June-July 2021 Connections |
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Where we are and where we are going.....Stay connected |
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A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR |
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The Joys of Summer
Is it mid-summer already? Spring went by quickly as GEO prepared for our 2021 Statewide Electric Vehicle Tour, and a month later we are still processing all the exciting events that took place, all the amazing and dedicated people we met, and all the innovative work that is being done in Ohio. We've found so much information to share that we’re adding new communications focused on the experience. Please watch for those emails, and also check out videos from the week’s activities. More will continue to be posted.
This newsletter is full of good news – the first GEO Student Green Achievement Award, the important work being done by GEO Board member Gary Easton to equip clinics with solar power in Liberia, renewable energy development underway by GEO member Invenergy, and poets who write eloquently on the climate crisis. It also has some not-so-good news on the public policy front. With private companies, local governments, and Ohio residents moving forward with clean energy, state government officials seem increasingly out of step with the future.
In March, we began our series of conversations on issues related to climate change – first discussing national security impacts and then public opinion research. Our third conversation will focus on how climate change is affecting Ohio’s largest single industry – agriculture. We will be announcing more details soon. Unfortunately, this summer has seen some of the worst climate effects to date, as extreme heat has devastated many agricultural operations in the western and northwestern United States. Americans are used to having plentiful and reasonably priced food supplies, including much that it is grown and raised in Ohio. It’s important to examine how that could change and what can be done to mitigate climate effects.
GEO's next birthday is coming up! Turning 21 may have been a bigger deal before passage of the 26th amendment giving 18-year-olds the vote, but it’s still considered a landmark birthday, and GEO will celebrate ours with the Annual Awards Ceremony and Reception on Thursday, October 28. Watch for the Save the Date!
I hope you are all having a great summer, getting outdoors, resuming more activities, and enjoying the chance to see friends and family again!
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Jane Harf, Executive Director |
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THE FUTURE IS IN THEIR HANDS |
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GEO Student Green Achievement Award
Each year, Green Energy Ohio presents Green Achievement Awards in Business, Nonprofit, Government/Community, and Academic categories. This year, for the first time, GEO sponsored a special award at State Science Day (SSD) -- The Student Green Achievement Award. The winner, 7th grader Julia Terrell from St. Columban School, received a $250 gift card. All four GEO Board member judges were extremely impressed with Julia's project: "Solar Energy: Increasing the Energy Output of a Solar Panel."
For her experiment, Julia worked with 8 panels to determine if the angle of a solar panel and the use of a magnifying sheet can increase the voltage the panel produces. She put two of these panels at a 0 angle; two at a 30 angle; two at a 65 angle; and the last two at a 90 angle. Julia then added a magnifying sheet to one panel of each angle. Julia found that the panel at a 65 angle without a magnifying glass produced the most voltage. Julia plans to participate in the State Science Day again next year, where she wants to test how many panels wired together can maximize efficiency.
The State Science Day program has been run by the Ohio Academy of Science since 1949. With more than 60,000 alumni, SSD is the pinnacle of student-originated, inquiry-based science and engineering education for Ohio’s students and one of the largest science fairs in the nation.
Drawing from science fairs across Ohio, 1,100 students in grades 5-12 from more than 330 schools were evaluated this year on their scientific research, technological design, and communication skills. They competed for nearly 100 different scholarships and awards valued at $700,000.
Michael Woytek, Executive Director of State Science Day, spoke to the interest in renewable energy: "The importance of clean, affordable energy has never been more relevant. For many of the students at State Science Day, they are led by their curiosities to better understand the issues facing our planet and how they can make contributions to improve the human condition."
He also said that engaging organizations like GEO helps make SSD a success, "Award sponsors, like Green Energy Ohio, provide the recognition and encouragement that will result in the next generation of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and thought leaders. We are very grateful for the opportunity to partner with Green Energy Ohio.”
During the past 60+ years, more Ohio students may have chosen careers in STEM because of State Science Day than any other factor in their lives. You can see Ohio’s future in the faces of these students, and Julia is no exception. Julia is worried about how the earth someday might not be as beautiful as it is now, and to play her part in protecting it, she looks forward to putting solar in her home someday and participating in many more State Science Days.
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THE SUN SHINES AROUND THE WORLD |
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Bringing Power and Health to Liberia
Green Energy Ohio Board member Gary Easton, president of ARP-Solar, and his colleague Chip Pickering of Pickering Energy Solutions recently returned from their latest trip to Liberia. As part of a Global Health Ministries program to bring solar power to remote medical clinics, they replace expensive and environmentally harmful diesel generators at some sites and install new solar systems at other sites that previously had no electricity at all. A major goal is to leave behind a level of expertise needed to maintain to the systems. As Gary describes it: “We have a team of locals that we train to do most of the work and keep the systems working. That is a big part of the vision. The ‘teach them to fish’ concept.”
Pictures are worth a thousand words, so here are a few from Gary's trip.
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The team powers up the solar for Curran hospital. |
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Curran hospital in Zorzor, Lofa county, Liberia |
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Invenergy on Sustainable and Social Good
When Ryan Van Portfliet graduated from Loyola University Chicago, he had one goal: To figure out where he could make the most impact. With a degree in Environmental Science and Chemistry paired with an MBA, this goal led him to Invenergy. Based in Chicago, Invenergy is a global privately-held developer and operator of sustainable energy solutions. Ryan joined the team five and a half years ago, and is proud to be contributing to Invenergy's growth and success.
Success is a dynamic driver for Invenergy. On one hand, success is measured in the goal of building a sustainable world, which is what Invenergy is all about. Invenergy works tirelessly toward the goals of taking carbon off the grid and re-electrifying the US.
Yet on the other hand, social good in the form of giving back to client communities is another important measure of success. When Invenergy comes into rural communities to build multi-million dollar projects, Ryan explains that Invenergy is "able to reinvest into schools or roads that don't see a lot of tax dollars."
Both measures of success make Invenergy one of the leading innovators in sustainable energy solutions.
Invenergy builds, owns, and operates clean energy and advanced storage projects across the globe. The projects can take anywhere from 4 to 15+ years, from development to construction to operation, depending on a number of factors. Since its start almost twenty years ago, Invenergy has successfully developed 184 projects, totaling more than 29,000 megawatts across four continents.
When Ryan joined Invenergy, the organization was primarily focused on wind. As the cost of solar went down and solar technology advanced rapidly, Invenergy began to position itself in Ohio and the mid-Atlantic area as solar opportunities began to blossom. They created a new solar portfolio, and Ryan was hired to find where potential solar projects could be developed in Ohio and the mid-Atlantic region.
At that time, Invenergy had less than 10 solar projects underway. Currently, they have 47 solar projects in development in the US. "Seeing the project numbers grow by ten times and having a part in that growth is absolutely crazy and exciting," Ryan shares.
To read more about Ryan and Invenergy, click here.
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As the General Assembly worked to complete the biennial budget before the June 30 deadline, they also passed Senate Bill 52, a measure designed to make siting renewable energy facilities more difficult. GEO testified against the bill as unnecessary and unfair to the industry, to individual landowners who want to exercise their property rights, and to Ohio communities who benefit from these facilities. SB 52 singled out solar and wind projects for local government interference; no other energy projects—including fossil fuel facilities or pipelines—are subject to this kind of review. Local authorities and residents have ample opportunities for input through the existing Ohio Power Siting Board approval process. By creating a distinctly uneven playing field, the legislation sends a negative message to developers considering investment in Ohio. Companies who are prepared to commit significant capital to projects look for legislative and regulatory consistency; they naturally avoid locations where the rules are uncertain and subject to change.
Projects already at OPSB were grandfathered in SB 52, and the Siting Board continues to schedule public hearings throughout the rest of the summer and into September. On Monday, July 19 at 6:00 pm, an in-person hearing will be held at the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park Nature Center, 1415 Darby Creek Drive in Galloway for the Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy Center under development by Invenergy. Green Energy Ohio will be testifying in support of the project, and we encourage Franklin County supporters of clean energy to attend and participate. The purpose of the public hearing is to allow individuals who are not parties to the case to provide testimony regarding the proposed facility. Testimony is limited to five minutes per witness, and the hearing transcript will become part of the case record considered by the OPSB.
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At our last virtual Book Club conversation, we focused on Climate Fiction in an attempt to explore various ways the climate change message is delivered and received. Interest in poetry has undergone a revival in the last few years, highlighted by the widely acclaimed poem spoken by Amanda Gorman at the Biden-Harris Inauguration. What many people don't know is that Ms. Gorman has also lent her talents to the issue of climate change. Here she is, reciting her poem "Earthrise" dedicated to Al Gore and the Climate Reality Project and first heard at the Los Angeles Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training in August 2018: Amanda Gorman "Earthrise"
It's hard to imagine not being stirred by those words, or the words of other poets who have taken up the cause. Exploring climate poetry makes good summer reading -- find your favorites and bring them to the virtual Book Club event on August 27.
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You are invited to join us for a discussion of Climate Poetry at our Virtual Climate Change Book Club Event on Thursday, August 26 at 7:00 pm. |
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A quick online search resulted in quite a few selections of climate change poetry. One that caught our eye was Here: Poems for the Planet edited by Elizabeth Coleman. By including over 125 diverse poetic voices, this anthology approaches the impending environmental crisis with both a sense of urgency and hopefulness. Here looks at the world with a renewed sense of courage, fighting fear that so often leads to indifference and cynicism. The anthology also includes an activist guide, created in tandem with the Union of Concerned Scientists, and an introduction by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.
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At GEO, we believe that there are as many ways to express, educate, and empower as there are people wanting to be a part of the movement. Our Climate Change Book Club has featured a wide range of diverse books, along with podcasts and films -- you can see the entire collection on the Book Club webpage.
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