Events, Outreach and Impact
EV SPONSORED EVENTS: CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, AND SEMINARS
Energy Vision hosts and participates in a variety of events to raise awareness about sustainability and alternative energy resources. Please check this page often for info on past and upcoming events. We hope to see you in attendance!
October 21, 2011
The recommendations of a work group co-chaired by Energy Vision for New Jersey's Energy Master Plan on ways to increase biomass use in the state's power and transportation sectors are posted on the NJ Board of Public Utilities' website. Read more.
July 11, 2011
Gail Richardson convened a conference for creation of a committee to advise NJ's Board of Public Utilities on the RNG element in its Energy Master Plan at the Eco-Complex at Rutgers University. This represents a major opportunity for EV to set precedents in NJ for policy approaches also with national value.
March 31, 2011
Energy Vision and Pace Law School's Energy & Climate Center launched a clean fuels initiative for Westchester County, NY at a lunch in White Plains where 24 business and municipal leaders attended. The goal: To bring the energy, environmental and economic benefits of shifting bus and truck fleets from diesel to natural gas fuel to the 2.9 million residents of the County.. View event photo
March 31, 2011
New Jersey Work Group on Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) -- fourth half-day mtg."Strategies to identify project partners for RNG fuel production at multiple N.J. sites." Board of Public Utilities staff joined the N.J. Work Group. State's top air quality official joined the Work Group.
March 31, 2011
White Plains Luncheon - "Putting Westchester County on the Path to Sustainable Transportation" Attendees included municipal planners, County legislators business leaders and potential funders.
March 16, 2011
Stonybrook University,
Small Business Development Center,
Stony Brook, NY - Joanna Underwood presented on "Helping Long Island Communities 'Green' Bus and Truck Fleets: A Leadership Role for Businesses"
March 16, 2011
Meeting of N.J. Work Group with Sustain-able Business Institute in Madison, N.J. - :An exploration of sustainability perspectivies and goals in N.J." The first in a series of conversations of Work Group leaders with N.J. audiences and "stakeholder" groups.
March 10, 2011
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) -
Online Seminar - Joanna Underwood presented "How Engineers Can Help American Towns Convert Diesel Fleets to Natural Gas"
February 24, 2011
New Jersey Work Group on Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) -- third half-day meeting to develop statewide action strategies. "RNG fuel development opportunities at landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and other N.J. sites." Landfill, wastewater, food/ agricultural subcommittees formed to organize outreach to stakeholders.
February 9, 2011
National Petroleum Council Online WebEx - Gail Richardson presention: "Renewable Natural Gas as a Transport Fuel: Sources, Capacities, Benefits, Barriers." Gail is on the national team for the NPC study, Future Alternative Fuels (funded by the U.S. Dept. of Energy). She also advises on an NPC White Paper on renewable natural gas.
November 18, 2010
Energy Vision celebrated its Fourth Year Anniversary on November 18th and hosted a large auction/fundraiser in the West Village. Energy Vision presented its 2010 Energy Vision Leadership Awards to Andrew J. Littlefair, President and CEO of Clean Energy, and to Smithtown, New York’s Environmental Director Russell K. Barnett.
The “all green” affair. co-chaired by actor/environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr., fellow actor Blythe Dannerand Robert B. Catell, retired CEO of US National Grid, featured organic hors d’oeuvres by reknownChef Jean-Claude Lanchais, a silent “green” auction, and a door prize putting the winner behind the wheel of a Honda GX Civic natural gas vehicle (thanks to Paragon Honda) with a free fuel card fromClean Energy. View event photos
May 27, 2010
On May 27th, Energy Vision organized a seminar and reception, generously hosted at Linklaters Law firm. Linklaters Partner Stephen Land welcomed the guests to a timely discussion of the future of natural gas: weighing the value of US natural gas supplies as a transportation fuel to this country's fuel security, cleaner environment and stronger economy (potentially creating tens of thousands of new green energy jobs) against the growing threats to the US environment and water resources posed by the gas drilling technology known as hydrofracking.View event photos
November 18, 2009
EV’s anniversary reception brought supporters and colleagues together for news and perspectives on EV’s work in 2009—its third year in operation. Read more
June 11, 2009
Linklater Law hosted Energy Vision at a 40-person brunch, where attendees learned about how New York City’s trash can be converted to fuel for bus and truck fleets. Read more or Watch Videos
April 25, 2009
EV, Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities and Bryn Mawr College’s Environmental Studies Department hosted for a clean fuels workshop. Attendees learned how to help their communities get on the path to sustainable energy by shifting its refuse truck fleets from reliance on high carbon diesel fuel to clean, secure natural gas.
April 23, 2009
EV was an exhibitor at the Students for a Sustainable Future EXPO ’09 at Pace University in Pleasantville, New York.
March 24, 2009
EV hosted: “Alternative Fuel Refuse Trucks: Healthier Air, Energy Security for Lower Merion Township and Beyond”. Attendees discovered how alternative fuel refuse trucks are a smart choice for any community.
April 2, 2009
EV presented a group of speakers at the 2008 Rutgers University Clean Energy Conference. EV President Joanna Underwood kicked off the conference. Read more
December 4, 2008
EV celebrated its second anniversary in New York City at a reception held in the historic townhouse of film writer and TV producer Tom Fontana. The evening Co-Chair, Blythe Danner, presented EV’s first two “Energy Vision” awards to National Grid’s CEO, Robert C. Catell, a leader in promoting clean alternative vehicle fuels, and to Ed Begley, Jr, Actor/Environmentalist, who pioneered in “walking the walk” with his green lifestyle. Ed got a new show (Congratulations, Ed!) so couldn’t come to New York. But we enjoyed his remarks! Read more
June 3, 2008
EV President Joanna Underwood spoke in Toronto at the Low Carbon Fuel Standards Workshop for Canada on how heavy duty trucks and buses powered by clean natural gas instead of diesel offer a prime strategy for cutting greenhouse gases. The workshop aimed to educate and inform participants, and to identify and discuss key issues and implications related to designing and implementing an effective and efficient low carbon fuel standard in a Canadian context.
April 10, 2008
Actor Blythe Danner, EV President Joanna Underwood, NYC Environmental, Community & Energy Activists and “Green” Entrepreneurs unveiled new natural gas garbage trucks at an event in Union Square, New York City. Read more
January 24, 2008
EV-Rutgers Alternate Fuel Conference Flyer
EV-Rutgers Alternate Fuel Conference Agenda
The first EV-Rutgers sponsored statewide conference showed municipal leaders, refuse/recycling truck fleets, environmental advocates, and civic leaders the environmental and economic benefits of getting on board with natural gas and biomethane as an alternative fuel.
January 24, 2008
An EV-Rutgers sponsored statewide conference: “Alternate Fuel Refuse and Recycling Trucks: Leading the Way to Energy Independence and a Cleaner Environment”—helped show municipal leaders, refuse/recycling truck fleets, environmental advocates, and civic leaders the environmental and economic benefits of getting on board with alternative fuels. Read more
November 29, 2007
EV previewed its new research at the 2nd Asia Natural Gas Vehicle Association Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Read more
September 19, 2007
Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities Program and EV held an event: “Briefing on Natural Gas Refuse Truck & Viewing of Demo Vehicle”. City and industry officials had the opportunity to learn about and see one of the key vehicles of the future — a refuse truck powered by clean, domestic natural gas. Read more
July 26, 2007
EV President Joanna Underwood delivered one of the opening presentations at the “Advancing the Choice: Fueling our Future Conference” in San Antonio, TX. Her speech, entitled “Why Natural Gas?”, described the transition in transportation fuels from petroleum-derived fuels to the hydrogen era, and especially on the role of natural gas in the transition.
June 19, 2007
EV President Joanna Underwood spoke at the Environment and Energy Conference in Toronto, Ontario. She was a participant in a session entitled “Leveraging Municipal Sustainability to Create Community Competitive Advantage”. Read more
May 23, 2007
EV President Joanna Underwood delivered the annual address—”Horses to Hydrogen: Getting on The Path to Sustainable Transportation” at the Annual Meeting of the Bryn Mawr Club of New York.
OUTREACH
Speeches
June 21, 2011
Gail Richardson presented "Biomethane as a Vehicle Fuel: Search for a Business Model" in Chicago, IL. Speakers included prominent developers of anaerobic digestion technology and projects in U.S. and Canada
June 8, 2011
Joanna attended Opening of CNG refueling station and did FOX interview in Camden, NJ. For more details, click here.
May 13, 2011
Joanna Underwood gave remarks: opening of first refuse fleet CNG station in VERMONT owned by Casella Waste Systems in Williston, VT. Speakers included: VT Governor Peter Shumlin, Natural Gas CEO Don Gilbert, Casella CEO John Casella & Joanna Underwood.
April 14, 2011
Joanna Underwood spoke at Westchester County Dept. of Public Works Association,
Hastings on Hudson, NY on "Greening Fleets: An environmental and economic opportunity for Westchester County." Head of group note after meeting: "Thanks so much for a very informative program at our meeting today. I know our membership is eager to implement the ideas you discussed. We need to keep the momentum going. I believe targeting the County to bring it together will be a big help."
April 14, 2011
Joanna Underwood spoke at the Brooklyn Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB),
Brooklyn, NY on "Converting Fleets in NYC to Natural Gas"
January 27, 2010
As keynote speaker at the first 2010 Meeting of the NJ Clean Cities Coalition, held in Wall, NJ, EV President Joanna Underwood congratulated the NJCCC for obtaining $15 million in stimulus funds, bringing 287 new natural gas (CNG) refuse trucks and jitney buses and four new refueling stations to Newark, Camden, Hamilton, Atlantic City and Atlantic County. Read more
November 18, 2009
Gail Richardson, Vice President for Programs, made an appearance at the 2009 Advanced Energy Conference, organized by the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center. The event explored the potential for renewable energy and alternative fuels in the coming future. Read more
November 10, 2009
A celebration marked the unveiling of a new natural gas (CNG) refueling station in Trenton, New Jersey, built by Clean Energy, to refuel the state’s first CNG refuse fleet, operated by Central Jersey Waste & Recycling to serve Hamilton Township. EV’s President Joanna Underwood participated. Read more
April 20-21, 2009
EV President Joanna Underwood was a keynote speaker at the Spring Conference of the New Jersey Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America. She spoke about “Turning Trash Into Cash: New Opportunity for Our Communities in New Jersey.” The two-day conference took place at the Hilton Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Read more
April 19, 2007
Philadelphia Clean Cities
Joanna Underwood was the guest speaker at the Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities meeting of business and government officials, discussing the environmental, energy and economic benefits of considering a shift from diesel to natural gas refuse trucks for the City of Philadelphia.
September, 2006
Embracing Sustainability, South Korea Presentation,
Blythe Danner at our Press Event April 10th 2008
Government Testimony
October 6, 2011
See EV comments on the NAT GAS Act of 2011 (HR1380)
Energy Vision urges Congress not to let legislation get buried in Washington's political tumult
that would produce the economic, job creation and environmental benefits
that Americans need.
October 18, 2009
EV Comments on New York’s Energy Plan
EV recommends a green strategy barely included in the plan that could reap huge benefits for New Yorkers. Download this document to learn more.
February, 2009
Comments on the New Jersey Global Warming Response Act
New Jersey is one of many states struggling to shape greenhouse gas reduction policies. Energy Vision’s comments on the draft of the program laid out one major area where the state could do the most in the near term to slash these gases: convert its bus and truck fleets to natural gas.
April 11 2007
Trenton, New Jersey, Clean Air Council Testimony
Energy Vision offered testimony at the Clean Air Council Committee Hearing. Sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Planning Resources and Tools
Philadelphia – Americas Next Green City
This summary of Philadelphia’s health-related air pollution problems, the scope of its refuse collection operations and the benefits of shifting to natural gas trucks serves as a model for citizen education in other cities.
Reading List for Alternative Energy Activism
IMPACT
Energy Vision’s work with our two Associates and student interns, even during our formative year, has made a difference.
Bringing Green Garbage Trucks to New York State
Our Greening Garbage Trucks report on the benefits of natural gas refuse trucks and outreach were a key force in bringing the first 100% natural gas refuse fleet – with 22 clean quiet natural gas trucks – to the East Coast. Municipal leaders from many eastern cities are visiting this fleet (in Smithtown, NY) and many may well follow its lead.
One of Smithtown’s new natural gas refuse truck fleets.
We initiated the dialogue with the Department of Sanitation of New York City that has led to its re-commitment to buy natural gas trucks for its municipal fleet – the largest in the US. DSNY has put out a request for proposal that could result in the purchase of as many as 125 of these trucks, but is beginning with ten this year.
Introduced Program Recommendations Nationally
We have testified at hearings and been key speakers at conferences and workshops in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas laying out specific proposals for alternative fuels and how they can be used. A workshop in San Antonio, kicked off by a keynote speech by EV’s President opened a positive dialogue which led to a breakthrough purchase by this major Texas city of its first 15 natural gas trucks. At the annual Alternate Fuels Conference held in Anaheim, CA we recommended natural gas refuse trucks for their near-term clean air value and their long-term role in paving the way to a hydrogen future.
First of a kind Environmental Leadership College Course
Our research has inspired the creation of a first-of-a-kind environmental leadership course at Bryn Mawr College, in Pennsylvania, which EV will be advising in the coming year. Students will be honing their research and outreach skills — analyzing the operations of the refuse and recycling truck fleets in the Philadelphia area, educating civic leaders about their impacts, and presenting their case for a shift from diesel to clean fuels. This course aims at achieving local change and at setting a model for environmental learning at colleges across the country.