Highlights of the Miami Climate Change Summit #2 from solar to PHEVs.

Looking back at Governor Crist's Climate Change Summit this week, here are some of my favorite moments, featuring a former day-trader turned solar enthusiast, Progress Energy's plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius, a new $20 million clean energy prize offered by the Scottish government, a Spanish company that is investing $8 billion in alternative energy in the United States, a new $20 million clean energy prize, and of course, the return of Arnold, The Terminator, and much, much more .....

* at breakfast on the first day, I sat next to Lewis Zemanian, a former day trader for nine years who quit his job in March and hopes to get into the solar business as a broker for companies who install PV panels and solar water heaters.
He's spent the last few months learning about solar. He went to a solar conference in San Diego, and has signed up for a course on photo-voltaics. He's also reading a teach yourself electricity and electronics . "It's a pretty serious skill. I never realized," he said.
Zemanian, 44,  says he doesn't miss day trading. "I used to be pretty turned on by gambling," he told me. But after his two year old son was born his life changed. "I traded so badly in February that I realized I didn't really want to be doing it any more."

* it was good to run into my old friend James Culp who played a big hand in helping guide this blog in its first year. James left the Technological Research and Development Authority last year to join Progress Energy as Lead Alternative Energy Strategist. They are lucky to have him as James knows as much as there is to know about alternative energy technology. James is leading Progress Energy's exploration of the potential for plug-in-hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy.
He showed up at the summit with an upgraded Toyota Prius with a high-capacity plug-in battery in the back.

* Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, newly elected as head of the US Conference of Mayors, described some of the innovative schemes cities around the US have adopted (MannyDiazspeech.doc). Miami's City Hall is the first in the country with solar panels. He also highlighted the city's new green building code. "The message in the city of Miami is you are either going to build green or you're not going to build at all." A Democrat, Diaz also blasted the Bush administration for failing to help cities. "Think what we could accomplish if we had a partner in Washington," he said.

* In a panel on international climate change leadership, Spain's Consul General, Santiago Cabanas, spoke about the major stride his country has made in wind energy in particular. He mentioned that Iberdrola, the nation's largest renewable energy company, is currently taking advantage of the Euro-dollar exchange rate to invest $8 billion in the United States, mostly buying existing companies to boost its portfolio.

* UK Consul General Keith Allen noted that the British government Thursday launched its new Renewable Energy Strategy to find ways to improve use of renewables. This represented "a radical overhaul of the energy sector, Allen said. The UK currently has a target of 15 % energy from renewables by 2020, requiring a ten-fold increase from 2006 levels. That could mean up to 7,000 onshore and offshore wind turbines. The UK is also looking at tidal power options in the Severn Estuary that could provide up to 5% of UK electricity.
The new strategy involves a consultation process that will examine possibly raising the renewable energy target as high as 35% by 2020.

* Allen, who is a proud Scot, also noted that the Scottish government is offering a new $20 million challenge prize for advances in clean energy. The Saltire prize will be given to the person or team that comes up with the best idea with relevance to Scotland's natural resources and technical expertise. (It's worth noting that Scotland already generates 16% of its power from renewables.)

*  the biggest applause went to Hermann Scheer, a member of the German parliament and longtime solar energy advocate. He began with a clever good news/bad news routine. "The bad news is oil is running out," he said. "The good news is oil is running out," he added. The only option was to switch to renewables, he went on, pointing out that the sun produces 15,000 times the world's current daily energy needs. Despite its cloudy climate, Germany was leading the way in solar power, he said, with 4,000 MW of installed photo-voltaic panels. It also produced 50% of the world's wind power.
Scheer said the key to renewables was to guarantee access to the electric grid for all renewable energy producers and not to allow it to be blocked by conventional power companies.

* France's Consul General Philippe Vinogradoff said his country remained committed to nuclear energy. "I wish we could have an energy based on wine and cheese," he joked.

* Last but by no means least, I must revisit Governor Schwarzenegger's speech which created a stirr after he appeared to smack down Crist and senator McCain for suggesting lifting the current moratorium on offshore drilling. I'd like to commend Schwarzenegger for having the political courage to challenge his friend in public that way, on Crist's home turf. But, it would be wrong for readers to think that Schwarzenegger and Crist have suffered a falling out. Far from it.

The Austrian-born former bodybuilder joked that Florida and California were coastal communities with a lot in common, including Governor's with good tans and who look good in swimsuits on the beach. Schwarzenegger noted that he couldn't run for vice-president as a naturalized American. But that didn't matter since Crist "can run and I can vote for him."

"Any time that Governor Crist calls me to come here to a conference like this, I'm there, because I think he's doing such an extraordinary job," he said. The Terminator ended his speech with the words: "I'll be back."

- David Adams