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 With the conclusion of the 11th National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference, we returned home to realize that the holiday season is upon us – and with that, the close of another successful year for SmartPower. The Green Power Pilot Award we received in San Francisco in conjunction with the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund perhaps best sums up the successful year we’ve had! It’s been a great one not only for SmartPower as an organization, but also for the clean energy industry as a whole.
Currently, 33 communities in Connecticut have committed to our 20% by 2010sm Campaign; 7 communities in Pennsylvania have committed to 20% and our efforts continue to roll across the nation. From the Northeast to South Carolina and from Pennsylvania to Arizona, the SmartPower message is getting out and the voluntary market for clean renewable energy is growing. It’s been quite a year and the new states SmartPower will be working with in 2007 promise to keep the 2006 momentum building.
Of course, none of it would have been possible without the unbridled energy, enthusiasm and expertise of our SmartPower staff. Jonathan Edwards, Bob Wall, Keri Enright and Molly Tsongas have been tirelessly working to advance our mission and goals. Their work truly does demonstrate that clean energy is real. It’s here. And it’s working.
While we are a small and nimble staff, it’s clear to all of us that our efforts have been greatly enhanced by our relationships with such industry leaders and experts as Lyn Rosoff, Richard Earle, Lew Milford and the Clean Energy States Alliance, the entire SmartPower Board, Dave McFarland of McFarland Graphic, the team at Accounting Resources Inc. (ARI) in Glastonbury, Connecticut, the folks at Pita Communications in Hartford, Partners and Simon in Boston, and Brown Lloyd & James in New York, and our market research team at RealityCheck led by Jim Chastain. Creating a voluntary market for clean energy is, without a doubt, a team effort. We’ve been so fortunate to have such an impressive array of teammates.
Furthermore, this team is enhanced by the significant talent of numerous clean energy stakeholders that we collaborate with across the country. While these stakeholders are too numerous to mention, there is no question that the national patchwork of collaborations being formed are strengthened by these many non-profit organizations.
Finally, none of our work would have been possible without the financial support of the funding community. Certainly, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund stands out as a pillar of funding innovation and success. We continue to be humbled by their support, confidence and assistance in all our work. Bryan Garcia, one of SmartPower’s Board members, plays a key role at the CCEF and his guidance and focus have helped SmartPower become the recognized leader it is today. And joining to round out our funding team members is the strong and vital support of the John Merck Fund, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The Wallace Global Fund, the Oak Foundation, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, The Educational Foundation of America, the Pennsylvania Sustainable Development Fund and the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust. These organizations are committed to building a strong, vibrant clean energy market. Our entire nation is better for their work.
What a wonderful year it has been. We’re looking forward to an even more exciting and dynamic 2007! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year, everyone.
Let’s make more!
Brian F. Keane |
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| Time magazine's Person of the Year: You |
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 The cover of Time Magazine's Dec. 25, 2006 "Person of the Year" proclaims that "You" are Time Magazine's "Person of the Year." Time, citing the shift from institutions to individuals as part of the criteria for selecting their "Person of the Year," has named anyone using or creating content on the World Wide Web as their 2006 winner. (AP Photo/Time, Inc.) We like to think that the SmartPower / You Tube Clean Energy Contest was another reason for Time to select "You" as their Person of the Year. Congratulations to all of us!
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| Oprah Hosts Al Gore |
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On December 5th, Al Gore took his global warming message to the highest rated talk show in history: The Oprah Winfrey Show. In Global Warming 101, Gore walked Oprah’s audience through the main points of An Inconvenient Truth, the third highest grossing documentary film of all time. Gore warned that "some of the leading scientists are now saying we may have as little as 10 years before we cross a kind of point-of-no-return, beyond which it's much more difficult to save the habitability of the planet in the future." Leonardo DiCaprio also made a cameo appearance, reinforcing Gore’s message. The former vice president then took his viewers on a shopping spree, giving simple tips like signing up for clean energy, buying compact fluorescent light bulbs and programmable thermostats to save energy. Oprah told her audience, "I believe that everybody should see [An Inconvenient Truth]. You should get it for your friends and family this holiday season." Since this show, the demand for Gore’s film spiked, forcing Paramount Pictures to produce 1 million additional copies! Having sponsored one of the national premieres of this documentary this past spring in Washington, DC and subsequently hosting viewings of the film at high visibility gatherings in various cities, SmartPower heartily seconds Oprah’s holiday season call to action.
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In early December at the 11th National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference, SmartPower and the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund received the 2006 Green Power Pilot Award from the U.S. EPA, U.S. DOE and the Center for Resource Solutions. The award recognizes the efforts of SmartPower and our collaborative partner, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, for the ground-breaking marketing program, the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program. Widely credited with the rapid growth of CTCleanEnergyOptionssm, the program is considered to be one of the fastest growing programs of its kind in the nation.
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Bryan Garcia of the CCEF and Brian Keane, President of SmartPower receive the Green Power Pilot Award from Dr. Jan Hamrin, President of CRS and Karl Rabago of the AES Corporation. |
The Green Power Pilot Award is one of the nation's premier awards, and is intended to foster the growth of the clean energy industry. The Clean Enegy Communities program was designed by CEF and SmartPower to do just that and it is rewarding to know that our collective vision is recognized by a national audience.
"SmartPower is honored to receive the EPA's 2006 Green Power Pilot Award for our work promoting clean energy in Connecticut and throughout the U.S.," said Brian F. Keane, president of SmartPower. "We applaud the decisions and actions of the communities and businesses that we've worked with to commit to 20% clean energy by 2010, thus helping all Americans move toward greater energy independence. Their bold actions show us that clean energy is real, it's here and it's working."
Over the past four years, SmartPower has been working to build awareness and demand for clean energy in Connecticut through the 20% by 2010sm Campaign and the Clean Energy Communities Program. In combination these two programs provide Connecticut communities an opportunity to support clean energy alongside their local residents, businesses, and institutions. Using a collaborative approach, SmartPower and CCEF partnered with the clean energy suppliers, Community Energy and Sterling Planet; Connecticut utilities, Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating; the CT Department of Public Utility Control; and non- governmental organizations Clean Water Fund, Interreligious Eco-Justice Network, Connecticut Chapter Sierra Club, People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) and others to make the Communities program a success.
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Connecticut Clean Energy Communitites progress as of 12/18/06 |
“The Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program is helping local leaders recognize the important role of clean energy in providing solutions to our growing energy concerns,” said Frank A. Dinucci, president and executive director of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated ,which administrates CCEF. “An award that distinguishes the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund as a premier organization in this country confirms that we have made some remarkable contributions in advancing innovative programs and bringing them to the market in an effective way.”
Among other award winners were Whole Foods as Partner of the Year, Portland General Electric (PGE) as Green Power Program of the Year and Staples for their significant Green Power Purchase.
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The phrase “It’s real. It’s here. It’s working” truly resonated last week at the 11th National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference, hosted by U.S. EPA, U.S. DOE and the Center for Resource Solutions. While this phrase commonly refers to the viability and availability of clean energy across the United States it certainly also refers to the explosive growth of the industry as a whole.
This was clearly apparent at the beginning of December by the tremendous turnout and breadth of industry professionals at this year’s conference held in San Francisco, CA. It was also evidenced by the tremendous attention paid to the expansion of the clean energy marketplace both technologically and geographically. To say the least, it was exciting to witness.
When SmartPower decided to be a Platinum Sponsor for the preeminent national meeting for the U.S. renewable energy marketing industry, we never imagined a conference with approximately 500 attendees ranging from newcomers in the industry all the way to those who have worked hard over the years to literally put clean energy on the map across the country.
“It was exciting to be in a room filled with corporate and industry leaders to hear about and learn how clean energy is literally becoming a mainstream piece of our electricity supply in all parts of the country,” stated SmartPower President, Brian F. Keane. “It was extremely gratifying to see how the market forces are creating a viable and voluntary clean energy industry.”
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SmartPower President, Brian F. Keane capture’s the audiences attention during his keynote speech on energy independence. |
SmartPower also demonstrated how the industry can better utilize research proven marketing and messaging to further build this growing industry. Delivering a keynote address to a conference-wide audience, SmartPower President, Brian F. Keane discussed the importance of making decisions based on proven research and revealed SmartPower’s most recent research on energy independence. Program Coordinator, Keri Enright also discussed how to replicate the ground breaking and award winning Connecticut Clean Energy Communities program in other states. Throughout the conference, SmartPower received strong signals that our messaging and marketing were mainstays of a successful voluntary clean energy industry.
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SmartPower Team cruises around San Francisco Bay at a Renewable Energy Marketing Conference sponsored event. |
From technology advances to market development, implementation and program management, the 11th Annual Renewable Energy Marketing Conference was a terrific success for SmartPower and the industry as a whole. Throughout 2007, SmartPower looks forward to working with everyone in the clean energy industry to put into practice what we learned from the dynamic discussions of this conference. The insights gained and the critical networks realized will result in an industry that is fully embedded into the fabric of this country. |
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to learn how to sign up in your state. |
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