Low-Carbon Business Innovation Workshops

To inform the research effort and facilitate information sharing, we organized a series of workshops in which leading corporations discussed their ideas on different aspects of low-carbon innovation. These workshops explored innovation challenges and opportunities in the electric power, transportation, defense, and financial sectors. Links to presentation material is provided where available.

Workshop I: Low-Carbon Business Innovation (July 2010)

This first workshop explored how companies define and think about innovation in the context of climate change and low-carbon technologies. Participants discussed successful innovations, their development and strategies to bringing them to commercialization, as well as barriers and challenges to pursuing innovation strategies.

Speakers:

• Judi Greenwald, Vice President for Innovative Solutions, Introduction and Moderator [1]
• John Frey, Sustainability Executive, Americas, HP [2]
• Peter Molinaro, Vice President, Federal and State Government Affairs, Dow
• Clay Nesler, Vice President, Global Energy and Sustainability, Johnson Controls [3]

Workshop II: Low-Carbon Business Innovation (November 2010)

This workshop expanded the discussion on low-carbon innovation by exploring the strategies and practices employed in identifying and investing in low-carbon innovations, the barriers and solutions to adopting low-carbon innovations within the electric power sector, and reactions and perspectives from technology providers.

Speakers:

Panel I: Financing Low Carbon Innovations

• Andrew Hargadon, Professor of Management, Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis, Moderator
• Lindene Patton, Chief Climate Product Officer, Zurich Financial Services
• Alfred Griffin, Director, Global Structured Solutions, Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
• Steven Taub, Senior Vice President, Investment Strategy-Renewables, GE Energy Financial Services

Panel II:  Power Sector Adoption of Low Carbon Innovations

• Andrew Hargadon, Moderator

Electric Utilities

• William Brady, Director of Corporate Environmental Strategy, Exelon
• Kevin Leahy, Managing Director, Climate Policy, Duke Energy
• Marisa Uchin, Manager, Federal Government Relations, PG&E Corporation
• Jeffrey Williams, Director, Climate Consulting, Entergy

Technology Developers

• Robert Hilton, Vice President, Power Technologies for Government Affairs, Alstom
• Steve Meyers, Lead Air Counsel and Manager, Air Program, GE

Workshop III: Low-Carbon Business Innovation (March 2011)

The third and final workshop focused on the Department of Defense’s unique energy and capability needs and the defense industry’s contribution to developing and commercializing low-carbon technologies. The second panel focused on the challenges and opportunities for pursuing low-carbon innovation in the transportation sector, including the barriers to development and adoption of new technologies.

Speakers:

Introduction

• Judi Greenwald, Vice President, Innovative Solutions
• Andrew Hargadon, Professor of Management, Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis

Panel I: Low-carbon Innovation in the Defense Sector

• Andrew Hargadon, Moderator
• Alan King [4], Director, Energy Partnerships, Office of Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Sustainability (Q&A) [5]
• Andrew Bochman, Energy Security Lead, IBM Software Group/Rational, IBM
• Britta MacIntosh [6], Vice President, Federal Business Development, Carrier Noresco

Panel II: Low-carbon Innovation in the Transportation Sector

• Andrew Hargadon, Moderator
• Mary Beth Stanek [7], Director, Federal Environment and Energy Regulatory Affairs, GM
• Brian Mormino [8], Director, Energy Policy and Emissions Compliance, Cummins
• Eric Woods [9], Vice President, Fleet and Logistics, Waste Management
• John Schaaf [10], Vice President, Market Development, Power Solutions, Johnson Controls, Inc.

Reception Remarks by: Steven Fries, Chief Economist, Royal Dutch Shell