3 Rs of Electricity: Reliability, Resilience, & Renewables
The days of large coal, nuclear, and gas-fired power plants are waning. More than 100 cities, from Seattle to Nairobi, now receive at least 70 percent of their electricity from renewable energy.
One of the leading drivers of this energy revolution is the need for greater resilience. A major part of the answer? Installation of solar + storage systems and interactive microgrids. However, questions remain. Will these new systems be truly reliable? Are they cost-effective? Will they provide the promised resilience and grid independence? And what are the policy barriers that are inhibiting their deployment?
Please join E2 and our panel of experts to discuss these innovative new solutions to power our 21st century grid.
Representative Jennifer Benson has represented Massachusetts’ 37th Middlesex District, which includes the towns of Lunenburg, Shirley, Ayer, Harvard, Boxborough, and Acton, since 2009. During her time in the legislature, Rep. Benson has been a leading supporter of clean energy and climate legislation. This session she introduced several important bills that would: promote investment in energy efficiency (H.1724); support local energy investment and grid infrastructure modernization (H.1725); and establish funds for the promotion of green infrastructure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (H.1726).
About the Speakers:
Currently, Rep. Benson serves as the House Chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. In addition to her Chairmanship, Rep. Benson is also the co-chair of the Afterschool and Out of School Time (ASOST) Coordinating Council; and she sits on the National Board of Directors for Women in Government.
Rep. Benson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Florida Atlantic University, and she holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Rep. Benson resides in Lunenburg with her husband, three children, and her two dogs.
Dale Bryk is the Chief Planning & Integration Officer for the Natural Resources Defense Fund (NRDC) In this role she codirects all the work being done under the various program umbrellas within NRDC, leveraging the organization’s talents to bring transformative change that will improve the environment and people’s quality of life. From 2010 to 2014, she was the director of NRDC’s Energy & Transportation program, where she worked to improve energy efficiency in buildings and appliances, commercialize renewable energy technologies, increase vehicle efficiency, and drive investment in low-carbon fuels. Previously, Bryk oversaw NRDC’s climate work at the state level, including the development of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Before joining NRDC, she practiced corporate law in New York and taught an environmental law clinic at Yale Law School. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, a master’s from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a JD from Harvard. She is based in New York City.
Steven Strong is the Founder and President of Solar Design Associates, an interdisciplinary group of professionals dedicated to the design, engineering and implementation of renewable energy systems specializing in solar electricity, electrical storage, wind and solar thermal systems in both utility intertied and micro-grid applications.
SDA offer architects, engineers, building owners, government agencies and utilities a single-source of responsibility for all things renewable – including complete design and engineering services from concept design through construction documents, code compliance, utility liaison, permitting and procurement support along with technical support during bidding and construction as well as comprehensive system commissioning.
Steven was appointed by the Clinton Administration to serve for 6 years as the US Representative to the International Energy Agency’s Experts Group on Solar Energy. He has earned SDA an international reputation with completed work in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America and across the US from Maine to Hawaii.
About the Organizer:
Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is a national community of business people who believe in protecting the environment while building economic prosperity. Working with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), E2 serves as a champion on the economic side of good environmental policy by taking a reasoned, economically sound approach to environmental issues. E2 works at both the state and national levels through its bipartisan efforts. Please visit our website at: www.e2.org.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Noah Dubin at noah@e2.org
Our Host:
WilmerHale
60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109