NY Climate Tech: May 22 - May 30
NY Climate Tech: May 22 - May 30
Tidal power, offshore wind, deep tech drinks, environmental justice, arctic explorers, and more this week!
Hi friends,
We’re extremely excited to be co-hosting our next meetup with the team from MCJ Collective. Come by on June 8th to meet them all in person! RSVP on Eventbrite or Lu.ma.
Here are our picks this week:
Tuesday: 💨 NYC Offshore Wind Drinks to learn about NY’s next renewable boom
Wednesday: 🔬 Deep Tech NYC Happy Hour by SOSV's IndieBio and HAX to nerd out with biologists, physicists, chemists, and inventors of all stripes
Wednesday: 👩💼 Women in Cleantech Part III: The State of Climate Investment to meet women in energy and climate and talk finance, startups, and more
Thursday: ⚖️ Environmental Justice Symposium for an incredible day of speakers talking about climate justice.
Thursday: ⛽️ The Future of Gas in New York State for a talk online about what’s next for some of NY’s most important climate policy
Thursday: 🎞️ Environmental Advocacy & Exploration On Screen for a discussion of climate activism with filmmaker Luc Hardy and journalist Tim Sohn
Already planning for June? Scroll down for a list of upcoming events!
Cheers,
The NY Climate Tech Team
The Energy Transition: An Ocean of Opportunity
By Tamar Honig
Shifting our global energy systems away from fossil fuel reliance will require more than one type of renewable energy. Within the low-carbon energy mix, we find a range of sources like hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, and biofuels. Today we’ll dive into one of the lesser discussed sources of renewable energy: wave power, which comes from – you guessed it – the motion of the ocean.
Ocean technologies broadly are seeing a surge of enthusiasm from innovators and investors clued into the vast potential for renewable energy, carbon capture, and other climate solutions lying just beyond our shores. When we think about the energy transition, scaling more proven technologies that are already close to or at cost parity with fossil fuel sources will undoubtedly play a critical role. But we would be wise to also invest attention and resources in underdogs with exciting potential, like that which lies latent in the marine environment covering more than 70% of our planet.
New York City – ever ready to embrace new ideas – is no stranger to wave energy. In 2002, renewable energy company Verdant Power launched the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) pilot project, a wave project in the East Channel of the East River that includes a one megawatt pilot wave power generation system. In October 2020, the initiative took a step forward when a new tidal power array consisting of three turbines was installed. Though a small demonstration scheme, the project’s most recent installation has started to produce electricity under a pilot commercial license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The system has been connected to a local grid of Con Edison, allowing it to help power Roosevelt Island.
Verdant Power’s technology dates back to the late 1980s, when an early version was tested in Pakistan with support from a United Nations renewable energy program. The DOE advocated commercializing the technology in 1995, leading to the company’s incorporation and the testing of a third-generation prototype beginning in 2003. In response to buzz generated by Verdant’s turbine installations in the East River, the team has clarified that they are not intending to compete with mainstream wind and solar. Instead, the company will focus on markets with revenue support or existing high energy prices, citing examples like Amazonia’s 2,000+ diesel-powered villages and the 6,000+ islands of the Philippines.
Given its potential, why has wave power not yet taken our seas by storm? Even among the ocean-inclined, wave energy has remained an unpopular cousin in the quickening march to transition to a renewable energy-powered future. Before diving into why wave energy has lagged behind other renewable energy sources like solar and wind, let’s understand what it is.
The ocean contains a vast amount of energy, which can be generated from waves, tides, currents, and temperature differences. Capturing this energy could have substantial benefits for powering offshore activities and island and coastal communities. If that seems like a small set of beneficiaries, consider that about 40% of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers of a coastline. If fully utilized, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that ocean energy resources in the U.S. could provide the equivalent of over half of the electricity that the country generated in 2019.
Ocean energy resources can be harnessed using a variety of devices, including wave energy converters, which generate power from surface waves; tidal energy converters, which generate power from the movement of tidal currents; and ocean thermal energy converters, which generate power from thermal differences between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater. As sure as the waves will crash upon the shore and recede, wave energy will never run out. Its source – the ocean’s movement – is limited neither by season nor by human inputs. Its abundance, reliability, variety of ways to be harnessed, and lack of harmful byproducts combine to make wave power an enticing piece in the renewables puzzle.
On the flip side, a handful of technological, environmental, political, social, and economic challenges have stood in the way of more widespread adoption. To begin, only power plants and populations near the ocean will benefit directly. While our coasts are home to many, landlocked nations and cities far from the sea would not be well-suited to relying on wave power. As with other clean technologies that cause not-so-clean side effects, wave energy may pose a hazard for marine ecosystems. The machines placed in and near the water to gather energy from the waves disturb the seafloor, change the habitat of near-shore creatures, and create noise that disrupts the sea life around them. Wave power also becomes less reliable in areas with inconsistent wave behavior and during choppy weather. Last but not least, steep production costs associated with installing, operating, and maintaining wave energy technology have kept would-be investors at bay.
As the power grid goes increasingly green, demand for new sources will soar. Wave energy can and will be among the sources powering our bright and renewable future as its usage climbs and costs normalize. Supportive policies that reduce deployment costs and incentivize private sector development of ocean energy infrastructure can help transform wave energy from a sideshow to a tidal wave of investment and innovation. And once it gets rolling, there’s no stopping the flow.
Events This Week
🌍 Spring Talk with Dr. Noah Walker-Crawford: Mon, May 22
💨 NYC Offshore Wind Drinks: Tue, May 23
🔬 Deep Tech NYC Happy Hour by SOSV's IndieBio and HAX: Wed, May 24
👩💼 Women in Cleantech Part III: The State of Climate Investment: Wed, May 24
⚖️ Environmental Justice Symposium: Thu, May 25
⛽️ The Future of Gas in New York State: Thu, May 25
🍺 Talea with Climate Cafe: Thu, May 25
🎞️ Environmental Advocacy & Exploration On Screen: Thu, May 25
🎼 Earth Protectors: Sat, May 27
Read on for more details about this week’s happenings and upcoming events this month
Upcoming Events
👩🔬 Chloe Capital Founder Fellowship Showcase: Tue, May 30
☘️ Corporate Responsibility (CSR) in the Digital Age: Tue, May 30
🌆 FPA/OTR Elizabeth French Hitchcock Lecture 2023: Wed, May 31
6️⃣ The role of support functions in the corporate transformations: Wed, May 31
☕️ Climate Cafe: Thu, Jun 1
🍻 First Friday Climate Te Meetup: Fri, Jun 2
🎭 The Climate Fables: Fri, Jun 2
🧺 Sustainability Picnic at Socrates Sculpture Park: Sun, Jun 4
🧑🏫 ClimateSTEM: Share Successes & Learn from Others!: Sun, Jun 4
🥗 Vegan Night Market: Tue, Jun 6
🗽 NY Climate Tech + MCJ June Meetup: Thu, Jun 8
🌍 Climate Fresk and Dinner at Eat Offbeat (Chelsea Market): Thu, Jun 8
🎨 Alexis Rockman: Oceanus with Christina Brophy: Thu, Jun 8
🥙 FoodHack NYC Meet Up: Advances in Agriculture: Thu, Jun 8
🎬 Biosphere: Thu, Jun 8
🧩 Climate Fresk Workshop: Sat, Jun 10
🧑🌾 Climate Designers NYC x Brooklyn Grange Farm Tour: Sat, Jun 10
🏳️🌈 Out in Climate - NYC Pride Month Mixer: Tue, Jun 13
🔌 Make It in BK: Clean Energy Innovation - Diversity & Access: Wed, Jun 14
💩 DSNY: A Master Composter Workshop: Wed, Jun 14
🧜♀️ Science Rebels at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade: Sat, Jun 17
⚖️ Scaling Justice: Wed, Jun 21
🍻 Green Drinks Brooklyn: Wed, Jun 21
💡 2023 Energy Summit & Expo: Thu, Jun 22
🇬🇱 Billy Fleming, “Fire, Ice, and Ore”: Thu, Jun 22
💧 Bringing Water to Light: An Artist Workshop Series: Sun, Jun 25
🌱 How to Start a Sustainable Life? by Closiist: Mon, Jun 26
Events This Week
🌍 Spring Talk with Dr. Noah Walker-Crawford
When: Mon, May 22nd from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Where: Wilf Hall, 139 MacDougal Street, New York, NY
Dr. Noah Walker-Crawford is a Research Fellow in Political Science at University College London. He is a publicly engaged researcher on climate litigation. Join us for an informal conversation with Noah as he presents his research findings in his article in progress titled, “Save the climate but don’t blame us: Corporate responses to climate litigation”
💨 NYC Offshore Wind Drinks
When: Tue, May 23rd from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Pig Beach BBQ Queens, 35-37 36th St, Astoria, Queens, NY 11106
Meet offshore wind professionals and developers, network with elected officials and their teams, find your firm’s place in the offshore wind supply chain, and learn about employment and training opportunities.
🔬 Deep Tech NYC Happy Hour by SOSV's IndieBio and HAX
When: Wed, May 24th at 6:00 PM to Fri, May 24th at 8:00 PM
Where: GMT Tavern, 142 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012
Hosted by SOSV's deep-tech programs IndieBio and HAX; Join us for our monthly happy hours and see IndieBio's new NY base! Meet other deep tech and climate folks looking to solve the worlds most pressing issues over food and drinks.
👩💼 Women in Cleantech Part III: The State of Climate Investment
When: Wed, May 24th from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Where: Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, 1251 6th Ave, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10020
Back for a third consecutive year, please join YPE NYC, WEN NYC, and now Project W for an in-person panel + networking event to discuss the state of climate and energy infrastructure! This event will feature a fireside conversation with leading experts who will discuss the state of the climate market from both the investing and startup side. Snacks and drinks available (come early!)
⚖️ Environmental Justice Symposium
When: Thu, May 25th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Where: NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, 1901 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10029
Speakers: Tyisha Smalls, WE ACT for Environmental Justice; James C. Lendemer, The New York Botanical Garden; Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation; Jean Kim, US EPA; John T. Pellicone, NYC Health + Hospital; Kyle Jeremiah, Energy Vision; Narendra Paramanand, NYC Parks; Tomi Vest, General Counsel to the Manhattan Borough President Mark D. Levine; Steve Chiu, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s Representative to the United Nations.
⛽️ The Future of Gas in New York State
When: Thu, May 25th from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Where: Online
Lisa Dix, BDC’s New York Director, will be joined by the authors of BDC’s report “The Future of Gas in NYS”, Michael Walsh and Mike Bloomberg from Groundwork Data. They will discuss the key findings and recommendations from the report, including how New York State leaders can act now to save New Yorkers money and ensure an equitable, managed, and phased transition to clean energy by passing critical legislation, like the NY HEAT Act. There will be opportunity for audience Q&A.
🍺 Talea with Climate Cafe
When: Thu, May 25th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: TALEA Beer Co., 87 Richardson Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Ecorate will have have two special guests, Jon and Gianna from Climate Café. Climate Café is a new NYC-based initiative to organize and motivate people in the climate movement to take on meaningful action. If you're curious about how to launch a new idea or how to organize and promote climate events, this will be a great opportunity ask questions and hear how they're doing it. We'd love to hear your ideas and questions.
🎞️ Environmental Advocacy & Exploration On Screen
When: Thu, May 25th from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Where: FIAF Florence Gould Hall, 55 E 59th St, New York, NY 10022
FIAF welcomes French-American filmmaker, explorer, and environmental advocate Luc Hardy in conversation with Outside Magazine correspondent and New York WILD Film Festival jury member, Tim Sohn. Audiences will enjoy a presentation of excerpts from Hardy’s award-winning documentary films, each followed by a lively conversation. The two writers and activists will discuss film and photography, environmental public advocacy, the effects of climate change, and expedition leadership.
🎼 Earth Protectors
When: Sat, May 27th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow Street, New York, NY 10014
Featuring works by photographer/director and environmentalist Anne de Carbuccia and composer Brian Field. Following the performance there will be a panel discussion moderated with Dr. Brenda Ekwurtzel, climate scientist and director of climate science for the Union of Concerned Scientists; composer Brian Field; pianist Francesca Khalifa.
Join the Fun!
Submit Events
We know all of you are cooking up great events across that highlight the latest and greatest in our collective effort to save our city - and our planet! 🌍 We would love to spread the word. Please share any event details and we'll add them to the list!
Climate Tech Cities
We are expanding! We started as an 8-person dinner and now have over 4,000 members in our community. We’ve had people across the world reach out to us to start their own chapters - so we’re launching a new Climate Tech Cities organization this year! If you have friends who are interested in becoming chapter leads, please share the word. Here’s to a global network of local communities making a positive impact!
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