This conference was held in late September 2005. It was a rousing success, bringing key decision-makers and the public together to focus on the problems associated with the current fossil-fuel-based energy economy and the opportunities associated with an accelerated transition to cleaner and green energy options. This page provides (1) a media release issued by the Cape Cod Economic Development Council, the lead sponsor of the conference; and (2) information on the conference program.

Renewable Energy Conference Promotes a New Energy Future for Cape Cod

A media release from the Cape Cod Economic Development Council, September 28, 2005

A conference on renewable energy and economic growth, titled “Shaping Cape Cod’s Energy Future”, drew over 200 attendees and 35 exhibitors to the Four Points Sheraton in Hyannis on Thursday, September 22nd. The Cape Cod Economic Development Council (EDC) of Barnstable County was the principal sponsor of the event, which brought local officials, agencies, organizations, businesses, and the general public together for the first major energy conference on Cape Cod.

Daniel Dray, Administrator for the County EDC, said the event was held to “explore options for cultivating a clean energy industry cluster on Cape Cod that can create high-paying jobs, reduce energy costs, stretch municipal budgets, improve local environments and steer economic development in sustainable directions.”

Following an official welcome by Barnstable County Commissioner Bill Doherty, featured speakers described the exorbitant appetite for energy within the United States, the technologies being deployed globally and locally to increase efficiency and harness renewable resources, the climate action plan adopted by Massachusetts, and the lack of a rational and effective federal energy policy.

Randy Udall, head of the Community Office for Resource Efficiency in Aspen, Colorado, emphasized how the lack of a good federal energy policy means that “most of the good stuff is being done at the local and state levels.” Udall said that Americans could be dubbed the “oil tribe” with consumption equaling eight gallons of gas per person per day or five supertanker deliveries of oil every day. Another speaker, Gordian Raacke of Renewable Energy Long Island, said that every year the US consumes as much oil as it took a million years to develop.

The morning session laid the groundwork for an afternoon exploration of the potential for using clean energy policies and technologies on Cape Cod to promote economic development. Lunchtime speaker Chris Powicki, principal of Water Energy & Ecology Information Services in Cummaquid, highlighted the benefits of an early regional transition toward wind, solar, ocean and bioenergy technologies. He also described the current status of the local clean energy cluster, concluding that “The Cape and Islands region can be on the leading edge of the clean energy industry’s growth, but only if we work together to consider energy from a comprehensive perspective and define common goals.”

Megan Amsler, Executive Director of Cape and Islands Self-Reliance Corporation and the main organizer of the conference, said that “Cape Cod has tremendous wind, ocean, and solar energy resources that could be used to create a clean energy economy capable of attracting public and private investment, stimulating entrepreneurship, creating jobs and building wealth in local communities while also strengthening other aspects of our economy.”

Conference participants learned about a number of initiatives already under way on the Cape and the Islands. Some examples include

• energy efficiency programs offered by the Cape Light Compact;
• solar energy, green building, and land-based wind initiatives involving local homeowners, businesses, and institutions;
• a region-wide renewable energy technology curriculum implemented by Cape Cod Community College in partnership with regional technical schools and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy;
• climate change policies enacted by towns; and
• an energy action plan created by the Vineyard Energy Project, which has as its goal energy independence within a generation.

By the end of the day the message was clear: The local energy transition is under way, and Cape Cod has a real opportunity to create a well-defined clean energy economy by combining the region’s natural resource base with a rich array of Cape-based technical, scientific, educational, governmental and institutional ingredients.

“The County EDC, in partnership with the other organizations that worked so hard to make this conference a success, looks forward to collaborating with all stakeholders to promote a clean energy cluster that has the potential to transform how energy is generated, delivered, and used in this region, create good jobs and encourage sustainable growth,” said Dray.

Shaping Cape Cod's Energy Future: Conference Program

Attend this conference to learn about experiences elsewhere, hear what’s going on in local communities, and help build our energy future.

Lead Sponsor: Cape Cod Economic Development Council

Audience:

• Municipal, county, and elected officials
• Business decision-makers
• Builders, architects, and other tradespeople & professionals
• Environmental organizations
• Interested citizens

Cost: $15. Vendor expo, lunch, and refreshments included in registration. Scholarships available for municipal officials. To register or get more information, please call 508.457.7679.

Click here for Downloadable Registration Form

8:30 am
Welcoming remarks: Bill Doherty, Barnstable County Commissioner
Moderator: Warren Leon, Deputy Director of MA Renewable Energy Trust

Featured Morning Speakers:

Lunch Perspective: Outlook for the Energy Future

Chris Powicki of Water Energy & Ecology Information Services will give a short review of the forces that will shape the long-term energy future on a global basis and how they can be leveraged to establish the Cape & Islands region as a state, national, and global leader in the development and application of clean energy technologies.

1:00 pm
Two Panel Discussions: Technology & Policy

The Policy Panel will be moderated by Greg Watson, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Participants expected to include Mary Jane Curran, Cape Cod Community College; Kate Warner, Vineyard Energy Project; Kim Lundgren, ICLEI; Randy Udall, Community Office for Resource Efficiency; and Gordian Raacke, Renewable Energy Long Island.

Topics will include:

• Strategic planning and policymaking
• "No regrets" climate policy: emissions reduction via energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable design, and economic growth
• Economic development through clean energy education and investment

The Technology Panel will be moderated by John Abrams, South Maintain Co. Karina Funk, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, will talk about emerging technologies, the state's clean energy cluster, and economic development opportunities. Richard Lawrence, Self-Reliance, will discuss alternative and green fuels for transportation and heating. The panel will also include Steven Strong, Solar Design Associates, Henry DuPont, Lorax Energy Systems, and John Dalzell, Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Topics will include:

• Wind, solar, ocean, and bioenergy technologies
• Green buildings, codes, and standards
• Clean energy cluster status and growth potential

This session will focusing on getting feedback and guidance from the attendees, including participating elected leaders, local officials, agency representatives, and industry experts. Panel moderated by Dan Wolf, Cape Air. Panelists expected to include Kevin Galligan, Cape Light Compact; Rep. Matt Patrick, State Legislature; Fred Fenlon, Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates; Heather Harper, Town of Falmouth; John Lipman, Cape Cod Commission; and Megan Amsler, Cape & Islands Self-Reliance.

Organized by:

• Cape and Islands Self-Reliance
• Cape Cod Community College
• Cape Cod Economic Development Council
• Cape Light Compact
• Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
• Water Energy & Ecology Information Services

Generously Sponsored by:

• Cape Cod Community College
• Cape Cod Economic Development Council
• KEYSPAN
• Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
• NSTAR
  

Promotional partners include:

• Cape & Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative (CIREC)
• Cape Cod Technology Council
• Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
• Clean Power Now
• Homebuilders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod
• NESEA
• Bioneers Northeast