Page 249 - BWA FEB 2013

February 2013 | Business World Magazine | 249
LITY
The Sustainable Energy and Economic De-
velopment Coalition (SEED) is a non-profit
alliance of individuals, businesses and orga-
nizations advocating for energy efficiency,
renewable solar, wind and geothermal power
in Texas. They educate the public about the
benefit of sustainable energy solutions which
provide environmentally-desired alterna-
tives that mitigate impacts otherwise arising
in production of nuclear or coal-based gen-
eration.
Since its establishment in 1989, SEED
has grown to be comprised of 2,500 mem-
bers, most of whom reside in Texas. Their
membership consists primarily of individu-
als concerned about energy efficiency and
sustainability and businesses whose opera-
tions are eco-friendly.
The main service SEED offers their
members is education, which has included
briefing utility board candidates on what
their energy options are. “That’s something
that has helped businesses embrace environ-
mental initiatives,” says Karen Hadden, Ex-
ecutive Director. “We’ve seen some signifi-
cant changes as people have become more
educated.”
Another way SEEDeducates members
is by shining a spotlight on members and
their practices which offer genuine examples
of successful green technology applications.
For example, SEED recently hosted a media
day at one particular member’s property in
San Antonio. This provided an opportunity
for the member to garner recognition and
share insight into the different techniques