RI Energy Solutions Expo

On November 16th over 4,000 attendees packed the Ryan Center for the 2008 Rhode Island Energy Solutions Expo, which offered innovative and practical strategies to help Rhode Islanders deal with rising energy costs. Organized and hosted by the Partnership for Energy, the Expo showcased over 70 local companies with products and services relating to energy efficiency, renewable energy and alternative fuels for use in homes, businesses and communities. The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, in partnership with Home Depot, supplied “Keep Rhode Island Warm” home energy efficiency kits to 1,000 Expo attendees.

The Expo featured workshops on a variety of topics from solar power technologies to biodiesel to green building to off-shore wind energy in Rhode Island. The keynote address was given by Gary Hirshberg, chairman and CEO of Stonyfield Farms, the world’s leading organic yogurt producer. The recipient of numerous awards for his corporate and environmental leadership, Hirshberg inspired an attentive crowd with stories of his experience creating a successful green business. The Kids’ Energy Carnival and energy poster contest offered fun and educational activities for children. In the weeks leading up to the Expo, the Partnership for Energy and NORESCO, URI’s energy performance contractor, engaged URI students in an energy conservation video contest, the winners of which were announced at the Expo.

Expo sponsors included the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, the URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences, National Grid, C.W. Cummings Plumbing Co., NORESCO, Ocean SAMP and the URI President’s Council on Sustainability. The Energy Expo succeeded in both bringing vital energy information to Rhode Islanders and supporting local energy related businesses and organizations. Simultaneously, the event cemented URI’s role in creating a sustainable energy future for Rhode Island.