Solar Industry Group To Award The Chapin, Fuller, Pearson Medal To NJ BPU Commissioner Jeanne Fox At Intersolar Summit New Jersey On March 20

BORDENTOWN, N.J., March 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association (MSEIA) announced today that it will award the Chapin, Fuller, Pearson Medal to New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Commissioner Jeanne M. Fox.  The Medal will be awarded Thursday, March 20 at the Intersolar Summit New Jersey conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Edison, New Jersey.

MSEIA represents solar energy companies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.  The organization has spearheaded efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region to make solar energy a major contributor to the region's energy future. 

MSEIA awards the Chapin, Fuller, Pearson Medal "to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the development of solar energy in the Mid-Atlantic region."  Dennis Wilson, MSEIA's Vice-President, New Jersey said, "New Jersey became a national leader in the development of solar energy largely because of the tireless efforts of Commissioner Fox.  Her championship of solar energy, other forms of renewable energy, and energy efficiency has pushed not only New Jersey, but the whole nation, significantly further down the road toward a sustainable future."

The Chapin, Fuller, Pearson Medal is named after Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson, the three scientists who invented and produced the first practical photovoltaic cells at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey in 1954.  Lyle Rawlings, President of MSEIA, stated, "Most people know that photovoltaic technology is one of the fastest-growing sources of energy in the world, and its deployment is increasing exponentially.  Fewer people realize that the first patent on the modern silicon cell, the first practical solar cell, the first affordable solar modules, and other firsts came from New Jersey.  Just like the transistor, which transformed the world by ushering in the computer age, New Jersey gave PV technology to the world.  Our state thus deserves much credit for another worldwide transformation – the move toward sustainable energy."

MSEIA previously gave Jeanne Fox an achievement award as a Solar Champion in 2005.  Commissioner Fox, serving as the President of the Board of Public Utilities from 2002 to 2010, has been the state's longest-serving BPU President.  She has overseen an increase in renewable energy systems from a total of 9 kilowatts statewide to 1.5 gigawatts today, with the state on average now installing 9 kilowatts every 30 minutes.  She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) from its inception until 2010, and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).  She is also Chair of the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) Public Advisory Council on Smart Grid; member of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group (HEPG) as well the National Council on Electricity Policy (NCEP), having served as its chair for 5 years, is on the Board of the National Regulatory Research Institute Research Advisory Committee (NRRI-RAC) and is a member of the National Petroleum Council.  Her many previous awards include the Sierra Club's Outstanding Achievement Award and the National Solar Industry Association's Award for Outstanding Leadership in Policy Development for Clean Energy.

The Intersolar Summit New Jersey: USA conference, jointly sponsored by Intersolar, MSEIA, EuPD Research, and Joint Forces for Solar, will be held from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM (including the cocktail reception after the conference) at the Sheraton Hotel in Edison, NJ on Thursday, March 20.  The Chapin, Fuller, Pearson Medal will be presented to Commissioner Fox at lunchtime.

The conference will explore the potential for a transition to a primarily renewably-fueled future in the Northeast.  Speakers will include Senator Robert Smith (NJ), Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (NJ), and Senator Kevin Parker (NY), and Alfred Griffin, President of the new New York Green Bank, who will talk about the future of clean energy legislation in their states.  In addition, representatives of solar industry associations representing states from Delaware to Maine will provide updates on clean energy policy in those states, and expert speakers will talk about the technical, economic, and policy challenges of moving to a renewable energy economy – as well as solutions to those challenges.

Questions can be directed to:

Marianne Leone, Administrator, MSEIA: (973) 886-0526; [email protected]
Lyle Rawlings, President, MSEIA: 908-751-5818 [email protected]

Conference registration is available at
www.intersolarglobal.com/en/intersolar-summits/events/new-jersey.html

SOURCE Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association