Clean Tech Symposium to Focus on Renewables Markets
Clean tech enthusiasts, industry experts, venture capitalists and Clean Tech Open (CTO) contestants and alumni will gather at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., on Monday, July 21, 2008 to address the challenges and the benefits of renewable energy sources. Google Inc., Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and Southern California Edison, the Clean Tech Open's Renewable category co-sponsors, will host the event, which is expected to draw a crowd of in excess of 250 people.
Renewable energy is clean and abundant, but the challenge stands to innovate new ways to reach cost parity with gas and coal-fired power. This symposium will discuss breakthrough disruptive technologies that will soon be available in the renewables market.
The evening will include introductory remarks by Bill Weihl, Green Energy Czar at Google and Hal LaFlash, director, Emerging Clean Technology Policy, PG&E.
"As we look toward a carbon constrained future, a variety of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies will be required to meet growing energy demand and reduce fossil fuel generation," said Hal LaFlash, director of emerging clean technology policy for PG&E. "PG&E is proud to be a sponsor of the Clean Tech Open for the last three years in support of its important efforts to cultivate the next generation of renewable technologies."
A panel of PG&E, Google, and VC clean tech and policy experts will describe where they are investing, partnering, buying, and growing in the renewables market. The panel will also include leading entrepreneurs using solar thermal plants, efficient wind turbines, wave energy, and renewably produced biofuels.
Todd Woody, senior editor of Fortune magazine and blogger for Green Wombat, will moderate the group. He will be joined by Dan Adler, president of California Clean Energy; Jon Bonanno, president, Principle Power; Neil Renninger, chief technical officer, Amyris; and Marianne Wu, partner, Mohr Davidow Ventures.
There also will be a showcase of Renewable Energy alumni and current contestants, and plenty of networking opportunities.