Another year in the renewables business and another conference behind us. If there was a theme for Energy Canvas at this year’s CleanPower conference, in San Antonio, it is perhaps this: we must survive before we can thrive, and perhaps we have just done the former.
We live in interesting times—societies are tangled in a web of challenges and priorities that are multifaceted and multidimensional. While economic, environmental, and social impacts often interact with each other in complex ways, it’s always encouraging to know that reliable renewable energy makes a positive impact on these complex societal issues.
One of the highlights of the conference was the people of the industry. It was inspiring to learn that our friends, old and new, are engaged in refined and exciting projects as we escape out of the COVID malaise. From these same friends, we are also inspired to see and hear that experienced companies are looking to enter the renewables market, while those within the market are evolving, growing, and adapting to the new realities we are facing. From larger and more productive turbines, refined operational services/support companies, to design and operation software for BES systems and more, seeing how the industry is maturing and growing as we adapt to our new realities was a very positive general observation.
A shout-out to SunCast and its founder, Nico Johnson, who has an exceptional podcast exploring the modern energy environment around renewables, storage, and hydrogen. We strongly support knowledgeable generous people and their pursuits, so if you have an interest in energy-focused podcasts, we highly recommend giving this one a listen!
Overall, if we can relate to more people, refresh our perspectives, and receive new opportunities, what more can we hope for from a conference? Not much in our opinion, which is why we feel that the conference was a huge success.