Iceland Geothermal Conference spreads green energy industry message

The recent Iceland Geothermal Conference, which took place between 5^th and 8^th March 2013 in Reykjavík, has helped carry a positive message for the possibilities within the green energy industry, according to various reviews posted online.

Roughly 600 participants, delegates, and exhibitors attended the conference to discuss changes and forward thinking within the energy industry, with 55 presentations given by global figureheads within the industry.

Amongst the coverage, speeches from the keynotes were listed as being especially memorable.

Keynote speaker Sri Mulyani, Managing Director of the World Bank Group, was reported to have stated the following during the conference:

“Until now, our work has been at the country and regional levels. These efforts are important, and should continue.  But a global push is what is needed now. Only a global effort will put geothermal energy in its rightful place – as a primary energy source for many developing countries.  Only a global effort will pool resources to spread the risk effectively. It will let us learn from each other, from our failures and successes, and apply that learning.”

In a posted distributed via the European Geothermal Energy Council, the EU Energy Commissioner, Günther Oettinger, noted that geothermal energy can ‘help us reach our energy and climate goals’. He followed by stating that Geothermal energy ‘offers solutions we cannot ignore’ and that we can expect it ‘to become more and more prominent’.

Dr. Jeffery Tester, Professor of Sustainable Energy and Director of the Cornell Energy Institute, gave a compelling presentation during the event, which outlined the potential that geothermal energy offers the United States, and challenged the U.S. government to take advantage of this.

Finally, the closing presentation was made by President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, who briefed the challenges posed by global warming and his vision of how Iceland’s green economy can serve as a model to the rest of the world, which has been described as a world-class leader in the use and development of geothermal technologies.

The next Iceland Geothermal Conference will be taking place in April 2016; a short preview for the next event can be seen below:

IGC 2013 – Welcome 2016 from Gekon on Vimeo.