For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Spanish Delegation to Visit Colorado State University's Renewable Energy Â??gems' on Thursday
Note to Editors: Media interested in covering the delegation's tour should contact Emily Wilmsen no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday.
FORT COLLINS - A delegation of top Spanish government officials and business leaders have extended a brief visit to the United States to tour Colorado State University's clean and renewable energy programs on Thursday.
The Spanish consortium seeks U.S. business and educational opportunities for possible investment or partnerships in renewable energy companies, projects and research.
CSU is the only Colorado university the group will visit on this trip, but it is the university's unique regional partnerships with such entities as the city of Fort Collins and the Northern Colorado Clean Energy Cluster that helped draw the group, said Bryan Rose, special director of development for CSU Ventures Inc. Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp. and New Belgium Brewery also will host a private reception for the consortium.
"Northern Colorado has a lot of hidden treasures - the depth of opportunities that start here at CSU is why they chose to visit us," Rose said.
The visit is sponsored by Colorado State University and CSU Ventures, a not-for-profit corporation that speeds university research discoveries to the commercial market. Other agencies assisting the delegation include the U.S. Department of Commerce, Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Denver Mayor's Office of Economic Development, Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp. and National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
The CSU tour on Thursday includes a visit to the Engines and Energy Laboratory, which will include presentations on renewable energy research and engines lab startups such as Envirofit International and Solix Biofuels. The lab and its spinoff companies are global leaders in reducing carbon dioxide emissions in ways that also improve human health and pay for the solutions through energy savings.
Since 2004, energy conservation efforts at the university have reduced emissions by more than 15 million pounds (the equivalent of planting more than 2,000 acres of trees) and saved the university about $550,000. More than 100 faculty members in all eight colleges contribute to market-driven clean energy solutions meant to significantly reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gases that are forcing global climate change.
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