[The Vector] NREL Chooses 19 Leaders for Program

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which is under the Department of Energy, announced selection of nineteen national leaders for its 2010 Executive Energy Leadership Program. Now in its fourth year, the 5 month program gives executive decision-makers at local levels in-depth knowledge and skills about renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.  The program includes briefings from NREL, technology experts, and well as research lab tours and visits to field applications along with classroom study. At the end of the program, the students each present a viable renewable energy project.

In the first three years of the program, participants were solely based in Colorado. NREL said it was ready to expand the Colorado-based pilot to a national scale.  “As a national laboratory, we launched this unique forum to provide a dynamic learning opportunity for a diverse group of business, government and organizational leaders. It’s exciting to see the impact our grads are having at their businesses and in their communities,” said Janice Rooney, NREL Corporate Relations.

For instance, one of last year’s grads is an executive at San Diego airport. Solar was identified as the one feasible renewable energy resource available, but there is no unused land for installation of solar, and the roof of the terminal is old and not suitable.  However, placing solar on the parking areas will provide 2.3 MW of energy – and create a little shade for cars beneath the panels.

A current program executive with the Dairy Farmers of America is studying two opportunities for using renewable energy at a new plant in windy western Kansas: wind energy and concentrating solar power.  The plant will receive 2 million pounds of raw milk per day for processing, and the trucks that carry the milk must be sanitized on site before leaving to collect their next load.  About 100,000 gallons of hot water storage and 45,000 pounds per hour of steam generation is built into the plans. Hence, implementing renewable energy sources to power the steam generation would be a coup.

Participants this year also include employees or parties from Cisco, Delta Montrose Electric Association, City of Aspen, City of Lone Tree, Owens Corning, Renewable World Foundation, office of US Senator Michael Bennet, CB Richard Ellis and Nevada Institute of Renewable Energy Commercialization.