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By Meghan Cloonan ’10
Paul Loeffelman, director of environmental public policy at American Electric Power, and Jim Tolan, president of U.S. operations for SgurrEnergy Corp., will discuss their role in the e8 Galapagos Islands Wind Project and the future of alternative energy and environmental sustainability 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the Williams Center for the Arts.
The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is this year’s Judith A. Resnik Memorial Lecture. It is part of a yearlong series of events at Lafayette in honor of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his masterwork, On the Origin of Species.
For the remainder of their two-day residency the speakers will interact with classes and student groups to discuss alternative energy and sustainable solutions from a variety of perspectives including environmental, technical, public policy, financing, and sustainability. Anne Raich, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, organized this portion of the visit.
The e8 Galapagos Wind Project involved successfully bringing renewable energy in the forms of wind and solar power to the Galapagos archipelago in coordination with the e8 energy group and the Ecuadorian government. Wind turbines in operation since October 2007 now account for nearly half of the island’s annual electricity needs and have significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, the project is contributing to the protection of a world heritage site and the biodiversity of one of the world’s richest ecosystems. This is the first time such a project was brought to completion, as recognized by a ceremony at the United Nations headquarters.
Loeffelman works to develop corporate positions on environmental and clean energy public policies. He participates in the work of industry and policymaker coalitions to enact public policies that protect the environment and assure affordability, reliable generation, and delivery of electricity.
Tolan has over 25 years of experience working on energy projects globally focusing on power plant design, engineering, and management.
The Resnik Memorial Lecture is named in honor of astronaut Judith A. Resnik, an electrical engineer who lost her life in the Challenger space shuttle disaster on Jan. 28, 1986. The annual lecture is sponsored by the Farber Memorial Endowment Fund created in April 1994 by a gift from the late Jack Farber ’31.