Opening Welcome Remarks of Commissioner Rachelle Chong, California PUC

Opening Welcome Remarks of Commissioner Rachelle Chong, California PUC Greening the Internet Economy UC San Diego, San Diego, California January 22, 2009

Climate change is one of the most important issues confronting our state, the nation, the world.

In November, then President Elect Barack Obama delivered a surprise message to the Governors Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles. He declared, “Now is the time to confront this challenge once and for all. Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response. The stakes are too high. The consequences, too serious.”

Our new President recognizes the urgency of the climate change challenge. For the 36 hours, we will tackle various aspects of how the Internet industry can itself go green, and how it can empower its users to go green. At the end of this inaugural week, there is hope and excitement in the air.

Governor Schwarzenegger, the California State Legislature and the state’s energy and environmental agencies have led the way for the nation on climate change issues. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, known as AB 32, requires that we cut our greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The Governor has further called for the state to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050.

Greenhouse gas emissions have historically grown as the economy has grown. One of the few silver linings in the current economic downturn is that greenhouse gas emissions appear to be dropping. However, once the economy recovers, it’s likely that emissions will climb again, unless we start doing things differently.

1 While working on the California Broadband Task Force to bring advanced broadband to all of California, Professor Larry Smarr and I recognized the important linkages between the information and communications technology (ICT) industries and climate change.

Here’s the bad news: The ICT industry and its products consume a lot of energy, and so sadly, the ICT sector has become a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, every day, entrepreneurs are tackling the problems of energy consumption by the ICT sector.

The good news is that ICT can empower other businesses and consumers to reduce their greenhouse gas impacts. As an example, the transportation sector is responsible for 38% of greenhouse gas emissions in California. But advanced broadband and new technology’s like CISCO’s Telepresence can enable telecommuting and virtual meetings, thereby eliminating the need to drive and fly around executives.

As a second example, ICT can also make our dated electric infrastructure smarter. As a result, a smarter electric grid can support more renewable energy such as solar, wind, and geothermal, it can be more self healing, and it can support the advent of electric cars.

Clearly, California’s ICT industries can play a critical role in reducing our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why Professor Smarr and I agreed to hold this event – to bring together the best and the brightest minds in ICT to collaborate and find a path to a cleaner Internet economy. We want to share best practices and cutting edge ideas, and then send you back to your companies, agencies, and think tanks to take action on these ideas. In this way, Dr. Smarr and I hope we can dramatically advance emissions reductions in and through the ICT sector.

During the next two days, we will hear from global ICT leaders who are successfully reducing their carbon footprint while sustaining a healthy business. We will see the latest and emerging developments in technology that drives smarter, more efficient communications, building systems and transportation.

2 We will also learn about the strategies in place to use ICT to change consumer behavior and build a green cyberinfrastructure

This is a groundbreaking event that brings together all the essential players:  Policymakers from the California State Legislature, the California PUC, the California Energy Commission, the Air Resources Board, the Environmental Protection Agency – all of whom set state energy and technology policies;  Industry experts and top ranking executives for top global ICT companies;  Academic leaders who direct the latest research on how ICT can cut greenhouse gas emissions;  Investors and global non-profits that provide the financial, intellectual, and social support in these policy areas.

In closing, the need to address climate change is urgent. It is my fervent desire that in the next 36 hours, we can come together to help lead efforts to address ICT climate change issues. Please do not be shy. We have Q&A at the end of every panel in order to raise issues and brainstorm solutions. The most important thing however is for you to go home and take action on what you have learned. Only action makes a difference. Only action brings us closer to a green Internet economy. Thank you so much for coming.