Move over OTC, CERAWeek and NAPE. Here comes Total Energy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker is expected to announce Thursday a new annual energy conference for the oil patch, Total Energy USA.
The conference “…aims to bring together all of the segments of the alternative energy industry for a comprehensive look at our current and future energy solutions,” according to a statement from the City. “All of the green segments will be represented, including renewable energy, clean energy and energy-efficiency.”
The first trade show, scheduled for October 16 to 18, 2012, is expected to draw 7,500 attendees — a far cry from the 70,000-plus that have shown up for the Offshore Technology Conference.
OK, it may seem a bit out of place in Houston, home to so many Oil Majors, Pipeline Giants, Refining Megaliths and other fossil fuel superlatives. Why not in earthy-crunchy Austin or Recently Rebranded San Antonio?
But “renewable energy” and “Houston” really aren’t contradictions. Houston played host to the American Wind Energy Association’s annual convention in 2008, and a number of wind power companies are based here.
We are also home to what will likely be the first public electric vehicle charging network in the nation. So we’re not completely clueless on things beyond fossil fuel.
Parker and representatives from the sponsoring agencies (the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Greater Houston Partnership and the Houston Technology Center) are scheduled to detail the event during a press conference on Thursday morning.
Oh Boy – the birkenstocks with socks crowd – predict 7,500, will get 750, sleeping in their VW micro buses.
Tom, why don’t they do the conference on-line and keep it green? Maybe we have better ‘clubs’ than SA and Austin.
Howdy Neighbor:
The Texas legislature failed to act on net metering provisions this session.
The introduction of the Al Gore promoted “dumb” meter has ripped off the few solar customers there are in the Houston area since the closest thing to net metering is offered by Green Mountain (Reliant and TXU will pay you less than what you buy it for, and most providers will not even buy it from you).
As I have pointed out earlier, I do know somebody with panels that if I analyze her energy bill the best thing for her to do is to buy the cheapest possible energy and give away the excess solar to the grid under the current market in Texas.
Having a show like this is the typical waste money insanity of career politicians who rather than put in place infrastructure changes to allow market alternatives (which, going back to the founding fathers was the position of Madison, the Federalist party, the Whigs, and the early Republicans) are simply having a feel good party at taxpayer expense.
Are we CoH taxpayers picking up the tab on this dog & pony show?
Oh geez Louise.
I think lab-handler’s estimate is way too optimistic. I’m figuring about 200, and most of them will be crashing on someone’s couch, having hitch-hiked here. I hope Starbucks will set up enough chairs to allow these hippies to sit around all day and surf the web while nursing that one mocha-caramel-frappa-latte-chai-a-chino.
I estimate this will bring in about $124 to the city’s coffers.
(Wow, I managed to write this without cracking jokes about our local wind power companies.)
The alternate energy is 10 times more corrupt than the oil industry. Most of them are govt subsidized & fill the pockets of politicians to get more cheese. Even some of our local politicians got into politics because of their investments in wind energy businesses.
This is great news for Houston. I hope closet thinkers and inventors take advantage of this and use it to showcase good ideas. I know I have a few of them.
Ah! the Burning Man crowd comes to Houston. Groovy.
Politicians have been in the “Wind Energy” business for years, with all that hot air they have been blowing around.
A complaint by “Energy Moron” (his name not mine) is that Reliant and TXU will buy solar generated electricity but not pay retail for it. Would he advocate the virtues of making the electric companies pay MORE than retail for it?
Maybe the price is reasonable, likely not, but no business can run paying retail prices for a wholesale product.