SPARK

Discoveries, innovations, and insights that illuminate the future of the built environment

Lexie Bright: Getting to know me & my journey to McKinstry’s B.L.U.E. Program

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Hello, my name is Lexie Bright, I’m a 23-year-old recent graduate from Western Washington University. I majored in Energy Policy and Management with a minor in Economics. I’m currently a Technical Services Intern with the Energy Management and Technical Services team at McKinstry based in Seattle, WA.

I was raised in the beautiful foothills of Issaquah, WA. Growing up, I had no awareness of conservation, where my water came from, what electricity was or why it mattered to know. As I became more educated about Climate Change and the reality of how our modern lives are made possible through exploiting the Earth, I couldn’t believe it. I began focusing on how I could educate and influence as many people as possible about environmental realities, hoping to inform and even convert them into environmental activists.

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A smart, comprehensive approach to a clean energy future

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Jeff Hughes (left) is McKinstry’s Director of Renewable Energy Services.

The clean energy revolution is here, RIGHT NOW! Right-sized, clean, and resilient power generation is the exciting new norm and the future we are building together. Renewable energy has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and widespread adoption has been enjoyed throughout the country in all major market sectors.

This year in the United States alone, 24 gigawatts (GW) of new electricity generation capacity will come online, 66 percent of which will be provided by solar PV, wind, other renewables, or battery energy storage. Eight GW of capacity will be retired, the majority of which is from fossil fuel sources. While this represents significant progress, renewable energy (including hydropower) accounts for just under 20 percent of the overall U.S. energy mix, underscoring the tremendous challenge in front of us—to achieve a 100-percent, clean energy future.

This data shows we’re chasing a moving target—a growing target that still adds eight GW of fossil fuel capacity every year. For us to achieve the future we desire, we must think holistically and with resolute purpose. By adding solar and renewable energy to our electricity grid, we are all helping bring clean energy to our communities but only addressing part of the problem: we are ignoring our energy use and we are ignoring our behavior toward energy.

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