“Opportunities for Energy Conservation in Transportation” by Mark Therrien, assistant general manager of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority – April 23, 4 p.m., URI Memorial Union, Kingston.
About 28 percent of the energy used in Rhode Island goes to move people and goods throughout the state. Transportation accounts for about 37 percent of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions, beating out all other sources such as electricity, residential, commercial, and industrial. Rhode Island’s public transportation system can play a vital role in creating a healthier state but it is an uphill battle.
Therrien’s lecture will outline the challenges and opportunities Rhode Island faces in developing efficient transportation systems, including encouraging bigger investments in transit, cleaner operating cars, and cleaner fuels.
For additional information about the lecture series, contact Marion Gold at 401-874-5705 or visit www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc.
Previous Lectures:
KINGSTON, R.I. – March 21, 2008 – The third speaker in the University of Rhode Island’s Energy Lecture Series is John Farley, executive director of The Energy Council of Rhode Island, who will discuss “The Role of Energy in the Rhode Island Economy: Blessing or Curse?” on Wednesday, April 2.
Sponsored by the URI Partnership for Energy, the lecture begins at 4 p.m. in Weaver Auditorium in the Coastal Institute building on the URI Kingston campus. The lecture series is free and open to the public.
The Energy Council of Rhode Island was established as an energy consortium made up of many of the largest commercial and industrial energy users in the state. The group’s objective is to lower the cost of energy for Rhode Island businesses while preserving environmental quality and adequate supply.
Farley’s lecture will focus on lessons learned from his work with TEC-RI to reduce energy costs for Rhode Island businesses through the dissemination of innovative energy technologies and practices.
In addition to his role with TEC-RI, Farley is president of John Farley Consulting, an independent energy consulting firm specializing in the retail energy business. A native Rhode Islander, he has completed energy conservation and efficiency projects to benefit customers in over 30 states and several foreign countries.
The remaining lectures in the energy series are:
– April 16, 5 p.m. – “The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in Rhode Island” by Michael Sullivan, director of the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, Steven Majkut, chief of air resources at DEM; and Matt Auten, advocate for Environment Rhode Island – Weaver Auditorium, URI Coastal Institute, Kingston.
– April 23, 4 p.m. – “Opportunities for Energy Conservation in Transportation” by Mark Therrien, assistant general manager of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority – URI Memorial Union, Kingston.
For additional information about the lecture series, contact Marion Gold at 401-874-5705 or visit www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc.