Where Are We Today

Better Place is a private sector electric vehicle infrastructure company working to achieve freedom from oil, global energy independence and sustainable transportation by building out battery exchange and charging networks around the world. They began operations in 2007 with $200 million in venture capital financing and are currently developing projects with the guiding principles of plug, people, planet and prosperity in Israel, Denmark, Australia, Japan, Canada and the U.S. By charging vehicle batteries with clean and renewable sources of electricity, Better Place aims to combat climate change and enhance energy security around the world.

MMA Renewable Ventures coordinates the financing, installation, and operation of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency projects. As a comprehensive power solutions provider, we partner with investors, energy project developers, and customers to design and implement innovative green energy solutions. Our mission is to deliver exceptional investment opportunities while providing competitively priced renewable energy and energy efficiency products.

Welcome to the Argonaut Hotel in San Francisco, a luxury boutique Kimpton Hotel in the heart of Fisherman's Wharf. Located in San Francisco's most popular destination, our historic waterfront hotel - named for the Gold Rushers who sought their fortune here - offers guests an inviting atmosphere, personal services and amenities, and the experience of a luxury San Francisco boutique hotel.

At the core of Tesla Motors is the belief that an electric car need not be a driving sacrifice. We have brought the best of the automotive and technology worlds together to permanently bury the image of an electric car as a step backwards in performance, efficiency, or design. Our key technology is the 100% electric powertrain, which propels us in the present and simultaneously establishes a foundation for our future models. We set out to forever alter perceptions of electric vehicles and to make electric cars a viable alternative. We have produced a car that is at once beautiful and exciting to drive, along with being the most efficient production automobile on the planet.

SunPower designs, manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency solar electric technology worldwide. Based on more than 20 years of innovation, we deliver proven solar performance to residential, commercial, and utility-scale power plant customers. Our high-efficiency solar cells, panels and systems deliver significantly more energy per unit area than competing systems.

SunPower designs, manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency solar electric technology worldwide. Based on more than 20 years of innovation, we deliver proven solar performance to residential, commercial, and utility-scale power plant customers. Our high-efficiency solar cells, panels and systems deliver significantly more energy per unit area than competing systems. Our customers benefit from lower electric bills, meaningful financial returns and maximum carbon emissions savings. At SunPower, we see a future where solar power is an essential component of the global energy mix. We work every day to continuously set new standards for solar performance, value, appearance and our customers’ experience. We will compete with retail electric rates by reducing system cost by 50% by 2012.

As architects, designers, planners and consultants, Gensler partners with clients on some 3,600 projects every year. These projects can be as small as a wine label or as large as a new urban district. With more than 2,500 professionals networked across 31 offices, they serve clients as trusted advisors, combining localized expertise with global perspective wherever new opportunities arise. Gensler's work reflects an enduring commitment to sustainability and the belief that design is one of the most powerful strategic tools for securing lasting competitive advantage.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, incorporated in California in 1905, is one of the largest combination natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, the company is a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. There are approximately 20,000 employees who carry out Pacific Gas and Electric Company's primary business—the transmission and delivery of energy. The company provides natural gas and electric service to approximately 15 million people throughout a 70,000-square-mile service area in northern and central California. Pacific Gas and Electric Company and other utilities in the state are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. The CPUC was created by the state Legislature in 1911.

The Energy Foundation is a partnership of major donors interested in solving the world's energy problems. Our mission is to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy — new technologies that are essential components of a clean energy future. Our geographic focus is on the United States and China, the largest and fastest growing energy markets in the world. Current Energy Foundation partners include: The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation,  The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, and The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation. Our primary role is as a grantmaker, providing resources to the institutions that most effectively leverage change. When we see an unmet need we also take direct initiatives, commission papers, or convene meetings.

In the world of science, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is synonymous with “excellence.” Eleven scientists associated with Berkeley Lab have won the Nobel Prize and 55 Nobel Laureates either trained here or had significant collaborations with our Laboratory. Berkeley Lab is a member of the national laboratory system supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through its Office of Science. It is managed by the University of California (UC) and is charged with conducting unclassified research across a wide range of scientific disciplines. Technologies developed at Berkeley Lab have generated billions of dollars in revenues, and thousands of jobs. Savings as a results of Berkeley Lab developments in lighting and windows, and other energy-efficient technologies, have also been in the billions of dollars.

The Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) is a unique new research, development, project implementation, and community outreach facility based at the University of California, Berkeley in the Energy and Resouces Group and the Department of Nuclear Engineering. RAEL focuses on designing, testing, and disseminating renewable and appropriate energy systems. The laboratory's mission is to help these technologies realize their full potential to contribute to environmentally sustainable development in both industrialized and developing nations while also addressing the cultural context and range of potential social impacts of any new technology or resource management system.

The Transportation Sustainability Research Center was formed in 2006 to study the economic, social, environmental and technological aspects of sustainable transportation. It is housed at the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. The TSRC mission is to conduct research, educate, and engage in outreach to improve understanding of the economic, environmental, and social aspects of transportation systems; and to actively participate in the development of energy systems that support a sustainable world. A particular area of emphasis for the TSRC is to assist in developing and implementing major California and federal regulations and initiatives related to sustainable transportation.

On the last night of our trip, we will be hosting a networking event at Capurro's for Duke students on the trip, Nicholas School Alumni in the area and the employers with whom we visited.