Highlights from Sold-Out January Green Career Workshop

Highlights from Sold-Out January Green Career Workshop

This past January I led a sold-out Green Career Workshop for Leaders in Energy, and I left feeling quite inspired by all the energy that was in the room!

In her welcoming remarks, Executive Director Janine Finnell highlighted how Leaders in Energy is building a community of leaders to advance solutions for a sustainable energy system, economy, and world.

During the workshop that followed, participants discovered insights about their career strengths and preferences and how these can be tailored for application to the new green economy, e.g. clean energy, sustainability, circular economy, resiliency, etc.

Why I am Encouraged About Our Energy Future

Why I am Encouraged About Our Energy Future

In this day and age, when we can hear a lot of negative news, I wanted to share some positive highlights from a fascinating technical tour that I took on March 7-8, 2018 of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the Longview power plant which uses High-Efficiency Low-Emissions (HELE) technologies. The tour was conducted by the National Capital Area Chapter for U.S. Association of Energy Economics (NCAC-USAEE) to these facilities in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Leaders in Energy 2017 Year in Review

Leaders in Energy 2017 Year in Review

In 2017 Leaders in Energy continued to mature in its mission to build a community of leaders and a global action network to advance clean energy and sustainable solutions for a more sustainable energy system, economy, and world.

Our membership continued to grow in the Washington DC area, with 1,500 members on our mailing list, in addition to our LinkedIn group with over 2,900 members. We have a presence in most major U.S. metropolitan areas and over 100 countries.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Janine Finnell and our Board, Team Members and Advisors, the organization has provided important forums for clean energy and sustainability in the DC area, as well as nationally and globally. Our events last year came at a time of immense change and new threats, but also new opportunities to cement the transition to a green economy.

The Urgency of Now and Building a Global Action Network for Change

Do you feel that you matter and that you can make a difference to make this world a better place through positive action? Increasingly, people are feeling bombarded by so much bad news that they can start totally tuning out or becoming paralyzed by inaction because they are totally overloaded or disillusioned. It’s like what can one person do?

Steps toward action in the circular economy

Steps toward action in the circular economy

Every time your smartphone screen shatters, do you ever stop and think: why do I have to buy a new one? Why can’t we just replace the parts that still have some value? These questions were raised by Janine Finnell, Executive Director of Leaders in Energy, at the third annual Circular Economy event on September 28, 2017 at the University of the District of Columbia.

Several dozen participants from different backgrounds joined to learn about the circular economy and engage in small group discussions on how to expand its practices in our businesses, communities, and daily lives. The goal was to develop an action framework to further enable the circular economy in the Washington region.

Clean energy professionals exchange career tips

Clean energy professionals exchange career tips

Leaders in Energy conducted its 4th annual Green Jobs Forum and Green Career Workshop on August 17, 2017. The sold-out event, with over 100 people participating, was held at the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) headquarters in Washington, DC.

Cybersecurity and the power grid

Cybersecurity and the power grid

In the face of the mounting threats of cyberattacks and the vulnerable, interdependent electric grid systems, governments, utilities, businesses, and people need to come together and do what is necessary to be prepared. No one can afford to be complacent. This was the message at the Energy Infrastructure and Cybersecurity forum held by Leaders in Energy at Make Offices in Arlington, VA (Clarendon) on June 1, 2017.

Are you prepared if the lights go out in your area?

Are you prepared if the lights go out in your area?

I just finished reading the cyber-techno book thriller, Blackout, by Marc Elsberg, on the theme of a cyberattack in Europe and the United States leading to a prolonged power outage. It made me wonder whether I was really prepared for an emergency of this kind. It was bad enough experiencing the Derecho storm in the summer of 2012 where my neighborhood in Virginia experienced a power outage in the sweltering heat for 5 days!

After that experience, I became more interested in the topic of community microgrids and back-up power systems to help shield one in the event of a power outage. As a result of reading Marc’s book, I have also been doing research on the best ways to prepare for a power emergency, whether caused by natural or more nefarious reasons such a cyberattack.