Staff Invited to Attend
Chu Lab Talk Today

Today at noon, in the Building 50 Auditorium, Lab Director Steve Chu will present a “State of the Laboratory” address in which he will discuss the impacts of the FY 08 Omnibus Appropriations bill on the Lab, the Bush Administration's FY 09 budget request, and updates on scientific initiatives. His talk will be simulcast to the Building 66 Auditorium.

‘Theater’ Talk on Demand
Response Tonight at 5:30

Mary Ann Piette, with Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division, will discuss “Saving Power at Peak Hours” today at 5:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2015 Addison St. Her lecture will explore the adoption of demand response technology, which seeks to reduce the use of peak electric power through automated controls, pricing, and advanced communications, among other strategies.

Photovoltaic Production
Topic of CITRIS Talk

Severin Borenstein, director of the University of California Energy Institute, will discuss "The Market Value and Cost of Solar Photovoltaic Electricity Production" at 4 p.m. next Monday, March 17. The lecture will take place in 290 Hearst Memorial Mining Building, on the UC Berkeley campus. According to his analysis, the costs for solar photovoltaic panels far outweigh the benefits. More information on the lecture is available here.

Bay Area Greenest,
Says Recent Survey

Who's the greenest of them all? If a new national survey is any indication, it's the Bay Area. San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley made the top 10 of a national survey by Popular Science magazine rating the country's 50 most environmentally friendly cities. "California has always been more environmentally attuned than other states, and the Bay Area has always been the most environmentally attuned region in the state.” said Sean Randolph, with the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. "The Bay Area attracted about a billion dollars last year for research in alternative energy technology." As examples, Randolph pointed to a $500 million grant from BP and a $125 million grant from the Department of Energy, both given to UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab for alternative energy research. Full story.

Clean Tech Competition
Offers $20K in Prizes

UC Berkeley’s Venture Lab Clean Tech Innovation Prize seeks to recognize and bring together Berkeley Lab engineers and scientists working on applied research and technology with commercial potential in the field of clean technology. Application deadline is Friday, March 28. In addition to $20,000 in cash prizes, winners will receive recognition for their work and opportunities to network with venture capitalists and industry leaders. Go here for more information.