Broadband can be a key player in driving the United States towards a new “Green Economy.” That was the message delivered by four organizations on Capitol Hill this week. The Progressive States Network, in collaboration with the Blue Green Alliance, the Sierra Club and Communications Workers of America, unveiled a new report titled, “Networking the Green Economy: How Broadband and Related Technologies Can Build a Green Economic Future.”

Nathan Newman, Executive Director of the Progressive States Network, said that broadband can reduce energy in various ways, including smart meters in homes and businesses, telehealth, teleconference and telecommuting, and e-commerce. Newman also stressed the immense cost savings that broadband would bring in these same sectors. See NGW’s interview with Newman below.

Annie Hill, Executive Vice President for the Communications Workers of America, carried a jobs message and said that increased broadband deployment brings with it immense opportunity for gainful employment. “Investment in the green economy is the job creator of the 21st century, and broadband is part of that investment,” Hill said.

Allison Chin, President of the Sierra Club, discussed broadband and smart meters. Chin stressed the importance of ubiquitous broadband so that all consumers can track their energy usage, and in turn be more energy efficient. Check out NGW’s interview with the Sierra Club President below.

As the event drew to a close, Congressman Ed Markey, Chairman of the US House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, congratulated the organizations for their work on the report. He stressed the importance of the transition to a new green economy, and the fundamental role broadband will play in that transition.

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What role does broadband have to play in the future of smart grids and energy conservation? A lot, according to some very interesting presentations recently at Verizon’s Washington, D.C. headquarters.

The event, titled “Thinking ‘Outside’ the Smart-Meter Box,” was organized by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and hosted by Verizon. Kathy Brown, Verizon’s SVP for Public Policy Development and Corporate Responsibility, kicked off the event by noting that, “information technology will lead us to be a more energy efficient people.”

Karen Ehrhardt of ACEEE began the discussion by reviewing new research on consumer behavior regarding energy consumption. She presented products that will help consumers decrease their energy use, including broadband-enabled smart meters. Kat Donnelly of MIT followed by highlighting consumer feedback technologies as well as presenting on some of the social barriers to adoption of new energy tracking tools. She said the primary barrier is the fact that energy is now an invisible resource – people are disconnected from their actual consumption.

Finally, Benson Hougland of Opto 22 gave a live demonstration of technologies he installed in his home to track energy consumption. Hougland was able to control appliances in his home in California remotely from the event in DC, measure energy usage in real-time, and calculate cost savings due to energy conservation. All of these technologies were made possible by connecting his electricity meter to his broadband modem. Though Hougland wrote special software to allow for the seamless integration of all his appliances, his presentation exemplified the power of broadband and provided a window into a future where the consumer has more control over their energy consumption. A future that, thanks to innovative broadband networks, is just around the corner.

Click below to watch archived footage from the event, as well as an interview with Benson Hougland.

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On Wednesday, November 4 National Journal Group’s hosted a policy breakfast titled “Countdown to Copenhagen” featuring a conversation on climate change policy with Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

Click below to watch archived footage of the event.

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Third Way, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and sector leaders got together recently at Google’s offices in Washington for a policy discussion focused on a congressional agenda that would address critical clean energy issues in the upcoming year. Clean energy is a key factor in issues facing Congress ranging from economic stimulus and revitalization to national security and American global leadership.

Stay tuned for archived footage of the entire discussion and learn what business, labor, environmental and policy leaders are expecting out of the next Congress when it comes to an innovative, clean energy economy.

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NextGen Web recently attended the State of the Net Pre-Conference “The Future of Broadband: Moving from Why to How”, co-hosted by App-Rising and Educause, on January 29, th. FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps kicked off the pre-conference by voicing his support for a new Educause white paper, which was later explained in depth by Steve Worona (Policy Director, Educause). Click here to read Geoff Daily’s Full Event Recap. Following a panel and series of discussions, NextGen Web conducted V-Cast interviews with several pre-conference participants, including John Hughes (CEO, GOSN), Tom Spengler (CEO, Granicus), and Gary Bachula (VP for External Relations, Internet2).

Click Below to watch the Interviews

NextGen Web also attended the panel discussion “Measuring Broadband: What Metrics really Matter?” During the panel, discussion ranged from the need for a national broadband strategy, to a questioning of the accuracy of broadband statistics, to the importance of focusing on the demand side of the broadband equation. The panel consisted of FCC Commissioner Jonathon Adelstein, George Ford of the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Policy, John Horrigan from the PEW Internet and American Life Project, and Link Hoewing of Verizon Communications.

Click Below to Watch Highlights from the Panel Discussion

Following the panel discussion, NextGen Web caught up with Tom Tauke, Executive Vice President for Public Affairs, Policy and Communications at Verizon Communications. Mr. Tauke discussed the role that broadband plays in addressing major public policy issues in areas such as the environment, energy, and learning. He also focused on how broadband is being used to improve productivity and efficiency in healthcare through such applications as telemedicine and remote monitoring.

Click Below to Watch NextGenWeb’s Interveiw with Tom Tauke

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Recently NextGenWeb attended the release of “Broadband Services: Economic and Environmental Benefits,” a study co-authored by Steve Pociask Professor, President of the American Consumer Institute, and Professor Joseph Fuhr Jr. which identifies ways broadband can reduce or avoid energy use. The roundtable discussion focused on the environmental benefits that can result from the use of information and communications technology. Panelists also examined a report by the Consumer Electronics Association, “The Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impact of Telecommuting and e-Commerce,” which found that using electronics to telecommute might save the equivalent of 9 to 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. In addition, the panelists suggested things like telecommuting and e-commerce can result in significant reductions in the use of electricity and the production of greenhouse gases.

Watch highlights from the discussion after the jump.

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