Lights in the Storm
By Brian F. Keane
What an exciting couple of months it’s been here at SmartPower! From our energy efficiency work to our solar campaigns, 2010 has already proven to be a dynamic and exhilarating time for the clean energy and energy efficiency markets.
Of course, these are sobering times as well. On a daily basis, our country is transfixed by energy issues – coal miners buried alive in West Virginia, oil rig workers blown up in their sleep off the coast of Louisiana. Meanwhile, oil continues to gush into the Gulf, wreaking havoc on marine life, sunbathers and our very way of life. The devastation is staggering – and it seems as though there’s no end in sight.
Despite all this tragedy, there is still reason for hope and optimism. Cape Wind – the proposed offshore wind farm in Massachusetts, which would be the first of its kind in North America – won approval from the Obama Administration two weeks ago, a victory after nearly 10 years of staunch opposition. Once completed, Cape Wind’s 130 turbines will provide clean, constant energy for 150,000 homes, with no coal, oil or nuclear power plant in sight. Pretty amazing. To be sure, some of us feared we’d never see the day that Cape Wind was finally approved. But we have – and our environment and our way of life will be better for it.
Meanwhile, in the Grand Canyon state of Arizona, solar continues to impress. Like Cape Wind, Arizona is still waiting for that final sign off so it can build the largest Concentrating Solar Power facility in the nation. It will use the sun’s heat to run traditional steam turbines, which will in turn create electricity. Our fingers are crossed: when completed, Solana will produce enough energy to power over 70,000 homes across Arizona, greatly benefitting the local economy. And that’s pretty impressive.
So even though these are trying times, there are real reasons for excitement and optimism. And you’ll find a lot of that excitement in our SmartPower programming! Check out The Renewables, a group of clean energy superheroes who will land in classrooms across Arizona this fall, teaching kids about clean energy and energy efficiency. (And to warm up the crowd, you have to check out the video of Solar Man throwing out the first pitch at a recent Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game!)
And if you want some proof that the economy is turning around, SmartPower is doing its part! Our new hires are outstanding, dedicated individuals. They will help raise our organization to the next level – and in doing so they’ll help mitigate some of our nation’s dependence on coal, oil and nuclear power. Marissa Newhall and Toni Bouchard – both of whom you’ll read about in this newsletter – are part of our long-term plan to grow and strengthen SmartPower, so we in turn can grow and strengthen the clean energy and energy efficiency marketplace!
Finally, colleges are hosting graduations at such a pace these days that I can almost hear “Pomp and Circumstance” in my sleep. That means we’re looking forward to an exciting summer with a whole new crop of interns. Our interns this year will be working on a host of exciting programs, from assisting us in launching “Arizona SmartPower” to leading our “America’s Greenest Campus 2010” to new heights. And maybe – just maybe – we can get one of them into the Solar Man costume!
Now, let’s get energy smart!
SmartPower
1120 Connecticut Ave., NW
Suite 1040
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202.775.2040
Fax: 202.775.2042
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The Renewables are on a mission to save the Earth through sustainability – and to defeat their arch nemesis, Watt Waster. Meanwhile, they will serve as educators, promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency in schools and communities.
As State Director of Arizona SmartPower, Toni will lead a number of initiatives that will help Arizonans make smart energy choices. Toni comes to SmartPower from Arizona Public Service, where she was the utility’s Renewable Energy Advisor, responsible for strategic outreach to businesses, academic institutions and government entities. Before joining APS, Toni was the Director of Marketing and Business Development for the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, where she handled all brand development and marketing strategy for Efficiency Vermont, an award-winning statewide energy efficiency utility. Prior to that, she was the president and co-founder of an environmental geotechnical services firm in New York State. Toni received her B.A. at Western State College in Colorado and Master’s at the State University of New York. In 2003, she earned her MBA from Columbia University.
As Communications Manager, Marissa leads SmartPower’s social media efforts and spreads the word of our many exciting projects and programs, engaging the media and helping with community outreach efforts. Prior to joining SmartPower, Marissa spent three years at the Style section of The Washington Post, where she helped launch and maintain the widely read Reliable Source blog. She also penned feature stories and helped with coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign, all while writing a weekly celebrity gossip column. She spent a year as editor in chief of American University’s award-winning college newspaper, The Eagle, and during college was a frequent freelance contributor to the Current newspapers in Washington, D.C. She has held reporting internships with USA Today and the Society of Professional Journalists. Marissa graduated from American University in 2007 with dual bachelor’s degrees in Visual Media and International Relations.
