The 463: Inside Tech

Advanced Energy Economy Unveils New Report: Economic Impacts of Advanced Energy

Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national organization representing the advanced energy industry, has just released a new report, Economic Impacts of Advanced Energy.

Commissioned by the Advanced Energy Economy Institute, AEE’s educational and charitable affiliate, and produced by Pike Research, this report marks the first time both a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the advanced energy markets in the U.S. and globally has been conducted.

One of the report’s most surprising findings was the magnitude of the advanced energy industry. Advanced energy makes up more than a $1.1 trillion global market, larger than the pharmaceutical manufacturing worldwide.  Domestically it’s bigger than the trucking industry!

You may be wondering, what is advanced energy? AEE defines advanced energy as the best available commercial technologies for meeting energy needs today and tomorrow. It’s not just clean and renewable energy; it’s a broader category that includes categories like nuclear and natural gas turbines that are not generally included. In short, advanced energy is what happens when energy meets 21^st century technology. IT and the Internet, advanced materials, electronics and “big data” are all transforming the way we make and use energy, and driving innovation across the entire energy landscape.

Here are some other key findings from the report:

• The U.S. advanced energy market represented $132 billion of economic activity in 2011, with market growth of more than 15% year over year.
• The share of the U.S. global advanced energy market will rise from 12 percent to 15 percent in just one year, from 2011 to 2012.

Click here to download the report. 

National Wireless Initiative: Win-Win for All

(By: Krista Strum) If you missed President Obama’s speech on the National Wireless Initiative and its execution plan, here are a few important highlights. First, he signaled support for legislation to allow the FCC to conduct voluntary incentive auctions to free up 500MHz worth of spectrum. What makes incentive auctions attractive, as proposed in the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, is that current owners will get a share of revenue earned from auctioning off the spectrum. It’s a sweet deal that should encourage those “squatting” on idle or unused spectrum to participate.

Second, the plan includes measures to help consumers become more connected, directing $5 billion to constructing 4G networks in rural areas. The effort will also be backed by a $3 billion R&D budget to help guide the rollout. When all is said and done, it’s projected that at least 98 percent of American’s will have service.  This is awesome considering more connectivity and information sharing makes for a smarter America.

The ‘icing on the cake’ is a $10.7 billion budget for a nationwide public safety network.  So during national emergencies, emergency response workers and groups can communicate on a larger scale. Under the plan, “$3.2 billion would be devoted to reallocating the “D Block” (which is a band of spectrum that would be reserved and prioritized for public safety and not auctioned as called for under existing law); $7 billion to support the deployment of this network; and $500 million from the WIN Fund for R&D and technological development to tailor the network to meet public safety requirements.”

If you’re worried about this adding to the federal deficit, don’t! The spectrum auctions, “estimated to raise $27.8 billion,” will help offset these costs -- $9.6 billion of which will go toward reducing the deficit.

Overall, his plan is a win-win for all: “squatters” have good reason to unload their idle spectrum, consumers could enjoy more connectivity and, in times of national emergency we’ll be able to communicate better.

For more details about the plan, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/02/10/president-obama-details-plan-win-future-through-expanded-wireless-access

Futuristic Appliances: In-Demand or Unnecessary?

(Krista Strum) How important is it for your refrigerator or toaster to be intelligent? Most think it’s a ridiculous proposition while others welcome that idea, including the world’s leading technology companies. Cisco, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems are placing their bets on smart appliances eventually becoming a hot “must have” and have devoted money toward more R&D in this area.  

They aren’t alone as they’ve formed partnerships with the likes of GE, MayTag, Samsung and Whirlpool to develop products that, for example, can log recipe’s, calculate cooking times, keep notes, and also play movies. 

Sounds good right? Although product makers think so, consumers haven’t yet warmed up to this idea and aren’t sure smart appliances are necessary.  Recent research shows that consumers are not ready for smart devices quite yet however they are open to energy savings appliances…which sort of fits in the smart devices category. 

Some analysts argue that consumer demand for smart appliances with energy monitoring and controls capabilities is on the rise. However, smart eco-appliances are not without a hefty price tag. For example CNET’s Martin LaMonica noted, “One of the first network ready hot water heaters costs nearly $1,600 more than a low-end model.”

Hefty price-points like this could leave consumers wondering whether they are really saving that much energy to make up for the difference in cost. In many cases, it all boils down to whether they want to pay upfront for the more expensive yet efficient products or sprinkle the energy consumption costs out over time by purchasing a moderately priced one.

 

 

Gadget Wars: East Coast vs. West Coast

 

(Devon Rosenberry) The lifestyle differences between the United States’ east and west coasts have always been known to clash.  The east coast is known for its big cities, tall buildings and stress-packed environment, while the west coast paints a picture of a polar opposite atmosphere that is much more casual, laid-back and environmentally aware.  So where do the new and exciting gadgets fit in and are their uses pre-determined by the stereotypes of each coast?

According to Retrevo’s 2010 Gadget Census, there are significant differences among devices used on each coast, and it seems that many of these differences can be tied to the lifestyles and environments of each respective coast.  The Retrevo Gadget Census put the major metro areas of the country head-to-head to determine which city’s gadgets reigned supreme. 

When looking at cell phone usage, east coast city residents were more likely to sport Blackberries and smartphones, which supported their business-savvy way of life.  According to the census, 56 percent more New Yorkers use Blackberries compared to their San Francisco counterparts.  Boston residents also obtain about 44 percent more Blackberry smartphones then individuals in Los Angeles. 

On the other hand, iPhones were much more prominent on the west coast, maintaining the hip and technologically advanced reputation of the area.  Based near Silicon Valley, the largest breeding ground for technology companies in the country, San Francisco residents reported using 23 percent more iPhones than those in New York, and Los Angeles reported about 11 percent more iPhones than Boston inhabitants. 

With all the TV studios near Hollywood, it is no surprise to find more TVs and game consoles on the west coast, but back here on the east coast you may notice many more people using their gadgets to read.  Don’t be surprised if you see someone kicked back with an eReader on one of the east coast’s major subway systems as eReaders are seen 30 percent more in New York compared to San Francisco, 43 percent more in Boston versus Los Angeles and 50 percent more in Washington, DC, then in Chicago. 

The most dramatic discrepancy in gadget use between the two coasts is the number of Mac OS Systems.  San Francisco possesses about 94 percent more Mac OS Systems than those in New York, and Los Angeles retains about 54 percent more than Boston.

Is it true that the stereotypes of the ongoing east vs. west coast lifestyle battle determine gadget use?  In many ways, yes it does.  There was no surprise when the 2010 Retrevo Gadget Census awarded San Francisco the Green Gadgets award, and New Yorkers were recognized as most likely to own emerging technology products.  The real question is will we begin to see an even larger discrepancy between the gadgets targeted at these separate areas and how will that effect the nation’s economy as a whole?

Gadgets: Your Digital Fix and Mental Detriment All in One

(Krista Strum) Does your “crackberry” really get you high? And, can you become addicted to a phone anyway? Sources say yes.  According to a recent New York Times report about Americans’ growing reliance on gadgets, and the constant need to be “plugged in,” frequent use of a digital device can stimulate brain activity in small bursts…giving somewhat of a mental high.  
 
Problem is: being too reliant on digital devices can actually re-pattern the way people think.  Instead of organically processing thoughts, “crackberry addicts” and the likes, have a hard time fully thinking things through.  According to researchers quoted in the article, “our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information;” a pattern that hinders linear thinking and sometimes makes it hard to finish tasks.  
 
Aside from altering the way people think, devices can be tough on relationships as well. We all know that texting, or surfing the Internet, while interacting with spouses, children, and pets can: A) land you on the couch for a night, and/or B) make your loved ones feel unimportant and overlooked. Who wants to play second best to an iPhone?  
 
So, why should you make it a priority to draw strict boundaries between your personal space and your laptop (or other digital device)?  Well first, no one should want to inadvertently re-pattern a God given way of thinking. Second, too many people have already lost their lives due to quick urges to text or surf the Internet while driving.
 
In all, I don’t know any human who wishes they could process information like Google; so let’s recognize that we’re not wired to do so and develop strict boundaries between digital devices and our personal lives. You can start by repeating after me: “I will not sleep with my phone next to my pillow tonight,” —or any other night for that matter!  

Lessons in Coalition Building: Balancing the Rider and the Elephant

Katie Hallen -- As a first-year undergraduate at the University of Virginia, I took a psychology class from a young professor named Jonathan Haidt.  Haidt, whose research interests largely focus on morality, was memorable in more ways than one. Being that he was easy on the eyes and ears largely forgave him for wearing the same green tweed jacket every single day of class.  Thanks also to him, I still mimic his shorthand for “morality” by circling the letter “m.”

Recently, I have been revisiting Haidt’s research via his new book The Happiness Hypothesis, which contains important lessons for us Washington policy and communications types interested in coalition building and campaign management.

In building in an army of supporters, we must grapple with the issues and messages that motivate them to join a cause.  If we are looking to change their behavior in some way, we must look beyond the politics of reason to the politics of emotion.  This is no easy task. 

Haidt uses a wonderful metaphor to describe how our brains are often torn between reason and emotion: the Rider and the Elephant.  The Rider, representing the rational side, has the reigns of the Elephant and is controlling his path.  But the Elephant is very large and from time to time easily overpowers the Rider and takes him down a different route.

Why is it that the rational side of the brain knows that we should not eat the second cookie but we almost always give in to the emotional craving?  Why is it that a white paper packed with compelling data persuades our logical selves to support a piece of legislation but our emotional side keeps thinking of our one friend Chip whose job could be impacted?  That’s the Elephant overpowering the Rider. 

“To understand most important ideas in psychology, you need to understand how the mind is divided into parts that sometimes conflict,” Haidt writes. “We assume that there is one person in each body, but in some ways we are each more like a committee whose members have been thrown together to do a job, but who often find themselves working at cross purposes.”

It’s an important lesson for coalition building and campaign management.  If we want people to join our cause, and if we are asking them to make a commitment, take action or even change their behavior – buy energy-efficient light bulbs, fasten the seat belt, vote for the first time, whatever it may be – we must be aware of the brain’s competing demands.

Brothers Chip and Dan Heath further explain the competing brain in their new book Switch, which I’ll discuss in greater detail in a future post.  For now, take a look at Haidt’s book and let us know what you think.

Jim Seeley -- One of DC's Finest, Bar None

 (Jim Hock) In all the heated rhetoric we've heard over the past 2 years about lobbyists, you sometimes forget that their are outstanding people in DC who everyday fight the good fight for great causes (and don't get huge paydays).  One of those is Jim Seeley, who announced his retirement as the chief lobbyist for the City of Los Angeles after 34 years of service.  In that time, Jim served 4 different mayors and was with the City through riots, floods, earthquakes and helping enact countless policies that helped so many pursue economic opportunity and a better life.  

I worked as an intern for Jim and am proud to call him a mentor as well as great friend.  Last night it was an honor to be among the many FOJs to raise a glass to Jim and his career.  I can say without question that my life (and countless others) is better for having worked with Jim Seeley and been around him. As one of our mutual reporter friends said this week, "Jim is one of the most gracious men ever to set foot in Washington DC. I don't believe I have ever known anyone in government with less ego and more kindness."   

Amen to that.  We wish Jim, his wife Jo Ann and their 11 kids (yes, 11) and their multitude of grandchildren the best in the years to come.  

Check out this blog post in the National Journal about Jim.

You May Ask Yourself: Where Does that Highway Lead to?

(Sean Garrett) I tend to have a pretty high bar for once-in-a lifetime opportunities. They don’t include things like having my then celebrity crush ask me a literature question in a quiet bookstore in the mid-90s; being able to travel to cool places all around the world or, even, dare I say, being five outs away from a Giants World Series victory in 2002.

All stacked up, none of those experiences could compare to the true once-in-a-lifetime experience of envisioning what would later become 463 Communications and then working with the amazing people that could make it a reality.

Tom Galvin, Jim Hock and I publically launched 463 in December of 2004. But it really reflects everything we had done in our collective careers leading up to that point. We wanted to be able take this experience and provide senior-level communications consulting services that we are passionate about and work with clients we truly believe in. Fortunately, this came to pass as I noted in a fifth anniversary post in December. An excerpt:

“When Tom, Jim and I started 463, we wanted to focus day-to-day on actual client work. We weren't excited about marketing, hiring a bunch of people to do the work for us or pontificating as "PR leaders." We just wanted to work with great clients at a senior level and accomplish stuff during a fascinating time. Fortunately, all of this has come to pass.”

In that same post, I tipped my cap to the folks who left us in our first five years and said, “We are of the mind that careers always need to be moving forward and opportunity should always be seized -- even if it means outside of our four walls.” I noted that “one the best validators of our success is that folks who have left 463 are currently furthering their careers in (amazing and important places).”

Little did I know that I would be taking my own advice and providing my own validation when I wrote that. For, I am face-to-face with another once-in –a-lifetime opportunity. I’ll soon be joining Twitter as their vice president of communications. (As I transition to Twitter, I'll also be wearing my 463 hat until April).

I won’t lie. Leaving 463 will be one of the hardest things that I will ever do. There just is so much emotional investment in it and so many good times with truly great people.

Fortunately, my partners, our team and Tim Dyson of Next Fifteen have all been remarkably supportive of this move — proving once again what true class acts that they are and why they are so respected by so many.

The difficultly of the move is also blunted by the fact that the 463 team is incredibly strong right now. I've never been prouder of a communications team at any point in my career. For those of you reading this post because of the Twitter implications and not because you know 463, if you ever need super smart strategic communications advice, industry thought leadership platforms, reputation management, unparalleled tech policy wisdom and/or highly efficacious communications execution, look no further.

And, then there is Twitter. Oh yes. That. Based on all the love that I have for 463, it would have to be a profoundly amazing opportunity for me to make a move. And, this is. I’m all the more confident of this because, via 463, I have been consulting for Twitter the last few months. I'm excited to build out a creative, smart and aggressive team that is an appropriate fit for the uniqueness of Twitter. I'm also eager to dust off my front-line media relations chops after spending most of the last nine years focused on the shadowy, back-room strategy thing.

It will be a great challenge, but one that I can’t wait to attack. Twitter, like 463, is comprised of good people who have created a culture and a mission that I steadfastly believe in and want to advance.

It will be an interesting ride. And, you can follow it here.

(image credit)

O, Jobs, Where Art Thee?

Katie Hallen -- "Show me the jobs" may be the most repeated phrase in Washington.  With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's implementation last year, many of us have been interested in tracking the progress of the stimulus funds and how they are leading to U.S. job creation.

But tracking the stimulus jobs has not been the easiest of tasks. The website Recovery.gov, set up by the Obama administration to make the stimulus process transparent with easy public access to data, has repeatedly come under fire for inaccurate information. ABC News back in November reported on a stimulus "success story" - Arizona's 15th congressional district used $761,420 in federal stimulus spending to create or save 30 jobs.  Sounds great, if it were true.  Arizona doesn't even have a 15th district. The Obama administration quickly fixed the mistake. 

GOP leaders had a field day when blogger Matt Drudge documented millions of stimulus dollars going toward ham and cheese. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack rushed to clarify the canned and processed goods were going toward the Emergency Food Assistance Program to stock soup kitchens and food banks.  

Then, there was Vice President Biden making a push for Recovery.gov in one of his speeches when he accidently directed people to "Recovery.org," the private sector site set up to track the stimulus.  The Washington Post complimented Biden on the slip, noting that the private site had better information than the government version - whoops! 

But let's get back to the jobs question. Recovery.gov says that 599,108 U.S. jobs were reportedly created from October 1 to December 31, thanks to stimulus funds. Curious how many jobs were created in your state and city?  Use the interactive map to search for that data down to the zip code. 

Other useful tools:

Socrata breaks down stimulus jobs by congressional district and makes it easy to splice and dice the data and tailor your own views.  If your a data geek, you can even upload your own spreadsheets to this site and use their free tools to customize the look and feel of your numbers.  Here is an example of how they organize potential stimulus jobs. 

Potential Jobs Created by the Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Powered by Socrata

Recovery.org, created by software company Onvia, projects that stimulus spending will create 1.1 million jobs in 2010.  Its interactive map is perhaps the best at breaking down stimulus funding at the project level.  For instance, in Jefferson County, Col., there are 1,327 ongoing stimulus projects valued at more than $4 billion. 

FedBizOpps.gov, where the U.S. government releases publicly available contracts, also has a search engine for stimulus jobs.  

MSNBC's Stimulus Tracker helpfully maps out stimulus funding by industry. The construction and building supply industries lead the way, with more than $88 billion in total contracts. IT/telecommunications has $1.5 billion, with healthcare at around $260 million.

StimulusWatch, managed by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, allows citizens to post and rate "shovel-ready" projects that could benefit from stimulus dollars. Organizers say they want to help the government make smart choices and hold public officials accountable. 

New York City has also made strides to report stimulus activity, with the NYC Stimulus Tracker. Atheistically, their website is closer to Excel 101 than Government 2.0, but still, it's interesting to see that federal stimulus dollars saved or created more than 15,000 education jobs.  

Tracking the stimulus and the jobs it creates will be a monumental task, and it relies heavily on accurate reporting on grant and loan applications down to the state and local level.  Moreover, some remain skeptical that the stimulus job boom will last for any great length of time, particularly once we get into 2011 and the funding starts to dwindle.  

Despite its hurdles and imperfections, it's impressive to see such a vast commitment to transparency from the federal government.  So, help me follow the money and find the jobs. Which sites do you use for your sleuthing?  

Radical Chic Economics & Mau-Mauing the Bailout

Katie Hallen -- If there ever was a more hated word in the political etymology of 2009, it was "bailout."  An unfortunate word choice from the start, the Obama administration used it to describe its loan program with the banks, and then it quickly morphed into catch-all phrase to sum up the problems of corporate excess in the face of unbridled government spending. 

Everybody hated the bailout, it would seem. President Obama told us in his first State of the Union last week hatred for the bailout was the "one thing" that united the Democrats and Republicans. "I hated it. You hated it. It was about as popular as a root canal," Obama said.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes and largely out of the media glow, economists were hashing out at academic conferences - and increasingly on the blogosphere and YouTube - the merits of the administration's fiscal mascot, the man behind the bailout's reasoning, as it were: John Maynard Keynes.  

Challenging Keynes, the economist who helped us understand the cause and solutions to the Great Depression, is a pretty radical move.  A long line of presidents and plenty of modern economists have worshiped Keynesian theory and turned to it to justify government stepping in to help manage market downturns, invest in public works, stimulus programs and hire the unemployed.

But George Mason University economist Russ Roberts, it seems, thought old-man Keynes was getting a little too influential in the new administration - and even more critically, worried that the politics of the "bailout" were diluting what could be a powerful economic discussion.  In response, he and producer John Papola launched an educational video to give attention to a lesser-known Keynes peer: F.A. Hayek. Hayek, a staunch advocate of free markets, famously warned against the boom-and-bust cycle that could be spurred by inappropriate government initiatives like artificially low interest rates.

"Fear the Boom and Bust" rap debuted a couple of weeks ago, and it's already climbed to 480,000 views on YouTube.  Rivals Keynes and Hayek, in comedy troupe fashion, argue their differences during a night of partying in New York before an economic conference - or shall we say it's Keynes who partakes in the bulk of the debauchery (symbolic comedy, of course). 

Check out the video.  Who knew a funny video might make the hated "bailout" worth debating again?