(Community Matters) Rats, not enough time to make the detailed posting I’d planned. Perhaps back to this one on Friday. Jack McDonald and I had breakfast with Dr. BJ Stanberry, the CEO/founder of HelioVolt. BJ’s got degrees in mathematics, physics and chemical engineering. He’s passionate and visionary about alternative energy. HelioVot manufactures a solar thin-film which can be layered on construction materials such as glass, steel, metal and composites.
Jack and I both trying to get our heads around various clean energy intiatives underway and begging attention from Austin’s business and political communities – Jack as chair of the technology council of the Chamber; me as CEO of Entrepreneurs Foundation.
BJ’s vision and knowledge is impressive and includes a smart grid (electrical power delivery system) as well as a clean energy park. The former is the Pecan Street Project which Brewster McCracken spoke about a couple of weeks ago.
In the late afternoon, again Jack and I met with two other really smart guys who have been thinking about this for a long time and who are significantly engaged in public policy. I won’t say who because I forgot to ask their permission to blog about our meeting. Interesting complimentary and opposing thoughts. Interesting questions including whether clean (alternative) energy is even feasible now that we’re at $50ish/barrel oil. Which reminds me of an earlier conversation where a very smart and knowledgeable friend forecasted $30 to $60/barrel oil and reminded me that the currently sustainable price is relative to coal. I failed to ask if this forecast was dependent on the economic downturn.
There are other initiatives out there, including a state laboratory. More homework to be done. Is this a huge economic development opportunity for Central Texas, even Texas? If so, which path, who to back, how much can we raise & invest, probabilities of success?
Community Matters 