CCIA & IBM Focus on Smart Water Feb 25 at DU Craig Hall Community Room

The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) is offering “Advanced Water Management: Using Cleantech to Manage Scarce Resources,” February 25, with keynote presentation by Cameron Brooks on IBM’s Smarter Planet Initiatives. IBM is already staking claims in the smart grid industry to better manage electricity. Now it's doing the same for water, with a broad offering that will include developing sensor and intelligence networks for water utilities, smart water meters and a new technology for water filtration.

Keynote speaker is Dr. Cameron Brooks, Director of Solutions & Business Development, IBM Big Green Innovations. He will introduce IBM’s Smarter Planet initiatives and discuss the technologies IBM is employing to leverage their smart grid expertise for the water “grid.” Dr. Brooks will also provide IBM’s perspective into where the water technology market is headed relative to IP sharing, investment, partnership and global opportunities.

Following the IBM keynote presentation, the CCIA will open a panel discussion with experts from:

* Stewart Environmental

* MWH Global

* National Renewable Energy Laboratory
* Geotech Environmental Equipment

Event details: February 25, 7:30 – 10:30 a.m., at Craig Hall Community Room, University of Denver. Registration is required by contacting Shelly Curtiss at 303-623-2690 or Shelly@coloradocleantech.com – CCIA members attend free of charge; $35 for non-members. Note space is limited and reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/AdvWaterMgmt

Link to the Advanced Water Management news release

Beetle Juice: Turning Dead Trees Into Heat and Electricity

Jerry Brown of BrownonGreen.net attended the CCIA's Feb 11th Biofuels session and posted this report on presenter Phil Kastelic, CEO of Colorado Forest and Energy:

"If life hands you lemons, make lemonade. And if it hands you five million acres of dead trees ravaged by pine beetles? Make beetle juice.

That’s what CEO Phil Kastelic of Colorado Forest and Energy, calls the electricity and thermal energy he says could be made from the huge number of trees in Colorado killed by pine beetles.

As Kastelic sees it, the solution couldn’t be simpler."

Link to the BrownonGreen.net article

Altira's Cory Steffek: "Colorado's going to be very well positioned in the future."

Cory Steffek shared secrets to securing funding for early stage startups at the CCIA BioFuels dual-panel program Feb 11 at the Denver Chamber. Here's a recap of participants for this outstanding CCIA event.

Panel 1, moderated by Stacey Simms, Governor's Energy Office: Rich Schoonover, Solix Biofuels; Christopher Ryan, Ph.D., Gevo; Justin Bzdek, Symbios Technologies; Phil Kastelie, Colorado Forest and Energy.

Panel 2, moderated by Wayne Greenberg, Architectural Energy and Heartland Renewable Energy: Chas Eggert, OPX Biotechnologies; Cory Steffek, Altira Group; Mike Miller, formerly Blue Sun Biodiesel; John Ashworth, Ph.D., National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Feb 11 Program: Biomass to Biofuels

Note: registration closes Feb 8, 2010, at 5 p.m. - registration contact: Shelly@coloradocleantech.com

The next few years will witness the commercialization of “advanced” biofuels. The U.S. government has mandated that 100 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel be blended into the nation’s gasoline supply in 2010 increasing to 16 billion gallons in 2022. Success for cellulosic biofuel producers will depend on many variables including: (1) access to consistent supply of affordable feedstocks, (2) ability to access project finance and/or government loan guarantees (3) improved economies of scale with production methods. (Source: GTM Research)

While second-generation cellulosic ethanol remains a hot topic among policy-makers and venture capitalists, serious attention is being paid to third-generation algae biofuels. Known as a “drop in” fuel, algae can potentially serve the gasoline, diesel, and aviation markets.

Discussions during the February 11th program will include topics such as:

* An examination of the variety of innovative 2nd gen pathways and conversion technologies that are under development and are fast becoming a commercial reality

* The economics, including a discussion of stimulus funding, behind the biofuels market

* Market and policy hurdles and opportunities

* The financing viewpoint

* Lessons learned

This program is free for CCIA Members - RSVPs are required. There is a cost of $50 per person for non-members.

Agenda

7:30 - 8:00 a.m. - Registration, breakfast and networking.

8:15 - 9:45 a.m. - Biofuels: Not Your Grandmother's Corn Ethanol
Moderator: Stacey Simms, Governor's Energy Office
Panelists:
Algae - Solix Biofuels
Retrofitting/Jet Fuel - Gevo
Waste Conversion to Energy - Symbios
Feedstock - Community Power Corporation

10:00 - 11:30 a.m. - Biofuels Hurdles to Jump Before They Get to the Pump
Moderator: Wayne Greenberg, Architectural Energy and Heartland Renewable
Panelists:
Policy - TBA
Industry - OPX Biotechnologies
Financing - Altira Group
Lessons Learned - Mike Miller, formerly of Blue Sun Biodiesel
Technology - National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Remember to RSVP by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb 11 to Shelly@coloradocleantech.com