2014 Newsletters

SEEDZ in the winner's circle for EV charging grant

The California Energy Commission has selected a public-private group that includes Joint Venture’s SEEDZ Initiative for award of a $469,000 grant to build a destination Electric Vehicle Charging Center at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

SEEDZ worked with the City of Santa Clara, EPRI, ChargePoint and MJR Electric in developing the successful proposal to fund and build an innovative 48-station EV charging center in the new Tasman Parking Garage adjacent to the new Levi’s Stadium, the Santa Clara Convention Center and Great America theme park.

Collectively, these venues will attract more than 4.5 million visits a year, making it a high-value destination site for placement of EV charging infrastructure. The EV charging center will demonstrate new approaches for energy management and charging station utilization, and will serve as an example for creating similar destination-based charging centers around the state and beyond.

Learn more about SEEDZ.

city officials, joint venture discuss "fiber-ready" and broadband Economics
A record turnout of representatives from 16 Silicon Valley cities were among nearly 60 people who attended the Wireless Communications Initiative’s recent Third Annual Wireless Roundtable for a discussion on being "Fiber Ready," broadband economics and FCC Rulemaking.

A panel on new and improved fiber optic broadband networks, such as those provided by AT&T and Comcast and proposed by Google Fiber, included AT&T Regional vice president of external affairs Marc Blakeman, City of San Jose director of communications David Vossbrink, Sunnyvale vice mayor Jim Davis, and Comcast regional director of construction Doug Nolan. Read the full roundtable presentation.

Silicon Valley EDA meets on stadium

Members of the Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance met last month with their counterparts from the region's convention and visitors bureaus and chambers of commerce, local transportation officials, and staff from the City of Santa Clara and the San Francisco 49ers about upcoming major events at the new Levi's Stadium.

The group toured the new facility and was briefed on Super Bowl 50, WrestleMania and other events of regional significance, as well as opportunities for future cooperation and collaboration.

Learn more about Silicon Valley EDA.

Tesla CTO to speak at Energy Storage Symposium May 21

Tesla CTO JB Straubel will be the keynote speaker at Joint Venture's 5th Annual Silicon Valley/SEEDZ Energy Storage Symposium Wednesday, May 21 at Microsoft in Mountain View.

The symposium engages leading stakeholders in the energy storage marketplace around the latest developments, challenges and opportunities for customer-side energy storage, and how Silicon Valley is advancing innovation and uptake in this critical emerging market.

Joint Venture members are eligible for a 15 percent discount on registration by entering the code JVSV15.

See the complete agenda and register here.

World Energy Innovation Forum at Tesla Motors May 14-15

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz are among the keynote speakers at Tesla Motors in Fremont for the World Energy Innovation Forum May 14-15, which Joint Venture supports as a partner.

The forum will host the leading global investors, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, policymakers and other prominent members of the energy innovation ecosystem for two days of conversation, dialogue, and networking. A discount is available by entering the code JVSV750 at registration.

Visit the forum site for more information and to register.

Our May Spotlight

Tom McCalmont

McCalmont Engineering

Solar energy entrepreneur Tom McCalmont was still a college student and didn’t realize it at the time, but the abundant California sunshine sent him a message about his future on a crisp January day in 1975.

While his Ohio school was in the throes of a classic midwestern winter, McCalmont came to scout Stanford University for grad school. He distinctly remembers that first ride up majestic Palm Drive, under the canopy of the trees, after a morning rain.

Read Tom’s profile.

Grand Boulevard Initiative releases ECHO Phase II report

The Grand Boulevard Initiative has released a report on the second phase of the Economic and Housing Opportunities (ECHO) Assessment, an ongoing study of the potential to transform El Camino Real into a vibrant, multimodal corridor through the intensification of housing and employment.

ECHO Phase II focused on the implementation challenges to infill development in the El Camino Real Corridor. The scope of work included conducting four case studies that address development scenarios, fiscal impacts, potential barriers to investment, and strategies for revitalization for cities on the Corridor. The four case study project areas are in Belmont, Daly City, Mountain View and South San Francisco.

Read the report.

Article of the Month “Left behind: San Jose and the broken promises of the neoliberal era” Remapping Debate
Remapping Debate’s intensive two-month investigation into the widening inequality gap of Silicon Valley resulted in this five-part series by writer David Noriega.

San Jose, the country’s best performing city two years ago, “has been dedicated foremost to fomenting business growth and wealth creation on the assumption that broadly shared prosperity would follow. That promise of shared prosperity has not been delivered,” he writes. “Silicon Valley is a particularly stark example of the widening inequality gap between the so-called “digerati,” the highly skilled, highly educated techno-elite, laden with disposable income, and the shrinking middle class.” Read the complete series.

Cortese, health care, housing, IT, cleantech on “Inside Silicon Valley”

The San Jose mayor’s race, health care, housing, information technology and cleantech are the May topics on Joint Venture’s weekly public affairs radio program, “Inside Silicon Valley.”

Scheduled guests include Santa Clara County Supervisor and mayoral candidate Dave Cortese (May 2 & 4), Chris Wilder of the Valley Medical Center Foundation (May 9 & 11), Housing Trust of Silicon Valley executives Kevin Zwick and Matt Huerta (May 16 & 18), Milestone CEO Prem Chand (May 23 & 25) and Cleantech Group CEO Sheeraz Haji (May 30 & June 1).