Press Release Community Energy Forum
June 13, 2016 by Ever-Green Energy
For immediate release
CONTACT:
Nina Axelson, Ever-Green Energy
612-695-1288, nina.axelson@districtenergy.com
Cathryn Kennedy, Cathryn Kennedy Consulting
612-309-3951, cathryn@cathrynkennedy.com
Pam McCarthy-Kern, Cathryn Kennedy Consulting
612-360-0647, pam@cathrynkennedy.com
Ever-Green Energy to Host Community Energy Forum at International District Energy Association’s Annual Conference in Saint Paul
Community Engagement Session to Feature Art and Science Interactive Installations, Networking With More than 100 Energy Industry Vendors, and Guest Speakers from Denmark, Germany, and Minnesota
SAINT PAUL, Minn. (June 13, 2016) – Energy leaders from across the county and around the world will come to Saint Paul June 20-23 for the International District Energy Association’s (IDEA) annual conference. Saint Paul was selected for this conference because the Twin Cities and surrounding area is home to dozens of district energy systems that showcase efficient and effective fuel and technology integration.
Ever-Green Energy, which operates and manages District Energy St. Paul, is hosting a Community Energy Forum on Tuesday, June 21 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. that will focus on emerging energy trends, showcasing Minnesota and international perspectives. The event is free and open to the public but advance registration is required.
The Community Energy Forum will be held in the lower level Rotunda at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, located at 175 West Kellogg Boulevard. The forum will include a reception from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in which guests can connect with local students, teachers, energy experts, and more than 100 vendors working in the energy field. The reception will also feature unique art and science interactive installations, including the Really Big Table (an affiliated project of the Springboard for the Arts Ready Go program) and the recently launched Water Bar. The Springboard for the Arts Ready Go program connects artists to organizations, businesses, and others who can use creative and artistic ways to engage people. Water Bar began in 2014 as a mobile public art project that serves local and regional water in an effort to engage the public in a conversation about the current stressors to our water resources.
Following the reception, Ever-Green Energy will facilitate an informative speaker session from 7:00-8:30 p.m., covering a broad range of perspectives on current and future energy systems. Guest speakers will be from Denmark and Germany, joined by Minnesota’s leaders from the Department of Employment and Economic Development, Ever-Green Energy, and the University of Minnesota. This event will be held in the upper level meeting rooms 7-9.
The speakers include:
• Ken Smith, Ever-Green Energy
• Commissioner Shawntera Hardy, Minnesota Department of Economic Development
• Jakob Bjerregaard, Danish Embassy
• Werner R. Lutsch, The Energy Efficiency Association for Heating, Cooling, and CHP – Germany
• Dr. Massoud Amin, University of Minnesota
The June 21 evening event is free but advance registration is required. To reserve free tickets, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-energy-forum-perspectives-from-around-the-world-tickets-25408346047. Registration closes on June 16. Heavy appetizers will be served and a cash bar will be available. For more information about the IDEA conference, please visit http://www.idea2016.org/.
This community event is part of a weeklong series of events. On Monday, the United Nations Environment Programme will recognize the City of Saint Paul as a Climate Champion for its leadership in developing and sharing district energy policies with other cities and communities while working cooperatively toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. There are 45 cities globally that are Climate Champion cities. Boston and Seattle are the only other U.S. cities recognized for their efforts in this work.
About IDEA
The International District Energy Association (IDEA) conference is a forum that brings together civic, business, community, academic, and scientific leaders from around the world to discuss the future of energy systems in cities, communities, and campuses. This year’s event, themed Embracing Change, will be a platform to explore new technologies, research, policy trends, and how utilities and businesses are changing to keep up with the market and consumer demands.
About Ever-Green Energy
Ever-Green Energy is one of the country’s premier energy system experts, with decades of experience in developing, operating, and managing community energy systems. The unique combination of technical expertise, business acumen, and operations experience has helped communities, colleges and universities, and government organizations advance the study, development, and operation of integrated energy systems. The Ever-Green team applies its depth of knowledge through every step of a system’s development and implementation, finding sustainable and financially viable solutions to secure a community’s energy future. Ever-Green Energy, located in downtown Saint Paul, operates and manages District Energy St. Paul, Energy Park Utility Company, Duluth Energy Systems, and the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center Thermal operations.
About District Energy St. Paul
District Energy St. Paul is a private, non-profit serving the majority of downtown Saint Paul with heating and cooling, and working to provide best-in-class energy services with stable rates and unmatched reliability. The system has earned international recognition for its customer service, renewable and efficient technology integration, community engagement, and environmental stewardship. As a dedicated community partner, District Energy is a founding member of the Saint Paul EcoDistrict and a partner to the world’s first Plume Project, a public art and science collaboration featured in the winter of 2015-16.
For more information about District Energy St. Paul and Ever-Green Energy and the IDEA conference, please visit http://www.ever-greenenergy.com/inside/community/ http://www.idea2016.org/ or http://www.districtenergy.com/
