and market development of these new energy initiatives.

The room was packed with people focused on creating something special and food was provided. I have always loved that combination.

When I returned to downtown Tacoma, a solar energy exhibit was being set up outside of the Museum of Art. It was a nice point of emphasis on the days topics of conversation.

Meanwhile, Dr. George Mobus of the Institute of Technology at the UWT is developing a curriculum proposal for an Energy Systems Engineering graduate degree, which would take a more holistic approach to where energy comes from, is spent in creating other forms of energy for consumption, where the waste energy from the production facilities flows to and where the efficiencies are best leveraged.

On days like today, it gives you pause to think about what we might all be working on together in research, education and industry five years from now.

WA State Technology Summit: Tidal Power

I attended the Washington State Technology Summit yesterday which is put on by the Washington Technology Center. I have been to several of these summits, last year held on the Microsoft campus and this year at Bellevue's Meydenbauer Center. I would love to see one here at the Tacoma Convention Center but I digress.

Of the many impressions I was left with, I wanted to share one immediately. There is a major wave of alternative energy approaching, and I am nearly being literal. I sat in on the breakout session "Wave of the Future: Energy and Tides" and found the enthusiasm and interest startling. Two years ago, forums on alternative energy were also filled with energy products of the future: wind, solar, biofuel, hydrogen cells and tidal. But they were not always filled with large numbers of people in attendance or stories of economic feasibility. I am generalizing from my personal experiences so feel free to provide your own. At this conference, both sessions on alternative energy were packed to overflowing.

Locally, our former superintendent of Tacoma Power now General Manager of The Snohomish County Public Utility District, Steve Klein, was there. As was Chris Campbell, National Director, Ocean Renewable Energy Group, Jeff Morris of the WTC and Alla Weinstein, director of Finavera Renewables (merged with AquaEnergy) and General Manager of FVR Ocean Energy.

Alla stated that the funding for alternative and wave energy, in particular venture funding, was happening outside the United States. Europe was prominent in her examples, so much so that even though she is from the US, in 2005 Alla became the first President of the European Ocean Energy Association. So why was a business person operating outside of where the funding was? She and her company are here because the Pacific Northwest is where the resources are located. From Northern California to British Columbia there is a huge potential for non-intrusive Megawatt production.

And though the venture funding may be lagging, the governmental investment in alternative energy in the NW and the Puget Sound is huge. I am looking for information supporting a work force need for Energy Systems Engineers and was provided a staggering number of dollars being allocated for future projects. I will refrain from remembering the figure incorrectly and will post the number after confirmation, but I was impressed.

Even with the regulations and permitting process, (that help protect our resources), we are poised to be a world center for alternative energy.

So how about Tacoma?

In 2005 the Tacoma Narrows was part of a $350,000 EPRI project to evaluate tidal power feasibility and technology. Five months ago The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)'s Tidal Energy Permits page listed 38 pending applications for projects in Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, and Washington. FERC has also issued preliminary permit for a tidal project in the Tacoma Narrows of Washington's Puget Sound. In addition, a wave energy project was proposed for Makah Bay in Washington.