From left: Carolyn Green, Christopher C. Womack, Lloyd Yates, and Richard E. Williams (Source: Lonnie Major, Black Enterprise

After a hearty lunch that included more spirited discussions on energy policy implementation, Black Enterprise Editorial Director Sonia Alleyne, and moderator of the second panel at the Black Enterprise “Conversation on Energy” forum, got straight to the point when she asked panelists to describe the “green jobs” being created in their companies.

Richard E. Williams, president of Shell WindEnergy Inc. joked about the popularity of the green jobs phenomenon, “I worked for Shell for 30 years, 28 were with Shell pipeline and no one wanted to speak to me as long as I was with the pipeline sector. You start a wind company and everyone wants to speak to you,” he said. He went on to explain how the renewable energy workforce is not only popular conversation, but it is also popular for future job opportunities.

“Shell’s wind company has a much more diverse workforce than we did when I worked in the pipeline side,” said Richard. “And it is important to understand that green jobs don’t just constitute engineers,” he explained. “We have accountants, lawyers and several other employees who are just as important to our operations,” he noted.

When asked for the challenges faced with trying to pursue green jobs or new energy opportunities, Lloyd Yates, president and CEO of Progress Energy Carolinas said, “African Americans are not taking advantage of the certifications and retraining programs available. And we don’t see enough minority companies responding to our requests for services,” he added.

Christopher C. Womack, executive vice president and president, external affairs with Georgia Power agreed, saying “We have to become creative. … We may have to break-down certain jobs and divide the work, or do something that allows us the capacity to fulfill the job.”

The panelists went on to explain examples of how their companies have tried to include minorities in their job or contract selection processes.

“We need ideas and vision,” said Shell WindEnergy’s Williams. “If you have that, Shell will help you.” He then went on to explain Shell’s GameChanger program that helps entrepreneurs fund innovative ideas.

Just as with the morning’s opening session that addressed how to go from policy to engagement in the new energy economy, each of the panelists agreed that solutions will be multifaceted and long-standing.

“These solutions are not immediate,” said Womack. “In this microwave society, everyone is looking for that quick fix, or the silver bullet, but it doesn’t exist.”

Carolyn Green, Managing Partner, EnerGreen Capital Management LLC, outlined a route to becoming an entrepreneur in the industry. “You should figure out what you do best, and concentrate on fitting your skill set or attributes to the problem at hand,” she explained.

Yates added, “When we talk about green jobs we have the perception that they are really technical positions, but there are a lot of opportunities that do not require extremely technical training,” he said. “Caulking windows for weatherization is not that complicated,” he pointed-out.

The gentlemen on the panel all agreed that established policies would help decide where to invest money, and thus create more jobs. But Green disagreed, and said, “Smaller businesses are better fixed to compete within the hodge-podge of an industry that lacks a true energy policy.”

Not so, said Womack. “Small or large, before you make an investment, you should know the future ramifications.”

Green then pointed-out that the lack of an established policy, “Makes a window of opportunity for small businesses, because larger corporations will not want to touch these areas.”

As the final session concluded, it seemed that it is going to take some time until there is an agreed-upon definition of what is a green job. Opportunities for accountants, lawyers, marketing strategists and many other valuable professions exist within the realm of green jobs and the new energy economy being pushed by President Barack Obama. Creativity and ingenuity will provide a major advantage to professionals and entrepreneurs searching for new opportunities in these unchartered waters.

André Williams is the founder and principal consultant of Energy Relations. He has over 11 years experience providing consultation in the energy, environmental, and government sectors.

Alfred A. Edmond Jr. moderates the opening session. (Source: Lonnie Major, Black Enterprise)

The government is expected to invest some $150 billion in new technologies over the next 10 years everywhere you look the Green Economy is being touted as one of the strongest areas for expected job growth. But what will these initiatives mean for African American professionals and business owners?

To answer that question Black Enterprise gathered top-level executives from businesses and organizations within the energy industry in Washington DC today to discuss how African Americans can participate in the implementation of President Barack Obama’s green initiatives, and to talk about career opportunities in the green/energy sectors.

With the support of Shell, and the assistance of organizations such as The Executive Leadership Council, and the American Association of Blacks in Energy, Black Enterprise was able to gather a “who’s who” of experts with long-standing careers in the energy industry for a. Prior to the event, I had the opportunity to mingle with the panelists and invited participants, and it was evident to me that the lack of African American executives in the industry has created a small fraternity of long-time friends who often agree to disagree on several issues.

During her opening remarks, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Stephanie Owens, laid out Obama’s energy plans, and called on the private sector to hold the government accountable in implementing these plans. (Administrator Lisa Jackson was scheduled to appear, but was in Delaware attending the funeral for Vice President Joe Biden’s mother.)

“Lisa Jackson understands that African Americans have long been a part of what we call ‘green space’—we just haven’t called it that,” said Owens.

Tracy Faulkner, vice president of communications for Shell Oil Co., in her remarks made it clear that her corporation was extremely excited to participate in the event. “It is critical that Shell participates in these types of conversations,” she said. “And it is even more exciting when I can attend an event where I am labeled as a friend.”

Alfred A. Edmond Jr., SVP/Editor-in-Chief Interactive, BE moderated the first panel, “Moving from Policy to Engagement” and led panelists in a spirited discussion on how it is important not to lose sight of the actual problems – energy production and consumption — we are trying to solve.

“We often lose sight of the actual problem,” said panelist Gaurdie E. Banister Jr., president and CEO of Aera Energy LLC. “People often get hooked on the ‘green jobs’ phenomenon, but we are really trying to balance our energy production while moving towards energy security. Over 60% of the oil we consume comes from over seas—I want encouragement to produce here in our country,” he said.

He added that “transitioning” into a new energy strategy will pose the biggest challenge.

“Many Americans are worried about CO2, but steadily filling their cars with gasoline,” he said. Gaurdie’s company produces about 30% of the oil and gas in the state of California and contributes billions of tax dollars to the state.

The panelists stressed the importance of understanding that the solution will be multifaceted, and probably not occur during our lifetime. They were also in agreement that it will most likely be economic factors that will drive policies and ultimately encourage new strategies.

Many of the “friendly” disagreements carried-on into lunch—which is exactly what the event was intended to do.

After the first session, I realized that it is very important for the voices of African Americans to be heard in the new energy dialogue. And while there may be several different messages coming from these voices, we should not lose sight of the overall goals of producing cleaner energy that supplies our country’s needs. African Americans should also be prepared for a long conversation that will ultimately bring drastic changes to the generations that follow.

André Williams is the founder and principal consultant of Energy Relations. He has over 11 years experience providing consultation in the energy, environmental, and government sectors.

So who’s looking to cash in your great ideas and help you become a BE Next?

In the business world, you can often tell where an industry is headed by following the money.  The U.S. plans to invest more than $150 billion in energy research and development over the next 10 years, and many corporations also seem to be following the trend.  As providing new ways to create and consume energy becomes the next great frontier, entities across the globe are focusing their resources on new ideas.

“As CTO I oversee the way we create and develop technology in Shell, and ensure our newly developed technologies are effectively deployed,”says Shell Chief Technology Officer Gerald Schotman. “We also have a strong external agenda — open in terms of innovation and representing the company, as well as identifying improved technologies developed by others.”

Shell, like BE and many other corporations striving for excellence, understands how young minds and fresh ideas can help provide an important competitive advantage, and has created a mechanism for harnessing innovation from academics and entrepreneurs outside of the company.

Shell’s “GameChanger” program helps move ideas to reality by sponsoring entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into a product that can be introduced to the marketplace.  Ideas can range from new sources of energy to improving efficiency or reducing the environmental impact of existing sources.  If you can demonstrate its potential, and Shell agrees, they will take it through the necessary steps and provide the funding and support to get your idea to proof-of concept. In commercial parlance, Shell acts as an “angel investor” and has regularly invested up to $100,000 in previous great ideas.

As the race to build a better mousetrap continues, the energy industry will soon be bombarded with a barrage of resources to help foster innovation.  Capital, tax incentives, and even education will all be offered to those who are willing to join the race.  Stay informed of energy issues by following BE, network with those who are involved, and you and may BE Next!

André Williams is the founder and principal consultant of Energy Relations—a full service firm that specializes in providing public relations and communications services for businesses and organizations in the energy industry. He has over 11 years experience providing consultation in the energy, environmental, and government sectors.

So was COP15 successful?

President Obama says that a “meaningful and unprecedented agreement” has been reached.  He believes that transparency, mitigation and finance, three components he lobbied for, were all addressed while formulating the agreement.

Sheikh Hasina, The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, which is believed to be one of the countries hardest hit by global climate change, was also pleased with COP15’s outcome.

“I am pleased to say that we have been successful in arriving at a reasonable conclusion,” she said, adding that “there are certain areas that would be finalized in the coming days.”

Still, other COP15 participants, like David Hone, Climate Change Advisor for shell, believe that the conference wasn’t really designed to give businesses or the vast array of environmental, political, religious and civil society representatives a legitimate opportunity to contribute to the process.

Hone says, “At each UNFCCC meeting one or two major business organisations are given an opportunity to address the plenary and on every occasion that I can remember this seems to get reduced to one or two minutes as the time approaches – so the carefully worded business statement that didn’t say a whole lot anyway suddenly gets trimmed from a couple of pages to a few bullet points and that is it.”

As we’ve noticed with the healthcare debates here in the US, no-one ever really gets “everything” they wish for, but placing these issues in center-spotlight helps to create dialogue and make folks more aware of the problems at hand.

COP15 may not have provided the perfect venue for everyone to voice their respective concerns or wishes for global climate change reform, but it was still a huge public relations success.  COP15 brought world-wide attention to the fact that nations generally agree that a problem does exists, and that the way we produce and consume energy should be globally revamped.

So what did COP15 do for you?

It should have directed your attention to the issue of global climate change, and the major goals and objectives that will guide future policies in energy production and consumption.  Knowing where these changes are headed will bring major advantages to business owners and professionals seeking to compete on both local and global levels.  Energy efficiency, security and diversity will all be key components to the new energy future.

In Copenhagen, the US pledged to invest $10 billion by 2012, and to also help mobilize another $100 billion for developing nations by 2020. This direct call to action will prompt entrepreneurs and professionals across the globe to join in the quest to build a better mouse trap.  Staying informed of the issues, and following important developments like the Copenhagen Accord will keep your business or career at the forefront of global change.

Join Black Enterprise in a Conversation on Energy January 12, 2010 in Washington and stay informed of energy issues by following us on twitter @BEEnergyForum.

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As these nations gather to decide on policies and guidelines that will set the stage for global transformations, it is important that we analyze each agreement and make efforts to ensure that, once these well intended decisions trickle-down to our local communities, we are not left with negative side effects that bring us even more troubles.

Malcolm Brinded, executive director exploration and production, at the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, in Amsterdam, says, “We need balance between the three Es of Energy security, Economic development and Environment.  Policies aimed at a too hasty displacement of fossil energy might well help mitigate the risk of climate shocks, but would at the same time condemn many of the world’s citizens to energy poverty.”

There is no doubt that something has to be done to combat global climate change, and better provide sustainable energy for the entire world.  But we should make sure that these changes do not force more difficult conditions on segments of society that are already burdened with many other problems.

Will COP15 bring new guidelines that force local oil refineries to suddenly close-down, and be replaced by wind turbines set far away from minority communities?  Will the protocol force families to personally pay huge amounts to retrofit homes and cars?  Will new “green jobs” initiated by the protocol require advanced degrees or expensive training?  All of these questions should be asked.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies has been granted Civil Society Observer Status for COP15, and has sent six members of its Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change, and three staff members, as representatives in Copenhagen.  The delegation is led by Carolyn L. Green, managing partner, EnerGreen Capital Management, LLC.  Green is also chair of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, and has been selected to serve as a panelist for Black Enterprise’s “A Conversation on Energy” forum that will be held in Washington, D.C., on January 12, 2010.

Green says, “The re-emergence of American leadership on climate change in Copenhagen will be an excellent opportunity to elevate the concerns of African Americans in the global warming debate as we draw closer to Congressional action. As a respected body holding close relationships with members of Congress and Administration officials, the Joint Center’s Climate Change Commission is uniquely positioned to do this, and we plan to advance our key policy principles with respect to climate change and communities of color.”

Now is the time for conscious leaders of our community to step-up as representatives of people who want clean air, AND good jobs.  If we are represented at the forefront of these decisions, we can better prepare for a gradual transformation that carries minimal discomfort.

COP15 is not a super-human police officer programmed to rid our neighborhoods of crime; but it should be a mechanism set in place to “protect and serve” our communities, and not “hustle and steal” our good jobs and hard-earned money.

Join in the conversation by posting your comments below, and follow us at: Twitter/BEEnergyForum

André Williams is the founder and principal consultant of Energy Relations—a full service firm that specializes in providing public relations and communications services for businesses and organizations in the energy industry. He has over 11 years experience providing consultation in the energy, environmental, and government sectors.

Previously, Tracy served as Vice President of Corporate Communications for the Federal Government’s Tennessee Valley Authority (“TVA”), which is the largest public power provider in the nation, serving large industries and power companies that provide electricity to 8.6 million consumers.  She held responsibility for all internal and external communications, reputation management, research, retiree advocacy, philanthropy, volunteerism and the Freedom of Information Act process as well as serving as TVA’s Appeals Officer responsible for resolving stakeholder complaints before litigation.

Prior to TVA, Tracy held several positions of increasing responsibility with CNH Global, a FIAT company formed from the merger of Case Corporation and New Holland.  She worked in various parts of the world, including an international assignment based in Sydney, Australia, with responsibility for e-commerce and marketing communications strategies across the Asia Pacific region.

Tracy began her career with General Motors Corporation in 1989, when GM was the largest producer of cars and trucks in the world.  With GM experience in sales, service, marketing and manufacturing, she was one of two professionals selected to start up an entire public relations office for the GMC Truck headquarters, where she led communications strategies that helped the organization achieve record-level truck sales.

Tracy received a bachelor’s degree in Communications Management from Clark-Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia.  She completed the Center for Creative Leadership – Leadership Development Program and the Harvard Business School Executive Education program.  Tracy is a member of several professional and civic organizations and boards.

Entrepreneurs who had vision and foresight into the future were able to take advantage of the Internet boom, as business models shifted to make use of advances in electronic technologies.  As a result, many of these visionaries used their conceptions to create an online world that has virtually revolutionized the way we communicate.

But what will the future of energy look like?  If we give you a clear look into the future, will you be able to come away with enough insight to create “the next big thing;” or at least make the necessary precautions or changes to secure a good job and successful career?

Right now, many people are placing bets on the future of energy.  And while no one can be certain of the outcomes, most can agree that many changes will take place.  Another reality is that this transition will be both complex and costly.  Businesses that stay abreast of government policies and new advances in technology will be able to better predict trends and changes in the global energy system.

Peter Voser, chief executive officer for Royal Dutch Shell has said that, “It will take both innovation and patience to change the energy game.”

So how can we prepare to be star players of the energy game?

Voser says, “Complex challenges rarely have simple solutions. Shell’s response has been multifaceted. We  develop scenarios and share them with the outside world.”

Shell has been using these strategies for 30 years.  They provide them not only for their use, but for anyone interested in reflecting on the “possibilities” of the world around them.  The scenarios can be used to outline uncertain aspects of the future that are of greatest concern – and to explore ways in which these might unfold.

Joeroen van der Veer, chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, says  there’s  a race create a new world of energy.  He predicts that, “The world’s highways will rumble and whir with vehicles powered by all manner of energy: petrol, diesel (yes, still there), electricity, biofuels, natural gas, and hydrogen.”

Do you have a vision of the energy future?  For a peek into Shell’s New Energy Future, access: shell.com/newenergyfuture

As we slowly filter the possibilities and try to decipher what works, and what doesn’t, necessity will give birth to great inventions, and visionaries across the globe will line-up to answer the call.  How can you prepare your business or career to meet the energy challenges of the future?  Do you have a desire to create a solution that will help to achieve energy sustainability? Or have you already created a revolutionary product that is just waiting for the right investors to support your perfect business plan?

Join in the conversation by posting your comments below, and follow us at: Twitter/BEEnergyForum

Further Reading:

– Changing Fortunes: Global Energy
– Energy Transition: Not for the Faint-Hearted
– The Energy Company of the Future

André Williams is the founder and principal consultant of Energy Relations—a full service firm that specializes in providing public relations and communications services for businesses and organizations in the energy industry. He has over 11 years experience providing consultation in the energy, environmental, and government sectors.

West is responsible for ENOI’s financial and operational performance, customer service, regulatory and governmental relations, economic development programs, external and internal communications, charitable contributions, and environmental policy. At the core of his operational responsibilities is management of the company’s electric and gas distribution systems including the purchase and generation of electricity and its transmission and distribution to customers.

West is credited with managing the rebuild of critical aspects of the New Orleans infrastructure after Hurricane Katrina, and for leading Entergy New Orleans out of bankruptcy after the storm. In addition, he is overseeing the industry’s largest natural gas rebuild effort in history – the replacement of approximately 860 miles of underground pipe damaged after Hurricane Katrina.

West’s rise to the Entergy New Orleans CEO position began when he joined the Entergy Corporation as senior regulatory counsel in April 1999 at the Fortune 500 Company’s headquarters. In that department, he led Entergy’s regulatory transition team in obtaining the necessary government approvals for the proposed merger with Florida Power and Light. By April 2001, West was named director of the Entergy New Orleans regulatory affairs department where he managed the 2000-2001 natural gas crisis that drove customer bills beyond levels of affordability. During that crisis, West helped Entergy earn a reputation as one of the most pro-customer utilities in the nation. He also managed the company’s rate case that resulted in increased allowable earnings, and its first profitable position in years – while actually lowering customer bills thanks to power purchase contracts that brought cheaper power into the city.

In December 2003, West became director of the company’s electric distribution operations, managing hundreds of employees responsible for the daily maintenance and operation of the electric grid. The role positioned him to lead that team after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the city.

Before joining Entergy, West was a senior attorney in the New Orleans office of Vial, Hamilton, Koch & Knox, L.L.P. commercial litigation department. He also spent five years with the New Orleans-based firm of Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre, L.L.P. West is a member of the State Bar of Louisiana.

He is recognized for an intense focus on charitable and community efforts concentrating on education, healthcare, economic development and the rebuilding of south Louisiana and New Orleans. West is an executive committee member of the New Orleans Business Council, a member of the board of directors of First Bank and Trust and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. In 2000, he was appointed for a six-year term by former Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster to the Louisiana State University System Board of Supervisors. He was reappointed by former Gov. Kathleen Blanco and named board chairman through the 2006 and 2007 academic year.

West is a commissioner of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. He also served as an adjunct professor at Tulane University from 1993 to 2001. And in May 2009, West was named a board member of the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees.

West received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Notre Dame where he lettered three years as outside linebacker and tight end for Lou Holtz and the Fighting Irish’s 1988 National Championship football team. He received his Juris Doctor from the Tulane University School of Law in 1993 and his Masters of Business Administration degree from Tulane University in 2005. He graduated from Brother Martin High School in New Orleans in 1986.