Interested in green architecture or the electric car? How about the growing field of solar cooking? It’s all part of the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, taking over the Walter E. Washington Convention Center from March 4 to 6, with many of the 2,000-plus attendees staying at the Marriott Wardman Park. This marks the conference's first time in the U.S., after previous stops in Beijing in 2005 and Bonn, Germany, in 2004.
"Never before, and probably not again until 2011, will these industry leaders be meeting under the same roof with national energy and environmental ministers and state and local government leaders," said Jim Pierobon, director of communications for the American Council on Renewable Energy and spokesman for the trade show at W.I.R.E.C., which will feature some 200 exhibitors, 11 international pavilions, and various product launches. "Add to that the more than 75 workshops, receptions, and award ceremonies just announced and this has become the seminal event for renewable energy in the world to date and for this decade."It's no accident that the conference is taking place in Washington, hosted in conjunction with the United States government. "It's not lost on the organizers and leaders that the United States has the potential to become the leading market, by far, for renewable energy and related services in the world," Pierobon added. "How Congress and the Bush administration respond this year could go a long way to determine how quickly the renewable-energy industries will achieve economies of scale that will bring equipment costs down for all types of consumers."
Secretary of energy Samuel Bodman, Swedish deputy prime minister Maud Olofsson, and former New York governor George Pataki are among the W.I.R.E.C. speakers, with discussions covering the various technologies, from solar to hydro, as well as renewable policy and green architecture. A.C.O.R.E. will hold an opening reception for its members, according to Pierobon, at an undisclosed location on Capitol Hill.
"Never before, and probably not again until 2011, will these industry leaders be meeting under the same roof with national energy and environmental ministers and state and local government leaders," said Jim Pierobon, director of communications for the American Council on Renewable Energy and spokesman for the trade show at W.I.R.E.C., which will feature some 200 exhibitors, 11 international pavilions, and various product launches. "Add to that the more than 75 workshops, receptions, and award ceremonies just announced and this has become the seminal event for renewable energy in the world to date and for this decade."It's no accident that the conference is taking place in Washington, hosted in conjunction with the United States government. "It's not lost on the organizers and leaders that the United States has the potential to become the leading market, by far, for renewable energy and related services in the world," Pierobon added. "How Congress and the Bush administration respond this year could go a long way to determine how quickly the renewable-energy industries will achieve economies of scale that will bring equipment costs down for all types of consumers."
Secretary of energy Samuel Bodman, Swedish deputy prime minister Maud Olofsson, and former New York governor George Pataki are among the W.I.R.E.C. speakers, with discussions covering the various technologies, from solar to hydro, as well as renewable policy and green architecture. A.C.O.R.E. will hold an opening reception for its members, according to Pierobon, at an undisclosed location on Capitol Hill.
