Don’t miss this opportunity to hear about the latest updates on important energy issues from state and national energy leaders. Registration closes Oct. 12 for the third annual “Colorado’s New Energy Economy: Powering the Future” conference to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. The one-day conference is sponsored by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) and Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC).

The conference will feature an impressive array of speakers who will explore challenges and opportunities for moving Colorado’s new energy economy forward in a series of presentations and panel discussions throughout the day. Confirmed speakers include Gov. Bill Ritter, Jr., Dr. Kristina M. Johnson, Under Secretary of Energy for the U.S. Department of Energy; Marc Spitzer, commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and Dr. Susan Tierney, a member of the National Commission on Energy Policy and Co-Chair of the Department of Energy Agency Review Team.

Cost of registration is $125 and the conference is accredited for 7 Continuing Legal Education credits. For more information, or to register, please click on the banner above or visit the conference website at: http://energyoutreach.org/conf/index2009.htm.

According to Fast Company Magazine, June 12, 2009 issue:

The 5 Best Cities for Cleantech Companies
BY Ariel Schwartz Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 2:11 PM

This week’s Clean Energy Economy report from Pew Charitable Trusts showed that the cleantech industry is rapidly expanding, and shows no signs of slowing down. Now PhysOrg provides us with a list of the top five cities that offer opportunities for cleantech companies hunting for a home base.

1. Boston

This East Coast city was the home of $387.17 million in greentech projects last year, representing a gain of 6.8% from 2007. The city is also host to a $500 million solar initiative and a $2 million affordable green housing project, as well as numerous cleantech companies like Boston Power, EnerNoc, and 1366 Technologies.

2. Denver

Home to more than just altitude junkies, this city has the first major airport to reach strict 14001 standards. Denver is also home to the world’s biggest wind turbine maker, Vestas, along with solar company Conergy. Neighboring Boulder is also set to become the country’s first smart grid city.

3. Seattle

Seattle is aiming to become a cleantech R&D hub, with up to $200 million in stimulus funds expected to help further its goal. The city also consistently ranks among the top three U.S. cities cities with the largest number of certified green buildings, and is already home to cleantech companies like Helion, PowerIt, and Propel Fuels.

4. Austin

The home of South by Southwest is also the new headquarters for the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI), which works on research in green transportation, construction, electricity generation, greenhouse gas reduction, and industrial energy efficiency. Local utility Austin Energy is also planning to develop a research consortium to work on smart grid and smart metering project.

5. San Francisco

The City by the Bay is host to a slew of big-name cleantech companies, including GreenVolts, Arch Rock and Grid Net. San Francisco also hosts the Clean Tech Open, a yearly clean technology business competition that offers prize money and the opportunity to network with connect with venture capitalists.

TiE-Rockies and TiE- Boston proudly present..

Stimulus Funding for Energy
One of the most promising areas of interest for entrepreneurs right now is Clean Energy.

Thursday, August 6, 2009
4:30 – 7:30 p.m. MDT
Light dining and networking beginning at 4:30 p.m. MDT
Program beginning promptly at 5:30 p.m. MDT, 7:30 p.m. EDT

Graciously hosted and videoconferencing facilities provided by:
Level 3 Communications
1025 Eldorado Boulevard
Bldg. 4 - Event Center
Broomfield, CO 80021

Please join us for an historic inter-chapter live videoconference event between TiE-Rockies and TiE-Boston. The evening will focus on the Federal Stimulus and the implications and opportunities for clean energy and technology. There is much VC activity on the coast and Colorado has both the natural resources and political will to be a significant participant, with keen hopes of growing new jobs in support of the green economy.

Each location will host live speakers who will address their local audience in person, and simultaneously the other chapter audiences via videoconferencing as well. There will then be a 30 minute Q&A period between the chapter locations following the presentations. In support of the entrepreneurs who will advance this sector, we are working to represent the hurdles that will likely need to be cleared to get ARRA funding.

We are proud to host compelling speakers giving a broad perspective on what entrepreneurs can expect. In Denver, TiE-Rockies is pleased to welcome Alice Madden and Bob Noun as the featured speakers, and in Massachusetts, TiE-Boston welcomes Mike Manning and William Mitchell as their featured speakers.

Speaker Bios

Alice Madden is currently serving as Colorado Governor Ritter’s Climate Change Coordinator. In that role, she is coordinating efforts, both public and private, to meet the green house gas reduction goals set forth in Colorado’s Climate Action Plan. She is also a Senior Fellow on Climate Change for the Center for American Progress.

When announcing Madden as Colorado’s Climate Action Coordinator, Governor Ritter said “Alice Madden has distinguished herself as one of Colorado’s most accomplished and talented public servants. Her thoughtfulness and problem-solving skills will be crucial as we strive to achieve the goals in Colorado’s Climate Action Plan and strengthen Colorado’s New Energy Economy. Expanding the use of wind, solar, geothermal and clean-burning natural gas will create jobs, clean the air and address climate change.”

Alice started her career in the high tech industry and then practiced law for 10 years before running for office. Alice served in the legislature from 2000 to 2008 and was the House Majority Leader for the last four of those years. Among her accomplishments is helping establish Colorado as a leader in what is widely now called the New Energy Economy. She was instrumental on energy issues, particularly establishing the state’s renewable energy standard and advancing creative funding mechanisms within a tight state budget. Madden will speak to Colorado’s goals and what the State has already done to ensure that Colorado is prepared to be stimulus funding friendly, and will share what has been achieved thus far.
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Robert Noun, who serves as the Executive Director of Communications and External Affairs at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is the chief spokesman for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and directs the media relations, community outreach and Congressional liaison activities for the Laboratory.

Noun has been involved with renewable energy for over 30 years. During his career he has made significant contributions to the advancement of renewable energy technologies in both research management and communications. He is a past director of the NREL Wind Energy Research Program. Many of the technical improvements that appear in today’s wind turbine technology were developed during his leadership of the program.

Bob is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2002 Pioneer Award for contributions to the development of renewable energy from the World Renewable Energy Network in London and the 1996 Gold Medallion Award for the Advancement of Renewable Energy, presented by His Highness, the Emir of Bahrain. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Denver College of Law.

Before joining NREL, Noun served as legislative director for U.S. Representative Thomas Harkin of Iowa and was Representative Harkin’s counsel for science and technology policy. Noun received his bachelor degree from the University of Iowa and his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law.

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Mike Manning began his career in alternative fuels for transportation when he joined the Boston Gas Company back in 1993. He began the construction of a network of compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations in 1995 with the opening of New England’s first full public-access CNG station at Logan International Airport.

In the fall of 2008, Mike left the gas company to work full-time on CNG projects at AVSG – New England’s largest CNG station operator. Based in Boston, AVSG is a one stop solution for CNG station design, construction, and operation. Additionally, AVSG can provide fleets with information on CNG vehicle specifications, procurement, funding, incentives, and training.

This past spring, Mike was invited to be a member of a team which submitted and reviewed alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) and station proposals from New England. The proposals were submitted for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding – specifically from the US Department of Energy (US DOE).

The states of Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont formed a regional consortium and submitted a proposal as a single entity. Massachusetts applied as a single entity as it had enough projects within the state to apply on its own. The competition promises to be fierce. Nationally, there was $300 million in available funding from US DOE for AFV projects, but US DOE received nearly $930 million in project proposals. The results of the competition will be announced in late August.

Mike is a native Bostonian and holds a B.S.E.E. in Electrical Engineering from Merrimack College.

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William Mitchell is Vice President of Marketing at Nuvera. He is also the Global Market Leader and sponsor of the firm’s automotive product platform and shares responsibilities for managing OEM/partner relationships for automotive customers in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. His primary responsibilities include business development, strategic planning, product strategy, market research, and marketing communications.

Prior to taking on his role in marketing, William was Vice President of Engineering and Operations. He has been involved in advanced power systems, combustion, alternative fuels, fuel cells, catalyst technology, and environmental engineering since 1990.

Previously, William was a co-founder and Vice President of Epyx Corporation where he helped launch this technology-intensive start-up company. Before that, he was employed at Arthur D. Little, Inc., as an Engineer and Program Manager of its Hydrogen Technologies Group. William has also been a faculty member at the Pennsylvania State University.

William received BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He is licensed as a Professional Engineer in Environmental Engineering, and his professional affiliations include the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Engineering Society, the American Society for Quality, and the Combustion Institute.
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Visit www.Rockies.TiE.org to sign up for this event. This event is complimentary for TiE members and just $35 for guests.

Bill Ritter announced July 17th that six rural Colorado schools will enjoy the educational and clean energy benefits from wind turbines on school grounds as part of the Wind for Schools Program, a collaborative effort between the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), Colorado State University, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

In talking with many cleantech leaders, I am seeing both progress and roadblocks to collaboration. The announcement above is a great example of some of the beneficial collaborative efforts that are helping to drive cleantech forward in Colorado. Three areas in which I am still seeing big disconnects are:
* the relationship between renewables and traditional energy companies
* the relationship between big institutions and innovative entrepreneurs
* support for entrepreneurs making traditional energy more efficient.

1. Oil/Gas and Renewables: I have not been to a single forum in which renewables and oil/gas companies mingle and talk together. In talking with CEOs of energy VCs, I hear the same thing “There is no forum in which we see traditional and renewable energy companies talking”. Please let us know if you see something different. Many renewables need the business experience, energy industry skills and management that the oil and gas companies can bring to the table. Particularly in issues of scale. Oil and Gas companies need to start looking at themselves as Energy companies and bring in the innovative ideas and technologies bubbling up from the entrepreneurial sector. This is a serious divide that weakens Colorado’s efforts. As one VC CEO put it “The lack of collaboration between the traditional extraction industry companies, particularly in the natural gas industry, and the clean energy entrepreneurs is undermining the great opportunities we have here in Colorado. The Governor, as the Chief Executive of the State needs to acknowledge the existing industry and set an example for clean energy providers on the value they provide to the state. CleanTech entrepreneurs should be accessing extraction industry expertise on things like financing, scalability, building business, and extraction technology. The oil and gas industry and utilities should be tapping into the new technologies and efficiencies being created by clean tech.” From the forthcoming CORE CleanTech Industry Report.

2. Larger institutions and Entrepreneurs. At CORE’s recent leadership forum on cleantech, I heard a lot of entrepreneurs talking about how difficult it is to access the resources at our Universities and research groups such as NREL. “If you don’t have a bucket of money or know the right person, they just ignore you.” “Universities have Not Invented Here syndrome. If their people didn’t start it, they don’t want to know about it.” Now I look at these statements with some skepticism. Because I’ve seen some great collaborations happening with Colorado’s universities and with NREL. So I know they are possible. Yet I also know that it is difficult to get in unless you know who to talk to and how to get their attention. CSU has invested in a point person, Tim Reeser, who can guide you through their system. The other institutions have yet, to my knowledge, to do so.

3. Support for entrepreneurs making traditional energy more efficient. Although we are all thrilled by the advances being made in solar, wind and new cleantech innovations, making what we have now more efficient is the fastest and least expensive step to take. I know that energy efficiency isn’t as sexy as a new hybrid or plug-in car - but what if you could buy a conversion device that would increase your engine’s efficiency by up to 30% for under $500? This is one of the new technologies being developed by a seasoned executive team with partnerships and customers such as VW and john Deere already lined up. Yet I’ve seen this business passed over several times in favor of more speculative renewables that won’t be able to produce benefits for at least another ten years. This is just one example - I am hearing across the board “If it’s not wind or solar, the GEO doesn’t even want to hear about it.”

Of course there are great collaborations going on across the board. I am simply trying to highlight areas in which it appears we can all do better.

There is a vigorous debate shaping up around the concepts of distributed versus concentrated solar power. Here are a few points around the debate. Distributed Solar Power (DSP) is putting solar panels on rooftops. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is building solar power plants. Luminaries from the President to local RMI folks have appeared giddy with excitement at the thought of solar power plants replacing the dirty plants powered by fossil fuels. But then we started getting into the realities of land use, transmission grid access, and environmental impact. And things aren’t so clear cut any more.

Why CSP at all when there are rooftops a plenty that can tap right into the established grid? Well the quick and simple answer is cost. It appears much less costly to build CSP than putting panels up on rooftops across the country. But as we’ve discovered with fossil fuels, there are often hidden costs and impacts that need to be considered as well.

Weighing against the issue of cost per unit, there are quite a few reasons why DSP makes sense.

Putting solar on rooftops puts power right into the home and onto the established grid. This removes the need for a massive Federal project to create a new transmission grid linking power from the dessert all the way to, for example, the Northeast.

CSP requires developing big tracts of land in the desert - and water to cool the power plants in an area where water is already scarce. What will be the cost of water down the road and how will that impact the long term cost of CSP? And the environmental impact studies for CSP have yet to be done. Solar panels are made from toxic materials and how will future water and air regulations around large plants affect these facilities and their long term costs? CSP inherently means sprawling development where none exists now - why move down that road when we already have so much land developed that can just have DSP added?

One huge advantage for CSP is the scalability factor. To reach renewable energy goals nationwide, is it possible to bring us up to scale with DSP what one major plant could do? It appears that we need both in order to reach our goals.

A key long term question in my mind is that of cost versus savings. When I looked at getting solar onto my home (I live in Colorado and have a perfect rooftop for solar panels), it was a big up front cost, but then I would have almost no cost at all for the lifetime of the panels. Lets say the cost per unit is lower coming out of a CSP, but I’d still be paying a utility company for my lifetime. If we as a people are going to invest in getting solar panels put up - doesn’t it make more sense for that money to end up over time back in my pocket?

Some cities have passed legislation making it possible to fund the initial installation of alternative energy on individual homes through a financial instrument that stays with the house and becomes part of the long term payments on your mortgage. So you can fund the upgrades now with very little immediately out of pocket - and the savings benefit balances out the monthly payment. I think innovative financing like this answers a lot of the cost questions.

And DSP distributes more money in the hands of the middle class - requiring installation, labor, inspections and manufacture with small and mid sized companies across the country. CSP is about putting money in the hands of a few concentrated owners — and we have all seen lately that distributed wealth is much more beneficial to the country than concentrated wealth.

Well, this is just a top level summary of some of the points of this debate. As with most debates, I’ve found there are good points for both sides. And one caveat. What may be best for the current situation is not necessarily best for the future. For example, it may be more costly to add solar panels to old homes - but my green building design colleagues tell me that incorporating DSP into new communities and new buildings is cost effective and makes better economic sense. I would appreciate hearing your input and information and will update this post as I learn more.

Great clarification from Lauren Coyne of Namaste Solar — One clarification.  CSP actually refers to a different technology than photovoltaics rather than just a difference in system size.  Photovoltaics (turning sunlight directly into electricity using a photovoltaic material like silicon) can be installed either on a home or building – which is typically called “on-site solar” or “distributed generation” as you know – or you could also have large power-plants with photovoltaic panels mounted on the ground.  A system like this would feed into the grid the way a coal plant does.  CSP is actually a solar thermal process rather than a photovoltaic process.  Whereas solar thermal on a home provides for hot water or heating needs, CSP can be used to create electricity.  Basically, CSP uses a system of mirrors that concentrate the heat of the sun on a tube or single central point.  The magnified heat from the mirrors heats a liquid creating steam.  The steam can then run turbines to create electricity.  The advantage with this as opposed to photovoltaics is that it allows for some amount of storage (I believe they are up to about 6 hours) meaning we can still have some electricity when the sun is not shining.  (This article seemed to have some good photos of the different types of CSP – I didn’t actually read all of the text http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/04/14/solar_electric_thermal/)

I believe there is plenty of room for all three types of solar: on-site solar, PV power plants, and CSP power plants.  We will probably need all three and many other sources of renewable energy to reach our ultimate goals.  All of this having been said, I do agree with your arguments that on-site solar creates more jobs and allows individuals and communities to take more ownership over the sources of their own energy.  Given that it is more expensive per watt, we need to make a good case for these benefits in addition to some of the others you mentioned concerning transmission challenges, etc. 

Thanks for sharing this information, Lauren.

One of the biggest barriers that I keep hearing to Colorado’s CleanTech industry is the lack of start-up funding. The VC industry here is not as strong as in regions such as Silicon Valley or Boston and the State of Colorado has yet to put significant funding behind it’s vocal support for green energy industries. That being said, I’ve also spoken with VC funders who say that the money is there if you have a good idea, strong management team and a long term competitive advantage in the market. Money has no state boundaries and good ideas can be funded by investors from anywhere.

One resource to consider is grant funding in collaboration with Colorado universities. Colorado universities are collaborating with industry grant partners for several reasons. By working with industry they create real world opportunities for their students, and by co-writing grants they satisfy a frequent grant requirement for collaboration with industry on creating greentech products for commercialization. So, for example, one project currently operating out of CSU has been funded by an NSF innovation grant. With this grant a start-up automotive company is using graduate students and CSU facilities in its research and development. Grant money is provided to the project and helps both the University and the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs benefit by partnering with universities that are experienced in developing grant funding.

Where do you go for developing these collaborative partnerships? CSU has been working for years on developing commercialization collaborations, and as a result has a number of companies that have grown out of research with industry. Take a look at their Cenergy division and ask them to guide you towards finding the correct resources. They also have ties to the Northern Colorado Clean Energy Cluster and incubator resources in the area. CSU has a focus on clean energy and have invested in making such partnerships possible. CU has come to the cleantech table more recently and seems to look more at sustainability issues. They have created real collaborations with Xcel energy and the City of Boulder in working on the globally acclaimed SmartGrid project. I have found, however, that CU’s organization is still in development and when I asked who was the point person for such collaborations, I was told “well, you need to find a specific professor that will get excited about and sponsor such a project”. AlAlthough the intent and the energy is there create partnerships, it may just take a bit more persistence. By all means do some research on what professors are involved in cleantech research and development and start there. The School of Mines is top in the country in training extraction industry people. So if you are an entrepreneur with a new extraction industry technology, finding professors leading in your field at Minds to probably the way to go. Geothermal, for example, needs the drilling expertise from traditional oil and gas industry players. I have not seen that Mines has put as much effort into reaching out to the cleantech industry in making partnerships. And I have been hearing a cleantech industry bias (justified or not) that Mines graduates do not have the alternative energy training desired for non-extraction industry players. All three Universities are great resources for entrepreneurs if you find the right fit.

CORE, a leading advocate association for Colorado’s CleanTech industry, is conducting an extensive industry census and survey. The goal of these two projects is to provide a good overall picture of the cleantech industry in Colorado - key companies, industry leaders, strengths and weaknesses.
Phase One of the study, the Colorado Cleantech Census, has been completed and the team is now in Phase Two, Executive Interviewing. Led by Jane Evanson, interviews are being conducted with more than 50 top executives in the state to gain their strategic insights on the development of the industry in the state. The information gathered will be used in the following ways:
1. It will serve as a road map for State and local government agencies to develop well defined strategies and initiatives to encourage the further development and growth of cleantech in Colorado. To this end, CORE intends to involve all major stakeholders in discussion groups with a view toward specific legislative, regulatory and other policy actions.
2. Members of the cleantech industry will become more aware of the internal dynamics of the cluster, its competitive structure, buyer/supplier opportunities, and the interrelationships of the various segments in the state such as the connection between energy, agriculture, and water.
3. Members of particular sub-sectors of the cleantech industry will have the opportunity to come together to represent their needs to State legislators and regulators, and possibly to take coordinated action as a group or consortium to secure funds from the ARRA.
4. The public availability of the census data will encourage providers of risk capital, including VCs, private equity organizations, commercial banks etc. to make contact with specific cleantech organizations of interest to them. The data will also encourage out-of-state capital to take a greater interest in Colorado as a center of cleantech development and innovation.
5. Other supporting organizations such as suppliers to cleantech companies, educational institutions, R & D facilities will be able to tailor their products and services to take advantage of the needs of the industry as expressed by the companies in the survey and interview processes.

As one of the interviewers, I can say that this survey is bringing to light critical information that will help Colorado grow its CleanTech industry. As attention is turned towards the cleantech industry, associations across the state are putting together sustainability, greentech and cleantech meetings - there are now too many for any one person to sort through. CORE has been active in the cleantech industry for over a decade and has a depth of knowledge and commitment unmatched by other association meetings. I would recommend you check out the monthly Colorado CleanTech Initiative meeting, held the first Tuesday of the month at the Denver Chamber of Commerce.
Go to www.corecolorado.org for information on CORE and check out their events page.

I was brought into a now all-to-familiar argument the other day between proponents arguing about the science behind global warming. Is the science good enough to take action or is it all junk science that doesn’t justify our changing anything about how we deal with energy in the US?

Why are we continuing this debate as if it is the only question that matters in terms of how we deal with energy issues? I think that regardless of the issues of global warming, it is clear that getting rid of dependence on foreign oil is a good idea.

Is it not true that green energy tech is driving business to work more efficiently, more effectively? In speaking with a green building designer last week, he said it best - that green design is simply good design, building for the most effective use of resources in the long term. Same comment came yesterday in a discussion with an extraction industry VC firm that embraces technology that makes energy creation more efficient, using fewer resources.

Is it not true that the surge in entrepreneurship and new business in Colorado is good for our economy, good for strengthening the middle class and good for our competitive posture in the world? When Iceland turned off oil and became energy independent with geothermal, they had a huge economic boom because money was no longer being throw down the maw of the ever hungry energy dragons. In Colorado we are seeing new businesses move here because of the burst of activity around new energy.

Are we not tired of our foreign policy in the Middle East being driven by our strategic needs for their oil? There is a direct correlation to the price of oil and the rise of petro-dictators around the world. Do we want to keep funding authoritarian states that foster terrorism and other extremist movements?

Seems to me that there are plenty of reasons to decrease our dependence on limited, polluting fossil fuels. There are so many long term variables in Global Weirding that no science will completely convince one side or the other. So let’s look at global warming as just one piece of the puzzle, and our economic and foreign policy needs are other key pieces to that puzzle as well.

In developing the green tech industry, one of the keys to success in effective collaboration. Collaboration between old energy and new, between entrepreneurs and business mentors, between investors and research engines. Yet everywhere I look I find unnecessary roadblocks. Today I felt mental whiplash when I went from meetings first with one visionary entrepreneurial group and then with a more traditional business group. At one point, the visionary leader said something along the lines of “I’m not even interested in talking with old industry businesses. They just don’t get it.” Then at my later meeting I heard the opposite opinion “It’s the environmentalists that derailed any progress on greentech business.”

In creating geothermal business, for example, the traditional oil and gas industry has a depth of expertise in drilling, financing and scaling such projects. In backing a totally new technology, venture capitalists want to see business mentors that have experience in creating successful businesses. Entrepreneurs that refuse to work with established business partners are going to have a much harder time generating investment capital.

I talked later this afternoon with several change leaders and described how important collaboration is to success. While agreeing with me, every person I spoke with managed to get in a dig at “the other side”. Here are groups of people with the Same Goals, Same Interests, Same Perspectives on how to proceed. And yet they can’t even talk with each other. Interestingly enough, I don’t believe there is such a thing as waving a magic wand and saying “we should all just get along”. Human nature doesn’t work that way. Building trust to work together takes work, takes step-by-step action. And it takes courage by people willing to expose themselves to “the other side”.

I have two equal and opposing sayings rattle around in my brain as I write this -
“Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water”
“A problem cannot be solved by the same minds that created it”
Both are true.

I attend a lot of meetings on greentech. What is interesting to me is that there is very little crossover between old and new industry participants in these meetings. One of the steps I will be working on is attracting participants from all sides to events on which I am contributing. I will also work to publicize both here. And I encourage all of you to reach out and get to know people and companies that are not necessarily in your usual circle.

Sustainable Energy Initiative
Special Interest Group (SEI-SIG) Kick-off - April 9th, 2009

Become a part of the Energy Movement in Colorado with TiE-Rockies.
Learn from a panel of energy experts what’s hot and what’s not. What does the future hold for the industry and what business opportunities are available for you, the

The panel assembled for the inaugural event includes:
* Moderator Joel Serface, Entrepreneur in Residence at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
* Harin Ullal, NREL
* Kitty Wang of Rocky Mountain Institute
* Josh Phair from Wal-Mart.entrepreneur.

Please join us April 9th,
5:30 - 8:00 p.m. in Denver, Colorado!
See below for full information or register at www.rockies.tie.org

The event format is designed to allow for substantial interaction with our panelists. Joel will get us started with opening commentary on the needs of the market, the expected impact of the stimulus, and implications for entrepreneurs. Harin will follow with a brief overview about solar technology and markets. Kitty will inform us on energy efficiency opportunities and the types of products and initiatives that are getting traction, and potential for disruptive technologies that could be game changers. Josh will conclude the structured part of our event with a talk about Wal-Mart’s ambitious environmental goals: to be supplied 100% by renewable energy; to create zero waste; and to sell products that sustain our natural resources and the environment. There will then be time for question and answer, where you get to help steer the discussion.

Clearly sustainability is about sound business practices, not a fringe movement focused on the impossible, and we hope you will join us and add your voice to the dialog.

Event Host: SEI-SIG, Jennifer Espinoza
303.459.4869
jennifer@rockies.tie.org
www.rockies.tie.org

Program Details:
5:30 PM Networking & Buffet Dinner
6:30 PM Program
8:00 PM Networking