Connecticut's Electric Vehicles Forum
Friday, May 21, 2010, Legislative Office Building, Hartford, 12:30 to 3:30 pm EDT
The new generation of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) will reach Connecticut in mid-2011. This EV Forum features representatives from the leading automakers previewing their plans, and other industry experts discussing the opportunities and challenges of this alternative transportation choice. With mainstream consumer interest, EVs have the potential to significantly reduce the region's carbon emissions and fossil-fuel dependence.
The program is co-hosted by Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Council (EVIC) which was established by Governor M. Jodi Rell's Executive Order No. 34and the Regional Electric Vehicle Initiative (REVI) which is made up of Connecticut Light & Power, The United Illuminating Company, and the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative with National Grid, NSTAR and the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company.
To register or find out more, visit the Regional Electric Vehicle Initiative (REVI) web site.
CBIA’s 2010 Sustainability Conference
June 9, 2010 • 8:30–11:30 a.m.
Hartford Marriott Downtown Hotel, 200 Columbus Blvd., Hartford
CBIA’s 2010 Sustainability Conference will showcase what companies from a variety of industries are doing internally and externally at the Green Business 2.0 level.
The half-day program will feature a presentation by Michael Ellis on current trends and predictions for the future. Ellis is a senior associate at GreenOrder, a national strategy and management consulting firm that helps companies gain competitive advantage through environmental innovation.
Also included:
• The release of CBIA’s 2010 Sustainability & Connecticut Business Survey
• Expert panel discussions on green business best practices and tools companies can use to enhance sustainability strategies
• Exhibits by green businesses from across Connecticut
To find out more about this event.
CBIA and Others to Celebrate Earth Day with Students from Hartford Public High School
In recognition of Earth Day 2010 and the Great American Clean Up, CBIA staff, along with volunteers from several organizations, will work along side students and teachers from Hartford Public High School to clean-up the neighborhood around the school.
Read the full story.
Alcoa Gets in the Solar Game
CBIA member company Alcoa wants to get into the solar trough business. Alcoa, the aluminum giant with operations in Winsted and Branford, is testing a new type of solar technology that the company said it believes will lower the cost of renewable energy.
The company has replaced the glass in parabolic troughs with reflective aluminum and integrated the mirror into a single structure.
Parabolic troughs focus sunlight on liquid-filled receivers suspended over the mirrors to create steam that drives an electricity-generating turbine. Parabolic trough technology has been in modern use in solar power plants since the early 1980s, but Alcoa executives said they saw an opportunity to refine the technology and get a foothold in the rapidly expanding renewable energy market. Read the full article.
AT&T Moves to Reduce Consumer Paper Use, Electricity
In two separate initiatives, CBIA member AT&T recently announced it is making plans to reduce the overall paper associated with its billing system, as well as to help consumers save electricity with charging devices.
AT&T is appealing to its customers to help convert a million accounts to paperless billing. A promotion with the Arbor Day Foundation would have AT&T plant a tree for each customer who converts to paperless billing.
With regards to its cellular device business, AT&T has a new wireless charger that has a so-called “automatic zero draw,” meaning that if a device is not plugged into a charger, it would not draw power from the outlet.
Device chargers have gained notoriety for their ability to suck “phantom power” from the grid, i.e., they continue to consume electricity whether they are charging a device or not.
AT&T will officially launch its ZERO charger in May. The charger has a 5-star efficiency rating, which exceeds the standards set by GSMA.
State To Invest in LiQuifix
Last week, Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced the state is investing in LiQuifix Inc., a maker of a non-toxic, environmentally friendly spray lubricant that protect and extend the life of industrial equipment, through a $200,000 loan from the state Department of Economic and Community Development and a $500,000 equity investment by Connecticut Innovations, the quasi-public state authority responsible for technology investing and innovation development.
John Cullinane, the president and chief executive officer of a fledgling Stamford-based lubrication company is confident the new investment in his company will lead to increased interest from private investors.
Several CBIA Members Make CRO List
Last week, the magazine Corporate Responsibility Officer released its 11th annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List, which included member companies such as Microsoft, Alcoa and Northeast Utilities.
Based on over 360 data points of publicly available information, the The 100 Best Corporate Citizens List is known as the world’s top corporate responsibility ranking. Companies are selected from the large-cap Russell 1000 companies, which include the largest securities and represents roughly 90 percent of the US market. Selected companies were ranked in seven categories: Environment, Climate Change, Human Rights, Philanthropy, Employee Relations, Financial Performance, and Governance. Read more here.