POWERING CITIES OF THE FUTURE Sustainable Energy Solutions for the World’s Varied Communities September 27 & 28, 2011
Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center
This high-level Summit of global policymakers, including Ministers, Mayors, Members of the U.S. Congress, regulators, energy industry executives and experts, will discuss and debate timely issues and provide attendees with a better understanding of the energy challenges, risks and opportunities that lie ahead for the world’s communities – from small villages to modern megacities.
The Summit will examine the intersection between energy policies, resources and technologies from a global perspective. It will focus on the need to accommodate both fossil and renewable fuels—balancing support for traditional fuels with encouragement of promising alternatives—as well as the need to implement the “smart” technologies that enable their efficient use. With over half the world’s population living in cities and urbanization expected to continue, communities around the world face new challenges in responsibly sourcing, delivering and consuming energy. And because cities have varying needs and capabilities, a range of innovative solutions are required to meet expanding world energy demand: a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. However, a cornerstone of sustainability – efficiency – can readily and cost-effectively be integrated into almost all energy plans. Building on a foundation of energy efficiency, communities can move toward sustainability by including supply diversification, distributed generation, smart metering, alternative transportation and energy storage as key components of their policies.
Author: The Washington times
