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GENI History
A Credible Foundation
INTRODUCTION
Global Energy Network Institute was founded
in 1986 by Peter Meisen to investigate the idea of
Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller, proposing a global electric
energy grid as the number one priority to solve many
of the world’s most pressing problems. In 1991, GENI
was incorporated in San Diego, California, as a 501(c)(3)
non-profit corporation to conduct research and education
related to a compelling and technologically feasible
global energy strategy that addresses fundamental
issues of quality of life, energy efficiency and sustainable
development. That strategy is to interconnect electrical
power grids between countries and continents, thereby
creating an interconnected global energy grid, with
an emphasis on linking local and remote renewable
energy resources (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal,
tidal and biomass). The focus is on electricity and
its sources because of their relationship to all the
major measures of a sustainable society and environment.
GENI affiliates. Global Energy Network International
Foundation LTD was formed in Australia in 1989. Other
affiliate locations have included
Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore
and USA.
GENI's mission is to conduct research
and to educate world leaders and the public about
the critical viability of the interconnection of electric
power networks between nations and continents, with
an emphasis on tapping abundant renewable energy resources,
what we call 'the GENI Initiative.' Our research shows
that linking renewables between all nations will mollify
conflicts, grow economies and increase the quality
of life and health for all. This is a strategy rooted
in the highest priority of the World Game simulation
developed by Dr. Buckminster Fuller three decade ago.
In considering the decision-making processes of the
global electricity industry, four areas of activity
were identified to accomplish GENI’s mission:
ESTABLISHING
CREDIBILITY
In the initial phase, GENI established
the technical feasibility and validity of this Global
Grid Initiative. In 1991, in cooperation with the
Manitoba HVDC
Research Centre, GENI hosted the International
Workshop On The Limits of Long Distance High-Voltage
Power Transmission And The Corresponding Economic,
Environmental and Socio-Political Implications.
This conference took place in Winnipeg, Canada, for
36 multi-disciplined experts from around the world.
They concurred on the potential benefits of expanding
power networks between nations and continents.
Six months later, in January of 1992, Russians and
Americans meet in Anchorage, Alaska to discuss The
Potential Of An Electrical Interconnection Between
Russia And North America. Hosted by GENI and
the Alaska Energy Authority, power engineers from
both countries began to study an underwater linkage
between the two continents, making available the enormous
renewable resource potential of the northern latitude
regions.
Also that same January, the Institute of Electrical
and Electronic Engineers, Power Engineering Society
(IEEE/PES)
hosted a panel session in New York on
Remote Renewable Energy Sources
made Possible by High Voltage Interconnections.
Panelists stated that massive untapped renewable
energy exists and is available with current technology.
Convinced of the validity of this initiative, a long
and productive affiliation with the IEEE/PES began,
defining a new phase for GENI of creating awareness
and technological corroboration around what is now
referred to as
The GENI Initiative
With GENI’s collaboration in organizing topics and
speakers, numerous panels between 1992 and 1998 focused
regionally on the long distance interconnection of
electrical grids linking remote renewable resources.
Following is a list of articles resulting from those
panels and published in the IEEE/PES Power Engineering
Review over a period of several years. Over 23,000
engineers involved in research, manufacturing and
utility planning receive this publication.
GENI has focused on researching the development of
transmission and distribution networks as a viable
option to meet our global energy requirements. These
panel sessions and subsequent articles provided a
body of technical evidence for the feasibility, efficacy
and desirability of The GENI Initiative.
Clear evidence indicates that large scale, remote
renewable energy resources could be made available
via high-voltage transmission. GENI continues to work
with the electricity industry to explore the implications
of interconnections around the world.
In early 1993, evidence began to surface that GENI’s
message was being recognized.
By mid 1995, interconnecting electrical grids was
no longer a strategy needing proof, but was now a
phenomenon to be reported. The New Scientist,
a major scientific publication of the commonwealth
countries, featured Global Power,
The Electric Hypergrid with a focus on GENI
as the organization driving the idea. Picking up on
the article just days after its release, the BBC
interviewed GENI's founder, Peter Meisen and the
article's author, Fred Pearce.
EDUCATING THE PUBLIC
AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVES
The second area of activity for GENI has focused
on educating the general public regarding The GENI
Initiative and on building collaborative relationships
with individuals and organizations. The following
were the main projects to accomplish these objectives:
What If... A New Global Option,
a 15-minute video. Introduced by John Denver, the
video has been viewed on all continents. November,
1989.
- A second 15-minute video,
A
WIN-WIN Solution, featuring interviews with
a dozen specialists from the Winnipeg workshop.
Strong corroboration for the initiative was expressed
by engineers, environmentalists and diplomats. September,
1991.
Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro. GENI's exhibit was seen by thousands
from around the world. Relationships were established
with energy and environmental research organizations,
as well as NGOs from every continent. Dozens of
press interviews were held with GENI, including
ones with The Wall Street Journal, Nippon Kenzai
Shinbum (Japan's business newspaper), Public
Broadcasting, the World Monitor and the BBC.
June, 1992.
- Meetings took place in Washington, DC to establish
relationships with the US Department of Energy,
National Wildlife Federation, World Resources Institute,
The World Bank, Business Executives for National
Security, Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs.
- GENI sponsored and organized the Buckminster
Fuller Symposium and Centennial Celebration for
600 participants. Activities included a multi-media
Opening Ceremony, several World Games™, Symposia
by 15 colleagues and students of Bucky, a Film Festival,
display of the only remaining Dymaxion Car, and
a Bucky for Kids Festival. July 1995.
- GENI hosted the World Game™of Buckminster
Fuller in San Diego and Santa Barbara. April, 1996.
World Game™ events were featured stories in
The Los Angeles Times and
Science
Friday of National Public Radio.
REACHING THE
POLICY MAKERS
A third key area in accomplishing The GENI
Initiative has been educating our policy makers. Primarily
this took the form of sending our annual newsletter
to every president, prime minister, energy minister,
environment minister, and U.N.
Ambassador in the world.
In addition, when issues like the conflict between
North and South Korea and peace talks between Israel
and Syria arose, GENI was proactive in writing to
the key decision makers to present the interconnection
of their electrical grids as not only a possibility
resulting from their accord, but also as a mechanism
for driving the peace process. A win-win business
opportunity engenders cooperation.
GENI exhibited at numerous energy conferences attended
by energy policy makers:
- US Dept of Energy National Renewable Energy
Lab Conference entitled
Partners
in Commercialization Denver, CO
- 1st International Conference of Computer Simulation
Societies (includes presentation). Zurich, Switzerland
- International Conference on Large High-Voltage
Electric Systems (CIGRE) Paris, France
- United Nations Conference on Population and
Development. Cairo, Egypt
- International Exposition in Beijing, China
entitled
Electric Power China
94.
- Rotary International Conventions since 1998.
Also presentations were made to numerous organizations:
- International Solar Energy Society. Budapest
- Transmission & Distribution International
Exposition. Amsterdam
- CEPSI 94 Conference of the Electricity Power
Supply Industry in East Asia and the Western Pacific.
Christchurch, NZ
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories. Richland,
Washington
- The Northern Forum, governors representing
provinces of 21 northern latitude states, September,
1995, Japan. Walter Hickel, a staunch proponent
of the GENI Initiative, is the Sec. Gen. of The
Northern Forum.
- World Renewable Energy Conference, hosted
by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable
Energy Lab, plenary presentation. June, 1996, Denver.
- First World Sustainable Energy Trade Fair,
May, 1997, Amsterdam
- IEEE/Power Engineering Society, 1998, Florida
- At the invitation of Mikhail Gorbachev, Peter
Meisen attended the State of the World Forum
in San Francisco with 400 others from around the
world. Hundreds of world business, spiritual and
political leaders, including President Gorbachev,
were introduced to The GENI Initiative. Many expressed
genuine interest in the strategy. 1995-1999.
- GENI exhibited at the 1995 World Energy Conference
in Japan with 3000 of the world's core energy industry
and ministry leaders, World Bank and United Nations
energy specialists. The World Bank representative
for Asia expressed a need for a comprehensive planning
tool for the entire Asian region. Also: Houston,
1998; Buenos Aires, 2001.
In the initial ten years of its existence, GENI has
accomplished its first level of objectives: technological
credibility of its Initiative, public awareness and
relationship with other organizations, and education
of world leaders regarding this Initiative. GENI has
now entered a new phase in which we will play an even
more proactive role in causing its purpose to be realized.
COMPREHENSIVE ANTICIPATORY DESIGN
SCIENCE
What is Comprehensive Anticipatory Design
Science and why is it relevant and critical in
the today’s world?
From a global perspective, we are faced with daunting
challenges as documented by World Resources, 1996-1997:
the accelerating confluence of population expansion,
increased demand for energy, food, clean drinking water,
adequate housing, the destructive environmental effects
of pollution from fossil fuels and nuclear waste, plus
the growing divergence between the haves and have-nots
and the potential for ensuing conflicts.
Only recently have national elected officials realized
what global corporations already know: the issues
of today and the future transcend political boundaries
and nationalistic thinking and are globally interrelated,
affecting each other in multiple ways.
When viewed as a whole, solutions arise that address
multiple, interrelated issues in ways that otherwise
would not be apparent if addressing each issue in
isolation. Some strategies must be global, and any
investigation into global solutions must, therefore,
be comprehensive. Population growth,
energy demand and pollution are predictable as trends.
Planning must anticipate these trends
if we are to find solutions that can stay ahead of
them. We then ask the engineers and architects to
design systems that will enable us to
provide a desired quality of life. Appropriate design
must include consequences for natural resource use,
cost efficiency and human factors.
The science includes the proper scientific
method and asking the right questions from the beginning.
GENI’s question is how do we provide
a decent living standard for everyone on the planet
without damaging the environment for the long term?
Good design must also include awareness of universal
scientific principles. Ideally, artifacts and tools
can then be created so that old problems disappear,
since the new design makes them obsolete.
The computer replacing the typewriter is a good example.
Comprehensive anticipatory design science acknowledges
interrelatedness, trends and principles and then builds
to meet today’s needs without compromising the needs
and environment for future generations. This is exactly
what The GENI Initiative does.
Given current world conditions and evidence that
supports the scientific soundness of The GENI Initiative,
three projects have been designed which will forward
its realization.
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