The GENI Initiative focuses on linking renewable energy resources around the world using international electricity transmission. Decades ago, visionary engineer Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller developed the World Game simulation, posing the question:
How do they make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological damage or disadvantage to anyone?
Research shows that the premier global strategy is the interconnection of electric power networks between regions and continents into a global energy grid, with an emphasis on tapping abundant renewable energy resources — a world wide web of electricity.
GENI Benefits
The benefits of this sustainable development world electric power solution are proven:
Decreased pollution from fossil and nuclear fuels
Reduced hunger and poverty in developing nations
Increased trade, cooperation and world peace
Enables health care, communications and access to clean water
Stabilized population growth
Their Vision
Their vision is of a world in which all people have access to ecologically sustainable energy
Mission
GENI's mission is to conduct research and to educate world leaders and the public about the critical viability of the interconnection of electric power networks between nations and continents, with an emphasis on tapping abundant renewable energy resources, what we call 'the GENI Initiative.' Their research shows that linking renewables between all nations will mollify conflicts, grow economies and increase the quality of life and health for all. This is a strategy rooted in the highest priority of the World Game simulation developed by Dr. Buckminster Fuller three decades ago.
Strategic Position
Global Energy Network Institute (GENI) is a tax exempt, IRS Sec 501(c)(3), organization in the United States of America. They conduct research and educational activities related to the international and inter-regional transmission of electricity, with a specific emphasis on tapping abundant local and remote renewable energy resources. With the increased awareness of climate change, growing energy demand, renewable resource solutions and smart technology over the past 3 years, GENI's Strategic Position and Activities have expanded as well.
Integrated resource usage is currently limited without interconnections and high voltage transmission. Their research to date finds that, using today's technology, the interconnection of large scale renewable resource energy is an economic and environmentally sustainable solution.
In considering the decision making processes of the global electricity industry, their position for the past 20 years has been that there exist three areas of activity that would accelerate the attainment of optimal sustainable energy solutions:
First, they have said that the industry needs to be convinced that interconnection of renewable energy sources via high voltage transmission networks is a financially compelling, reliable, secure, and highly desirable forward energy option. In the United States and in many other regions of the world, this awareness is now established and numerous projects are being financed and developed. They continue to work in this area.
Second, they have said that the general public and their representative organizations need to be aware of sustainable global energy options. A major shift has occurred over the last 3 years (since 2006) as witnessed by the surge in websites, public campaigns advocating renewable energy use and smart technology, and important policy changes favoring the use of renewables. They continue their endeavors in this area.
Third, they have said that their policy makers need to be aware of global, sustainable energy options when determining their regional policy direction and legislation. This awareness is growing, especially with the public's support, and they will continue to encourage clean energy and energy efficiency policies until such policies are commensurate with the need.
In addition to these long standing areas of focus, they now have three new strategic areas that they think will also accelerate the attainment of optimal energy solutions:
First, given the interconnected nature of their highly complex global issues, what is needed is a place for face-to-face decision-making where global leaders from business, governments, education and NGOs can meet in cooperation and collaboration (outside their specialized silos) to make informed and sustainable choices for humanity as a whole in the shortest possible time. A state-of-the-art facility is needed that can access the inventory of world resources where guests could visualize and analyze historical and projected trends, study best practices and identify solutions to current and anticipated problems.
Second, they recognize that they live in a world driven by money, the marketplace and by investment. Moving renewable energy to the market place requires a massive shift of investment from fossil fuel to the renewable, cleantech sectors.
Third, current realities make it clear that in the next decades 'the grid' will not reach rural areas where most of the 1.6 billion people of the world (25% of humanity) live without electricity. These people live on less than $1 per day, most of them just surviving. There is a clear and documented relationship between a livable standard of living and access to electricity - whether delivered via an electric power grid or a stand alone device.
Their Activities
The activities of GENI historically have focused on researching the development of transmission and distribution networks as a viable option to meet their global energy requirements. Clear evidence indicates that large scale remote renewable energy resources can be made available via high-voltage transmission or on a smaller scale using decentralized, stand-alone technologies. Extensive progress has been accomplished. GENI continues to work with the electricity industry to explore the implications of interconnections around the world.
GENI has begun to develop a visualization of the GENI Initiative in cooperation with the San Diego State University's Visualization Center. Further development of this visualization will enable policy-makers and business leaders to "see" trends, options and consequences in order to identify optimal, sustainable solutions.
In addition, GENI is in development on the World Resources Simulation Center (WRSC). The WRSC will be an immersive visualization facility where decision-makers can literally "see" the critical trends of global and regional issues, the relationships between issues and the consequences of different strategies. It will provide global leaders from business, governments, education and NGOs a resource for cooperation and collaboration to make informed and sustainable choices for humanity as a whole, from national to regional issues, in the shortest possible time. In their world of multiple crises, this kind of visualization tool is critical for thoughtful, integrative decision-making.
One target outcome for the WRSC will be a visualization that will lead to a Computer Simulation Model designed to demonstrate the cost/benefit analysis of such a scenario, which includes a comparison with other energy scenarios, for example, those of the World Energy Council, to help utilities and energy ministries make fully informed choices and investment decisions.
To leverage their communications with the general public and policy-makers, they continue to expand the GENI website with current renewable energy and high-voltage transmission resources. They also take this work to the world via exhibitions at United Nations conferences, the World Energy Congress, ACORE and Rotary International. Many GENI videos are now available on YouTube.
GENI distributes a free monthly update to subscribers and donors and offers an RSS feed on daily news items.
To help drive investment to clean energy solutions, in 2005, GENI approached KLD Research and Analytics, a financial indexing company in Boston, to create an Index that would allow investors to put their money into green/cleantech companies. The Global Climate Index, the result of that collaboration and partnership, tracks the leading global public companies that seek climate change solutions in three areas: renewable energy, clean tech and energy efficiency and future fuels. The Index seeks to attract the largest institutional investors to invest in energy firms that lead in global de-carbonization.
In 2008, as part of a marketing campaign to acquaint brokers with the GC100 Index, one of their volunteers discovered a niche, a need to educate investors and brokers about the expanding universe of companies, funds and indexes offering green investment instruments. The Eco Investor Guide was developed out of this need and is another of GENI's partnerships in the Investment arena.
Recognizing the need in developing countries to accelerate access to clean energy solutions, The Village Projects Website is being designed and implemented to be a 'clearinghouse' for information on current projects from the poorest countries in the world engaged in rural electrification, poverty alleviation and social entrepreneurism with a particular emphasizes on energy efficiency and clean electricity. This website will shine a light on the successes and assist other villages adopt what is being modeled and is working elsewhere.
