Thursday, February 16th, 2017 from 12 PM – 2 PM
Port Townsend Yacht Club in the Boat Haven
LEO Presenter and Public Discussion Facilitator: Perry Spring, Energy Systems and Efficiency Professional
Opportunities for developing profitable, unsubsidized new energy systems and businesses in Jefferson County have been under consideration for more than a year both by the members of the Jefferson County Energy LLC (now being formed) and by the directors of CountyEnergy.US who organized and ran the Jefferson County Energy Lunch Program from 2010 through 2015. This development work is the logical extension of the regular bi-annual Energy Lunch reporting on local energy projects that was directed between 2012 and 2015 by Jim Pivarnik of the Port of Port Townsend.
Starting in June and July last year, invitation-only lunch meetings to review all identified new energy opportunities have been held just prior to the public Energy Lunch Program each month where for the final three months of 2016 these meetings were designated as “LEO Meetings” to review Local Energy Opportunities. Unlike the earlier project reports, these LEO Meetings addressed the organization and financing of energy projects including many that emerged from energy systems and plans being suggested by Energy Lunch Key Speakers each month. As of the end of last year 44 separate new energy opportunities for thirteen separate county constituencies had been identified and estimated as requiring in excess of $75 million in capital investment.
Several of these new energy opportunities have been developed to the point of written concept descriptions and spreadsheet assessment of financial details. One of these new energy opportunities is now ready for public review and the Energy Lunch Program for February will provide such public review of “Carsharing in Jefferson County Using District Electric Vehicles (EVs).” Perry Spring of Port Townsend, a regular participant in Energy Lunch events will briefly present and describe this local energy opportunity, how it would work, and what benefits could be expected in typical districts throughout the county (such as neighborhoods and businesses).
With Uber and Lyft roiling the transportation markets around the world, it is entirely appropriate for a public consideration of this carsharing opportunity as a part of the pathway toward a new energy future in Jefferson County. Just last week a member of the BMW management board in Germany was reported as having said that “we are going to see more change in [transportation in] the next 10 or 15 years than we have seen in the last 100 years.” There is plenty of room for local activity in this transportation transition that is really just a part of the larger energy transition we have all been addressing.
Following the presentation of the EV-Based, District Carsharing Opportunity, Perry Spring will publicly engage with Energy Lunch attendees and facilitate interactive public, on-the-record discussion about any and all aspects of this EV-based carsharing energy development opportunity.
