Why Start a Clean Energy Business in Massachusetts? Event

The British American Business Council of New England’s (BABCNE) Environment and Energy Committee hosts “Why Start a Clean Energy Business in Massachusetts?” featuring Phil Giudice, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER).

The Massachusetts DOER has created a fertile landscape in the Commonwealth in order to grow our Clean Energy jobs, businesses and future. After 2 1/2 years of leadership as Commissioner, collaborating with industry leaders, Phil Giudice has established intelligent, progressive energy policies driving energy efficiency and renewable energy across the state. At our November event, Nick d’Arbeloff, President, New England Clean Energy Council stated that the Massachusetts DOER “has moved us from the middle to the top of the class in Clean Energy.”

Don’t miss this opportunity to register and join us on Tuesday evening, January 26, 2010 at 5:00 pm at the LEED Platinum rated Genzyme Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There is a nominal fee to cover costs.

“Philip Giudice is responsible for implementing energy policies that ensure an adequate supply of reliable, affordable and clean energy for the businesses and residents of Massachusetts. He is also responsible for improving and streamlining energy regulation, promoting greater efficiency in all energy uses, reducing energy costs and mobilizing energy education. Mr Giudice also serves as board member, board executive committee member and treasurer of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative as well as a board member of the Commonwealth’s Energy Facilities Siting Board.

Mr. Giudice brings diverse and expansive experience to the position. Prior to joining DOER, Commissioner Giudice served as Senior Vice President at EnerNOC, a start-up company providing electricity demand-management services to businesses, institutions, utilities, and grid operators to obtain savings for businesses and institutions and relieve stress on the electric system.

The Commissioner was also a Senior Partner and leader of Mercer Management Consulting’s global energy utilities practice. He is a geologist (B.S. from the University of New Hampshire and M.S. in Economic Geology from the University of Arizona) and management professional (M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth) with 30 years experience in the energy industry.”

This event is sponsored by Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP.

Disclosure: I am a founding member of the BABCNE Environment and Energy Committee.

The New Energy Challenge Event

The British American Business Council of New England (BABCNE) invites you to a Distinguished Business Leaders series evening forum to meet David Brewster, President, EnerNOC. Please join us for “The New Energy Challenge: Think Green to be Green” on Thursday evening, January 14, 2010, at the offices of Bingham McCutchen LLP at One Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts.

Please RSVP to babcne@comcast.net for this complimentary event while seats last. I look forward to seeing you.

“As president and Co-Founder of EnerNOC, David Brewster has guided the company’s execution since its inception in 2001. He currently oversees the organization’s regulatory affairs and international development efforts. In this capacity, he has taken an active role in helping to shape domestic and international demand response markets and pioneered efforts to make customer participation in these markets more effective through improved market rules, better data communications and enhanced automation technologies.”

Disclosure: I am a founding member of the BABCNE Environment and Energy Committee.

Public Capital Summary

It’s never easy to pull together an event but sometimes the planets align and you end up at the Genzyme Center’s state of the art auditorium with a stimulating mix of viewpoints from four terrific panelists and a full house of smart and engaging attendees who ask thoughtful questions. From my obviously unbiased viewpoint, the BABCNE Environment and Energy Committee’s “Public Capital for Cleantech in the U.S. and U.K.: Untangling Public Capital and the Stimulus” event was about as good as it gets.

GENZYME CENTER

We were fortunate to have Rick Mattila, Director of Environmental Affairs at Genzyme, give us a tour and walk us through a presentation and commentary just before our panel discussion.

The quick story regarding the Genzyme Center is that it:

– Uses 34% less water than a comparable building.
– Costs 42% less for electricity than a comparable building.
– Used more than 75% recycled material for it’s construction.
– Used almost all Forest Stewardship Council certified wood.
– Recycled more than 90% of it’s construction waste.

MAIN EVENT

Navigant Consulting sponsored the Public Capital event and Forrest Small, Director in the Energy Practice at Navigant was our adept moderator. Rob Dietel, Vice Consul, UK Trade and Investment at the British Consulate General told us that the U.K. began funding Clean Energy projects in 2001 and has become smarter and more surgical due to their experience. The U.K. and U.S. both have a balance of private and public funding for Clean Energy projects.

The cleanest energy is the energy that does not have to be generated. Vivek Mohta, Director of Energy Markets at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, stated that $2 billion has been allocated to be spent over the next three years for energy efficiency which makes Massachusetts number one per capita in the nation. Nick d’Arbeloff, President of the New England Clean Energy Council, mentioned that Ian Bowles and Vivek are two of our government leaders responsible for moving Massachusetts to the head of the class in Clean Energy and elicited thankful applause from the audience.

Gideon Gradman, VP of Corporate Development at Ze-gen, who completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in St. Louis and Chicago respectively and had earlier career experience in oil and gas, believes the debate in Washington over the Senate bill is a healthy one. He voiced some sentiments similar to those in my post on COAL emphasizing the importance of embracing the full spectrum of cleaner energy options including making our existing energy generation, overwhelmingly from fossil fuels, cleaner.

I have heard Congressman Markey and Energy Secretary Chu explain the importance of getting even a weak carbon cap and trade bill through congress in order to establish a framework for reducing carbon. Nick d’Arbeloff spent some time outlining this bigger picture perspective. He stated “that a price signal for carbon is critical to unleash private capital toward the goal of reducing it.” Once the framework is established, future amendments will be passed lowering the carbon cap as the free market accelerates the de-carbonization of our economy.

Todd Burger, using published remarks by T. Boone Pickens, asked one of the more intriguing questions from the audience regarding U.S. dollars paid abroad for oil. Using a 10 million barrel per day import quantity at $100 per barrel, the U.S. will pay about $3.65 trillion abroad for foreign crude oil over the next decade. What if we kept that money in the U.S.?

Disclosure: I am a founding member of the BABCNE Environment and Energy Committee and was chair of this Public Capital event.

Public Capital Event

The British American Business Council of New England’s (BABCNE) Environment and Energy Committee hosts “Public Capital for Cleantech in the U.S. and U.K.: Untangling Public Capital and the Stimulus” on Tuesday evening, November 17, 2009, at the Genzyme Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our first event in September was sold out, but there are still seats available for the “Public Capital” event. Register now and join us at 5:00 pm for a tour of the LEED Platinum rated Genzyme Center. There is a nominal fee to cover costs.

This event is the second in a series of five events to promote Cleantech opportunities. Along with our January 26, 2010 sister event on “Raising Private Capital for Cleantech in the U.S. and U.K.: Which technologies, products and companies are attracting capital?”, these two events cover the full spectrum of Cleantech funding opportunities.

Moderator:

Forrest Small, Director, Navigant Consulting

Panelists:

Nick d’Arbeloff, President, New England Clean Energy Council
Rob Dietel, Vice Consul, UK Trade and Investment
Gideon Gradman, Vice President of Corporate Development, Ze-gen
Vivek Mohta, Director of Energy Markets, Massachusetts DOER

Disclosure: I am a founding member of the BABCNE Environment and Energy Committee.

The Utility of the Future Event

“Steve Holliday, Chief Executive, National Grid, will share his vision of the utility of the future in a new era of a carbon constrained economy. He will touch on regulatory and financial implications faced by the utility and the challenges and opportunities for businesses in both the U.S. and U.K. National Grid is an international gas and electric utility with operations throughout the U.K. and northeast U.S.”

The British American Business Council of New England’s (BABCNE) newly formed Environment and Energy Committee hosts “The Utility of the Future” on Tuesday evening, September 22, 2009, at the British Consulate-General in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This event is the first in a series of five events planned by the committee over the next nine months. It is sold out, but pay attention to the BABCNE website regarding our next event entitled “Public Capital for Cleantech in the U.S. and U.K.: Untangling Public Capital and the Stimulus” on November 17, 2009.

Disclosure: I am a founding member of the BABCNE Environment and Energy Committee.

Introduction

What a beautiful morning. It is September 19, 2009 and I enjoyed a 50 mile bike ride earlier today from my home in the western suburbs of Boston. It was about as abnormally cold this morning and throughout September as July was wet and we can expect more uncertain weather as climate change manifests.

I will consider myself successful if I can make a significant contribution toward a globally sustainable energy and environment balance. This is a heartfelt commitment that I hope many of you will embrace whether you are concerned about global leadership and business development opportunities in clean energy or the health of species, including humans, on our planet.

I do not see Cleantech solely on a high technology perch, but rather as a broad spectrum of approaches including straightforward ideas and innovative technologies that will address our energy and environment imbalance. Cleantech Compass resonated as a way for those interested in Cleantech to find their bearings. My intention is to provide helpful information to those currently looking to find a place for themselves within Cleantech and to those already contributing in the space.

Welcome to Cleantech Compass,

Peter J. Watkinson

LinkedIn Profile

In 2008, I was the business development leader for the Bose team that ushered in a new era in premium audio for the small and electric vehicle markets by introducing the first Bose Energy Efficient Series premium audio system. The system debuts on the Chevrolet Volt and uses 30% less volume, 40% less mass and 50% less power consumption to deliver the Bose experience to customers.

In 2009, I became a founding member of the British American Business Council of New England’s Environment and Energy Committee. The committee, including National Grid and MIT leaders, is fostering Cleantech business opportunities in the U.S. and U.K. I have dual U.S. and British citizenship.