Energy Summit points to economic future

With oil prices hitting record highs, fears of global climate change, and international political instability, there’s renewed interest in alternative and renewable energy. Those sectors are being touted as a possible rescuer for Michigan’s troubled economy, with the potential to create $800 million of new investment and create 4,250 new jobs over a five-year period. Gov. Jennifer Granholm is encouraging the state Legislature to pass a law requiring 10 percent of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by the year 2015.

It is against that backdrop that Grand Valley State University will host the first Alternative and Renewable Energy Summit on March 11. The summit’s goal is to energize and assist West Michigan companies to fully understand the market opportunities of alternative and renewable energy for the region’s economy.

Among the attendees will be members of the manufacturing community, technology developers, supply chain providers, and executive managers. The event is a collaboration between the Seidman College of Business, the Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing, and the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center. Other partners include the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, NextEnergy, The Right Place, Inc. and the West Michigan Strategic Alliance.

The keynote address will be delivered by Jim Croce, CEO of NextEnergy. Other speakers include:
• Fred Keller, Chairman and CEO, Cascade Engineering
• Dan Radomski, Vice President for Industry Services, NextEnergy
• David Koyle, president of Franklin Energy Research Group LLC
• John R. Morgan, Vice President Strategic Implementation & Materials, United Solar Ovonic
• Marc Pauley, Director, Electric Operations & Development, Granger
• Tom Fehsenfeld, President, Crystal Flash
• Imad Mahawili, Executive Director, Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (GVSU)
• Jay Niles, Vice President, Business Development, MASCOMA
• David Clow, President, Harding Energy Systems
• David Nicholas, Vice President of Operations, Adaptive Materials
• George Heartwell, Mayor of Grand Rapids
• Greg Northrup, President, West Michigan Strategic Alliance
• Grand Valley State University Professors Hari Singh and Paul Isely
• Vince Nystrom, Director of Technology Business Development, Michigan Economic Development Corp.

The cost of the March 11 event is $125 for the first representative from each company, and $75 for each additional attendee. For more information, contact Norman Christopher, director of the Sustainability Initiative at Grand Valley State University, at (616) 331-7461 or [email protected]. Information about the summit is available at www.gvsu.edu/energysummit .