Western States Innovation Workshop

Sponsored by the Western Interstate Energy Board (WIEB) and the CleanTech Alliance

Occurred on June 25, 2019

Goals

  1. Improve the systems for commercialization of clean energy technologies emerging from western R&D institutions and organizations.
  2. Build upon the 2016 regional energy innovation workshops sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
  3. Strengthen and broaden the Northwest Energy Innovation Alliance.
  4. Provide opportunities for WIEB states and provinces to strengthen their relationships with state and provincial R&D institutions to better link policy and technology development.

Attendees

Invited participants from the June 24 CleanTech Innovation Showcase, WIEB members and Western state and provincial policymakers, and other energy R&D and commercialization organizations from throughout the West.

Agenda

Facilitators: Tony Usibelli, Melanie Snyder, and Jimmy Jia

8:30 a.m.: Dr. Alan Winter, British Columbia’s first Innovation Commissioner

9:00 a.m.: Growing CleanTech Energy Businesses: New Research Findings

  • Moderator: Malin Young, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Science and Technology, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • Ann Goos, Study Consultant
  • Craig Husa, President & CEO, Impact BioEnergy
  • J. Thomas Ranken, President & CEO, CleanTech Alliance
  • Brian Young, CleanTech Lead, Washington State Department of Commerce

10:00 a.m.       Three Breakout Discussions Session 1  

(Organized around discussion questions)

  1. Where are the opportunities for states to work together on interstate energy and economic development without simply competing for new companies? How do we expand the economic development opportunities around clean energy development? Are there better ways to quantify clean energy/economic development results and jobs?
  • Where can the states’ R&D organizations (universities, national labs, private entities) cooperate further to expand clean energy technology development? How can the states’ R&D organizations work cooperatively to expand clean energy technology development? What are the challenges and opportunities of moving R&D technologies to commercialization?
  • What is a critical challenge your state/organization is facing that an energy innovation can address? How should we be thinking about and encouraging energy innovation? Does the West have special energy advantages that we are not exploiting? What new opportunities emerge recent new state and regional energy policies (e.g., 100% clean, low-carbon policies, utility coal retirements, renewables development, electric vehicle incentives…)

11:00 a.m.       Networking Break

11:15 a.m.       Three Breakout Discussions Session 2 (attendees move to different group)

12:15 p.m.       Lunch

1:15 p.m.         Group Discussion from Breakout Sessions – Where do we go from here?

2:15 p.m.         Adjourn