The U.S. Green Building Council California (USGBC-CA) will host its first in-person Thought Leadership Series event in Northern California on Oct. 17. The event confronts the hot topic of “How Data Centers Pave the Way for a More Sustainable World” in a roundtable discussion format, convening top representatives across the value chain of the topic. It will take place at the offices of Arup in San Francisco, and is open to the public. (Virtual attendance also available. Registration required either way.)
 
 Each of the four annual Series events offers a deep dive into an issue that reflects the mission of USGBC-CA, an independent nonprofit, to use the built environment to transform California into a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable region for all.
 
This event will serve as the re-launch event of the Northern California community of USGBC-CA, a hands-on resource and convener for everyone from the ‘green curious’ and those eager to dive into the green workforce, to top level building professionals across California, including developers and building operators, property managers, architects, engineers, general contractors, consultants, utilities, academia, community partners, and more. In April, USGBC-CA unified the seven existing green building communities to form the statewide organization.
  

WHY:  As the urgency of the climate crisis grows, data center operators must continue to drive down their carbon footprint, which is now estimated to be larger than the airline industry. This challenge presents an incredible opportunity for data centers to lead the way on cooling technologies, building automation, grid interoperability, demand response, low-carbon concrete, and more. At this event, we will bring together designers, operators, policy, innovation, and energy providers to discuss the opportunity for this industry to lead the way to a more sustainable future in California and beyond.
 
WHO: The conversation will be framed by Sarah Golden, VP and Climate Tech & Executive Director, VERGE, Trellis Group (formerly GreenBiz), and moderated by Ben Stapleton, Executive Director of USGBC-CA.
Roundtable includes: Newsha Ajami, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; Noah Goldstein, Google; Tasha Harvy, Arup; Bill Hassel, Turner Construction; Priscilla Johnson, Priska Consulting; Ken Morikawa, Edged Energy; and Katie Stanford, Stok. (More detail here.)
 
WHEN: Thursday, October 17, 2024
 
TIME:  4:00 - 6:00pm
 
WHERE:
 Offices of Arup, 560 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94105  (Virtual attendance is available.)
 
DIRECTIONS & PARKING: 

• Parking: underground parking lot at address; nearby lots available
• Public transportation: Bart (Montgomery station)