Siberia – Renewable Energy Promise
It’s this time of the year when the entire Russia Program team is heading out to Russia’s regions for site visits and program related activities. On June 15-28 my colleague Jon Spaulding and I are conducting a follow-up professional exchange on alternative energy and energy efficiency in Russia. This is a sister visit to our April alternative energy exchange whereby we hosted a delegation of Russian renewable energy professionals and NGO leaders in northern California to learn about California’s latest technologies and regulatory policies for renewable energy and energy efficiency development.
Next week, we will be bringing a group of five U.S. renewable energy experts to Russia to share their knowledge about contemporary technology and legislative policies on renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in the United States. One of the trip’s highlights will be meeting with Andrey Yalbakov, a Russian participant who was part of the Russian exchange that we hosted here in April and who recently was awarded the 2010 Young Entrepreneur of Russia Award for his work in solar, wind and mini hydro-generation in the Altai Republic.
Andrey Yalbakov, recipient of the 2010 Young Entrepreneur of Russia Award for his work in solar, wind and mini hydro-generation in the Altai Republic.
Steven Eubanks, an independent forestry consultant, James Burk, a biomass expert with TSS Consultants, Carlos Pineda, a wind specialist with Clear Planet Energy, Scott Gilbert, an independent expert on small scale generation (solar and mini hydro-dams), and Todd Bluechel, a waste conversion specialist with Balboa Pacific Corporation will be joining the exchange.
The ten day exchange will include a conference and excursions to existing renewable facilities and meetings with representatives of environmental organizations, l
ocal government, and active members of the public. These meetings will aim to discuss renewable and energy efficient technology that can be used by community organizations in various regions of Siberia, including the Republic of Altai, Altai Krai, Buryatia, Sakha Republic, Irkutsk oblast, Krasnoyarsk Krai, and Novosibirsk Oblast. In addition to excursions to existing facilities and familiarization with existing technologies, the exchange participants will meet representatives of local government in Altai Krai a
nd the Altai Republic. By the end of the exchange participants will make practical recommendations about the inclusion of renewable energy sources and energy efficient best practices in the development plans of the Russian regions listed above.
In Russia, there are immense opportunities for small-scale hydropower potential, promising locations for solar-electric stations, and highly-exploitable wind power sites, however, these sources have remained virtually untapped. By hosting professional exchanges such as this one, we can share valuable information and best practices in alternative energy sources that members of the host country can then introduce, promote and facilitate in their regions that will ultimately reduce the usage of fossil fuels and help contribute to sustainable development.
Tags: Alternative Energy, community partners, Energy, Renewables, Russia, Russian Far East, Siberia
