“REalizing” the Possibilities

Summer 2008 at The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)

Abby Poats ’09Grand Challenges Community Colloquium

September 26, 2008

The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)

• 501 c(3) non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, with a San Francisco office as of July 2008

• Mission: “to bring all forms of renewable energy into the mainstream of America’s economy and lifestyle”

• Core business: convening events and facilitating communications– Trade: WIREC 2008, RETECH– Policy: Phase II – Finance: REFF-Wall Street, REFF-West

• Over 500 members including financial institutions (e.g. Goldman Sachs), government leaders (e.g. NREL, USDA), universities, end-users (e.g. Verizon, Google), professional service providers (e.g. BP, GE) and allied non-profit organizations (e.g. NRDC, USGBC)

ACORE Internship Program

• Geared toward undergraduate and graduate students and recent university graduates interested in a career in the renewable energy industry

• Provides opportunities to experience and understand the interfaces between trade, finance, law and policy

• Dual focus: program assistance and personal research

• Emphasis on attendance of networking events, which provide interns with the chance to meet key leaders in renewable energy

Program Assistance• Potential host firm contact list for ACORE’s American

Bar Association (ABA) Teleconference Series – Monthly webinar convening energy lawyers,

business experts and policymakers– Past & recent presentations:

• “Green Buildings and Community Development—Getting the Rules, Regulations and Financing Right” (June 2008)

• “Carbon Regionalism and the National and Global Carbon Agenda—How Does This Fit Together? (September 2008)

• Website development for RETECH, the Renewable Energy Technology Conference & Exhibition scheduled for February 2008

• Research support for ACORE’s new International Committee, which presently focuses on China

• Research support for ACORE’s National Governors Association (NGA) 50 states project

– “Renewable Energy in the 14 States of the Natural Resources Committee of the National Governors Association” presented to the NGA Natural Resources Committee in July

– Contributed to policy and technology summaries for 12 states

Personal Research• “Renewable Energy Highlights: Republic of South

Africa”– Overview for ACORE’s president for his 10-day

trip to South Africa– Includes a summary, resource maps, policy

highlights, technology summaries, notable financing mechanisms and “potential field trips” for him and his family

– Provided the opportunity to wrap up my Cape Town semester research on South Africa’s energy sector and its promotion and implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

• Overview of IRENA and other international institutions working in the field of renewable energy– Familiarized myself with the planning

documents of the proposed International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

– Compiled information about the renewable energy programs of international organizations like the World Bank, UNEP and UNDP

Fun Outside the Office!

• Green Cup Polo• Senate Committee on Energy and Natural

Resources hearing on cleantech financing (July 15, 2008)

• Al Gore’s speech at Constitution Hall• Sustainable Energy Coalition Expo

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Elsie Sheidler at the Pace Center

and to the PEI Energy Grand Challenges program!

Questions?