Energy will do anything that can be done in this world; and no talents, no circumstances, no opportunities, will make a two-legged animal a man without it.
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Solar for the Home or Business
As solar energy becomes increasingly affordable for homes and businesses, more consumers are giving this energy-saving technology a hard look. This session will explore what’s involved in selecting a solar system, how much it costs, what kinds of incentives exist to reduce the cost, and how your new solar system will fit into your utility and the grid. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of what’s doable from a technology and pocketbook perspective – and how the technology works.

John Weber, Boise businessman and solar net-metered utility customer.
Dave Brueggemann, Solar Cascade
Scott Gates, Idaho Power

Tags: Session

Reducing Idaho’s Carbon Footprint: Two Paradigms
Part one of three

Arjun Makhijani
Rhys Roth

Idaho has committed to reducing the state’s share of climate-changing greenhouse emissions, and there’s no shortage of ways to reduce our carbon emissions. In back-to-back sessions, we’ll explore two provocative and promising proposals to cut the carbon while still generating ample energy needed to sustain Idaho’s growth. Arjun Makhijani, president of the Maryland-based Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and author of the ground-breaking “Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy,” will present the findings of his carbon-reduction report and what it means for Idaho. Joining him will be Rhys Roth, Director of Strategic Innovation at Climate Solutions (invited), who will present the findings of Climate Solutions’ new report, “Securing Idaho’s Energy Future.” The first session will be dedicated to presenting the findings of both studies; the second will be an open discussion of these reports as well as other climate initiatives.

Tags: Carbon Reduction

Reducing Idaho’s Carbon Footprint: Two Paradigms
Part Two
Arjun Makhijani
Rhys Roth

Idaho has committed to reducing the state’s share of climate-changing greenhouse emissions, and there’s no shortage of ways to reduce our carbon emissions. In back-to-back sessions, we’ll explore two provocative and promising proposals to cut the carbon while still generating ample energy needed to sustain Idaho’s growth. Arjun Makhijani, president of the Maryland-based Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and author of the ground-breaking “Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy,” will present the findings of his carbon-reduction report and what it means for Idaho. Joining him will be Rhys Roth, Director of Strategic Innovation at Climate Solutions (invited), who will present the findings of Climate Solutions’ new report, “Securing Idaho’s Energy Future.” This session will be an open discussion of these reports as well as other climate initiatives.

Tags: Carbon

Beyond the Curly Lights:
Simple (and Not-So-Simple) Ways to Cut Those Kilowatt Hours

Energy efficient lighting in the form of compact fluorescent bulbs remains one of the easiest and cheapest ways to slice your electric bills at home and work, but many more energy-saving options exist to cut into your energy consumption. In some cases, utilities and the government offer incentives to get you on your way both in finding out how to save energy and also how to pay for energy-saving measures. Utility, government, and business experts will provide an overview on large and small improvements that can make a big difference on your energy use, and on the incentives available to Idaho consumers to help implement them.

Moderator: Ken Miller, Snake River Alliance. Ken is the Clean Energy Program Director for the Alliance, and oversees the Boise-based nonprofit organization’s work to promote clean energy solutions in Idaho.

Ken Eklund, Office of Energy Resources. Ken currently is head of Legal Policy at the Idaho Office of Energy Resources, where he has worked since 1989. He has participated in research, training and technical assistance in the areas of residential housing and building science, as well as industrial projects and buildings. He has worked with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, the Pacific Northwest National Lab, the Idaho National Lab and other entities and is among Idaho’s leading experts on energy efficiency.

Jeff Burns, Renewable Energy Resources. Jeff is a principle at Renewable Energy Resources. He has extensive experience in renewable energy development and energy efficiency measures and serves on the Board of Directors for Idaho GreenWorks.

Patti Best, Idaho Power. Patti works with Idaho Power’s energy efficiency program and is the company’s specialist on energy efficient lighting. Before joining Idaho Power, Patti worked at the Department of Environmental Quality.

Tags: Energy reduction

Biofuels in Idaho (Session 1, Panel Discussion)

John Crockett, Office of Energy Resources
Rhys Roth, Climate Solutions
Russ Hendricks, Idaho Farm Bureau
Tom Ulrich, Idaho National Laboratory

The following hour of the biofuels session will be a discussion among panelists and attendees about the information presented in the previous session. It promises to be a lively discussion of how biofuels fit into Idaho’s overall transportation picture and how the industry is addressing such issues as supply of biofuels feedstocks, market challenges facing the biofuels industry, and environmental concerns.

Tags: Biofuels

Biofuels in Idaho
(Session 2, Panel Discussion)
This second hour of the biofuels session will be a discussion among panelists and attendees about the information presented in the previous session. It promises to be a lively discussion of how biofuels fit into Idaho’s overall transportation picture and how the industry is addressing such issues as supply of biofuels feedstocks, market challenges facing the biofuels industry, and environmental concerns.

Tags: Biofuels