04/15/10 – 2nd annual Milford Renewable Energy Fair expected to draw 1,000 attendees
Electric vehicle race, exhibits, film, and technology/policy discussions to highlight April 29th event
MILFORD, UT – April 15, 2010 – An electric vehicle race between seven student teams, discussions on “green” jobs and the Utah Renewable Energy Zone (UREZ) program, and a film on a Utah wind project are expected to draw more than 1,000 attendees to the Milford Renewable Energy Fair hosted by the Southwest Utah Renewable Energy Center (SUTREC) on April 29th.
In the exhibit area, more than 30 energy industry partners will be on hand to talk one-on-one with students, teachers, community members, and other interested stakeholders.
The fair starts at 9:00 am with an opening address by Dianne Nielson, Energy Advisor to Governor Gary R. Herbert, on the topic of “Energy, Education and the Economy.” A ribbon-cutting ceremony follows for a new solar array and solar tracker at Milford High School made possible by Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Grant program.
The race, called the Milford Electric Vehicle Engineering Challenge (MEVEC), takes place at 10:00 am. Teams from Beaver, Hurricane, Milford, and San Juan High Schools, American Fork Junior High School and Willow Creek Middle School are entering student-built vehicles in the contest.
At 12:45 pm, the UREZ general session will feature a summary presentation from UREZ phases 1 &2, with an additional presentation from Rocky Mountain Power about the Sigurd to Red Butte transmission project.
Afternoon breakout sessions (starting at 1:45 pm) include:
- UREZ II zoning, economics and transmission technology
- UREZ II policy and funding
- “Wind Uprising,” an award-winning film about the common roadblocks to wind energy development and the solutions found in Spanish Fork, UT
- Department of Workforce Services – “Is there a Future in Turning Green?” – a presentation discussing green career possibilities.
“The goal of this fair is to show our high school students, community members and the state in general, the opportunities that exist in the renewable energy sector,” said Rob Adams, Economic Development Director of Beaver County. “The fair gives them an opportunity to participate in fun projects, interact with a wide range of people and new innovative technologies involved in renewable energy and contribute to efforts to promote southwest Utah as the renewable energy capitol of the state.”
The event is free and open to the public. The locations is the Milford High School Gymnasium, 62 North 300 West, Milford, UT. Displays and food booths will be available from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
According to fair organizer Andy Swapp of Milford High School, the fair is a good opportunity to learn more about a field that is growing. “The fair is a gold mine of information for all. High school seniors getting ready to graduate will network with professionals and key players in the field. Students will be motivated and have a ball whether participating or watching events. Prizes, knowledge, food, and fun are what we have planned, but really, it’s a look at the future.”
Organizers and supporters of the 2010 Renewable Energy Fair include:
SUTREC Steering Committee – USTAR, Southwest Applied Technology College, SUU Regional Services, Beaver County School District, Milford High School, Beaver County Economic Development, Utah SBDC.
Special thanks to the sponsors for their financial support: Department of Workforce Services, Salt Lake Community College, First Wind, REDCO, Solar Unlimited, Intermountain Wind & Solar.
For more information, please contact Perry Thomson, USTAR, at 435-586-4205 x13, or Dana Miller from SWATC at 435-586-2899.
For a flyer on the fair, visit http://www.utah.gov/ustar/documents/113.pdf.
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About SWATC
Southwest Applied Technology College (SWATC) is one of eight campuses of the state-owned Utah College of Applied Technology system. SWATC’s primary mission is to help meet the region’s demand for a highly skilled workforce. As a result, the programs offered and specific training provided are tailored to the regional employment market with a high degree of involvement from business and industry advisory committees. The College serves approximately 3,000 adult and secondary students in Beaver, Garfield, Iron and Kane counties.
ABOUT USTAR
The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR) is a long-term, state-funded investment to strengthen Utah’s “knowledge economy” and generate high-paying jobs. Funded in March 2006 by the State Legislature, USTAR is based on three program areas. The first area involves funding for strategic investments at the University of Utah and Utah State University to recruit world-class researchers. The second area is to build state-of-the-art interdisciplinary facilities at these institutions for the innovation teams. The third program area involves teams that work with companies and entrepreneurs across the State to promote science, innovation, and commercialization activities. For more information, go to www.innovationutah.com or follow http://twitter.com/Innovationutah.
Contact: Michael O’Malley, USTAR, 801-652-5578, momalley@utah.gov
