When it comes to energy, it is easy to find information on the problems: fossil fuel supplies, national security, air quality, environmental impacts, rising costs. And when you start to really delve into the details, there can arise this overwhelming sense of dread. What are we going to do in the face of disappearing fossil fuel sources, ever increasing national security worries, worsening air quality, increasing energy related costs, and not to mention the negative environmental impacts?

But last Thursday (Feb 18), the Grand Vision Energy working group held the second in a series of forums that strive to implement the energy principles of the Grand Vision. As it turned out, this was not a forum on the problems of energy, but rather, the solutions.

As guest speaker David Konkle introduced himself, he remarked that he had been invited largely because of what he had accomplished as the director of the Ann Arbor energy office. For energy enthusiasts, Konkle's presentation must have seemed like Christmas.

Slide after slide was solution after solution that Konkle had implemented for Ann Arbor. From the creation of the energy office in 1988, to conservation efforts, the Revolving Energy Fund model to provide the investment to get started, to bio-digesters at Waste Water Treatment plants, the Clean Cities federal program, working out a deal with Meijer to sell alternative fuels, the cities "getDowntown" transit program, the LEDS lighting program for street lights, and strategic uses of solar heaters.

Twenty years after the energy office started, Konkle was able to report the following successes:

$7 million dollars in energy savings
$2 million dollars in grants and rebates
In 2008 alone, Ann Arbor displaced 1.4 million gallons of fuel with alternative fuels.

When Konkle wrapped his presentation, several hands shot up in the air for more information. One audience member asked, "is there a link between progressive energy use and increased economic growth?" Konkle said that the mayor of Ann Arbor "strongly, strongly believes that." He continued by saying that existing businesses are becoming more efficient and lowering their bottom lines and through energy efficiency they can become a healthier business. However, Michigan is getting its "butt kicked" in terms of competition with other states in moving towards alternative energy contracts.

Another forum participant asked about renewable energy batteries, their uses and potential. Konkle responded by saying, "Don't throw anything out, these ideas for energy, and energy storage is a huge one. If we could have energy storage at the base of those wind generators that would solve a lot of our problems. Keep on studying and thinking and learning about what is out there. Compact fluorescents will need to be replaced by LEDS in four years. I can guarantee you that."

There was video of the event. When available, we will post it here on this website as a resource to use for solutions that have been tried, tested, and found successful.

There was a live blog of the event and you can read that here.

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Photo: Two II by Victor Bezrukov.