Please take a moment to learn more about our latest news and see what people are saying about how we’re building new energy innovation in South Texas and beyond. If you’d like to see something particular, we’d love to hear from you.
A Second Successful EPIcenter Summit
We recently held our second EPIcenter Summit, which was all about how companies can promote resilience in the face of disaster. Once again, we curated a lineup of critical thinkers, leaders, and energy innovators. People are still talking about some interesting takeaways, like the pitfalls of facial recognition technology, how to manage employee mental health during and post-disaster, what not to use as your password, and more.
This year, we added a new twist with a call to action for Resiliency Week October 8-12. The Resiliency Week Task Force is planning to share how some of the ideas from the summit are getting implemented among their organizations, including: OCI Solar Power, CPS Energy, the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, and Go Smart Solar. See more coverage about the Disaster Disabled | Resilience Reinvented summit, and let us know if you have ideas for our next summit.
New Energy Incubator and Accelerator Running Strong
One of our other key elements is the EPIcenter New Energy Incubator and Accelerator. It provides resources to emerging businesses focused on advancing new energy innovation and technology. We’re especially proud to work with BB&T, the first company to sponsor our Incubator. BB&T aligns closely with EPIcenter’s programming and vision, and recognizes how our Incubator will be a catalyst for investment, jobs, and economic development throughout the region. A recent grant from the 80/20 Foundation affirms the New Energy Incubator and Accelerator’s role in the local tech startup ecosystem. The first two client companies are leading the way: Go Smart Solar is working on the mass adaptation of solar energy, and Morton Gestalt is working on ways to engineer buildings that optimize energy consumption. The next application deadline is coming up in September. Learn more about EPIcenter's New Energy Incubator and Accelerator.
Global Lecture Series
Taking seriously our role as a thought leader in the energy industry, we will be kicking off our Global Lecture Series in late June. We’re excited to share conversations and insights from our distinguished Global Advisors through this offering. The first of the series will welcome Lynn Abramson, PHD, President of the Clean Energy Business Network, on Thursday, June 28 at the Geekdom Event Center from 6-8 pm. Light bites and libations will be served at this free event (but registration is required).
In her presentation called, “What’s Fueling the Clean Energy Economy? National Trends and Local Opportunity,” Dr. Abramson will consider how renewable energy, energy efficiency, and natural gas represent the growth sectors of the U.S. energy economy. Renewable energy and natural gas account for half of electricity generation across the U.S., and more than 60% in Texas. Thanks to efficiency improvements, GDP has been growing without a corresponding increase in energy use. Meanwhile, consumers are devoting a smaller share of their spending toward electricity than at any time ever recorded. How can Texas, and San Antonio in particular, leverage its existing energy leadership to create new economic opportunities in these growth sectors? Dr. Abramson will examine trends and opportunities fueling the clean energy economy in Texas and at the national scale. You won’t want to miss this free event, so be sure to register.