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The Opportunities for Women in U.S. Renewables… and What We’ll Need to Get Them There
A WREF Forum Sponsored by Women in Sustainable Energy
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Thank you to WISE, WREFLook at where women are in RE todayWhy its important to women and the
industryMeet a few of the amazing women in REHear their stories, suggestionsQ&A
Today’s Agenda
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Leslie Martel Baer, ModeratorAnalyst and Strategist, Energy Intersections, LLC
Misty ConradSenior Technical Project LeadNational Renewable Energy Laboratory
Heidi VanGenderenDirector of Public Engagement, Office of the SecretaryU.S. Department of Energy
Erin WhitneyResearch Scientist, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Mary Ann ZehrSenior Transmission Policy SpecialistTristate Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
Welcome
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Where are Women Today?<10% of employees
and trainees in RE/EE are women
Myths abound:◦Myth 1: women are
not strong enough
◦Myth 2: RE or “green” is a fad
◦Myth 3: RE is too “dirty” for women
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Why it MattersWomen may be
missing out on ideal positions
World energy demand may rise by 49% by 2035
RE and green jobs poised to grow by 4–31% by 2018
Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor. Why Green is Your Color: A Woman’s to a Sustainable Career. www.dol.gov/wb
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Misty Dawn Conrad
Senior Technical Project LeadNational Renewable Energy Laboratory
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1.75 MW utility scale PVAmerican Samoa
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11 anemometersOrganic Rankine Cycle
American Samoa Power Authority
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Workshops Strategies
◦ Energy analysis◦ Cost of energy◦ Energy awareness and literacy◦ Policy framework◦ Utility efficiency◦ Conservation◦ Energy efficiency◦ Renewable Energy Technologies◦ Workforce development◦ Transportation◦ Water
Define where are you, where do you want to go, what are your energy options and developing a plan to get there.
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Technologist and engineerStakeholder facilitatorStrategic plannerPolicy analystProblem solver
CompetitionValidationLegitimacyExperienceSexism
Wearing Several Hats
Cross-cutting
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Heidi VanGenderen
Director, National & Regional OutreachAmerican Council on Renewable Energy
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ACOREEncompassesAll Forms of Renewable Energy
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Mission: ACORE is dedicated to building a secure and prosperous America with clean, renewable energy
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ACORE’s 500+Organizational Members
Strategy to assemble all the players necessary to make renewable energy successful in the U.S.
Addressing:◦Finance◦Policy◦Technology◦Market Development
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Three StrategicInitiatives in 2012
National Defense & Security: Defining the opportunities for the expanded use of renewable energy in support of national defense
Power Generation & Infrastructure: Creating business models for renewable electricity in the 21st century
Transportation:
Creating a vision for a 21st century transportation infrastructure powered by clean and renewable energy and fuels
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“Up until 1842, women and children worked underground for a pittance doing hard labor that even robust men avoided or would find difficult. Some women actually wielded picks, but most were just treated as beasts of burden. They carried coal in baskets on their backs as they climbed up stairs out of the mine and in some collieries, they even had chains around their waists in order to haul wagons through narrow passages on all fours. Conditions were abysmal, the working day was long and there were no occupational health and safety regulations, and women and children were almost considered dispensible by many colliery owners…”Source: http://thehistorybucket.blogspot.com/2010/09/queens-of-coal.html
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The Earnings Gap, 1984–2009
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Erin Whitney, Ph.D.
Research ScientistNational Renewable Energy Laboratory
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Policy Changes
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Policy Changes
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Mary Ann Zehr
Senior Transmission Policy SpecialistTri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
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Path to Where I am Today
• Naval Nuclear Power Plant Operator
1997
• Began career at Tri-State G&T
2005
• Became a North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) certified Power System Operator
2007
• Obtained B.S. in Business with a specialization in Management from Regis University
2009
• Senior Transmission Policy Specialist at Tri-State G&T
• Obtained M.S. in Global Energy Management from CU-Denver
2011-Present
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Thank you for attending this WISE Sponsored Forum. Learn about WISE at www.wisecolorado.org. Leslie Baer
303.377.5006 [email protected]
Misty Conrad [email protected]
Heidi VanGenderen202.586.7221 [email protected]
Erin [email protected]
Mary Ann [email protected]
Wrap Up, Contacts
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