Sturdy Roots Blog

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner sponsored the Virginia Summit on Energy Opportunities at Hampton Univ. in Hampton, Va. (photo h/t Eileen Levandoski)

This past Friday, 500 entrepreneurs, activists, and people like me (entrepreneurs that are also activists) attended U.S. Sen. Mark Warner’s Virginia Summit on Energy Opportunities at Hampton University in Hampton, Va.

Sen. Warner gathered a diverse group of professionals to discuss the near term and immediate green business opportunities available to Virginia entrepreneurs through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Speakers included: U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secy. Dan Poneman, state and local electeds, leaders in business such as CEO John Aker of Charlottesville, Va.-based fast-charge equipment manufacturer Aker Wade, and Rear Adm. Chris Mossey (U.S.N.) of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (Atlantic).

Addressing the summit, Sen. Warner laid out five very important factors relating to the business of green energy:

1. America is not currently positioned to take full advantage of green energy development. In the past 20 years, the U.S. has ceded ground to other nations like the world’s current solar energy production leader Germany (yes, Germany…home of the Black Forest);
2. Changing America’s energy mix is indeed a national security issue and we have to rid ourselves of our dependence on foreign oil;
3. We have to take on climate change. Shifting to renewable energy will help do that;
4. Like other states, Virginia must get its fare share of ARRA (stimulus) funding;
5. And government and business must work in partnership so that these opportunities become reality, quickly.

In his keynote address, Secy. Dan Poneman announced that Virginia was about to receive $37 million in ARRA stimulus funds for Virginia home weatherization. A subsequent ARRA infusion would bring Federal funding of the Virginia home weatherization program to $94 million. This is important because weatherization means lots of near-term “green jobs” creation in the Commonwealth. Also, homes and office buildings account for 40 percent of our greenhouse gases.

State Sen. Frank Wagner of nearby Virginia Beach advocated for a balanced energy economy in the Commonwealth that continues to include nuclear in its mix, a position which elicited some grumbles from some environmental activists.

Aker Wade CEO John Aker discussed how his company became the world’s leading fast-charge equipment manufacturer. The C’Ville based company builds technology to fast-charge electric vehicles (EVs). Currently, fast-charging an EV may take up to a half-hour but Aker Wade is working on ways to reduce the recharge time and adapt to smart grid technology. A very impressive industry-leading company headquartered here in Virginia!

Rear Adm. Chris Mossey outlined the U.S. Navy’s ambitious efforts to conserve energy. He indicated that currently the Navy consumes 34 percent of the Dept. of Defense’s energy and that 75 percent of the Navy’s energy is used offshore. However, he said that DOD has set an immediate goal of acquiring 7.5 percent of its energy load from renewable sources. By 2025, the goal would jump to 25 percent. He also noted that all future facilities to be built would need to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.

Whether our future economic opportunities come from entrepreneurs like Aker Wade that are developing new green technology, green energy production (from solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, or biomass), grand-scale weatherization funded through ARRA, or through green/LEED-related government and military contracting, it is apparent to me that the Commonwealth of Virginia is very well placed to become a national green business leader.

I commend Hampton University for its own green leadership; University President Dr. William Harvey announced that Hampton will replace its legacy steam energy plant (which emits 50,000 tons of CO² gasses annually) with a state-of-the-art zero-emissions geothermal energy power plant. Way to go, Hampton!

Last, Sen. Warner should be congratulated for his efforts to make Virginia a green business leader and for staging this very interesting and informative business summit. Under his leadership, Virginia will realize its bright green business future.

Whatever our political or economic beliefs happen to be, the reality is that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going to be the prime vehicle for making a lot of Virginia’s and the United States’ new green innovations possible, bringing them to market, faster. If we adapt to it and apply funding well, we win. If we don’t, (to paraphrase Thomas Friedman) we will be left in the dust.