8/9/2019 Ambassador - Profile Bob Redlinger '81

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the ambassador WINTER 2008-0914 WINTER 2008-09 the ambassador

eaturesECO PROFILE:

BOB REDLINGER

eaturesECO PROFILE:

BOB REDLINGER

Im Bob Redlinger. I was born in Tokyo

and spent my entire school years at

ASIJ, graduating in 1981. I attended

college in the San Francisco Bay Area and

have lived in San Francisco ever since,

except or a three year period when I

lived in Copenhagen, Denmark. My wie

Michelle and I have two kids: Maya (10),

and Emil (6). Im currently employed as

Director o Renewable and Distributed

Energy at Chevron Energy Solutions in

San Francisco. I lead Chevrons business

that develops and constructs large utility-

scale solar energy and wind energy

projects. Chevron Energy Solutions is

the green division o Chevron, and

our entire business is ocused on energy

efciency, renewable energy and clean

small-scale power.

How did you get started in this

business?

Ive spent my entire career in the energyand environment space. I started out

working as an environmental engineer,

designing treatment systems and

processes or water, wastewater, and

hazardous waste. I didnt enjoy that at

all, so I then became an economist and

worked in energy economics and policy

consulting or several years, both in the

States and internationally. I then moved

to Denmark and worked on energy

and environmental policy in developing

countries or the UN Environment

Program. I loved that lie, but I couldnt

accomplish anything; and the utility o

that eort convinced me to ocus on

building real projects that I could see and

eel. So I moved back to San Francisco

and got into clean power project

development, which Ive been doing or

the past nine years.

What inuenced you to choose this

feld?

Ive been keenly interested in the

Bob Redlinger 81 shares

his work on sustainable

energy

Let the Sun Shineenvironment ever since I was a kid, and it always bothered me

to see people wasting resources. The environmental aspects o

energy were always o particular interest to me. When I frst went

to college, I had two primary academic interests: the environment,

and psychology. My frst quarter in college, I took an introductory

environmental science class, which I absolutely loved, and an

introductory psychology class, which was poorly taught, and I

slept through every single lecture. So that was kind o a decisive

ork in the road, and Ive been doing the environment thing ever

since. And I married a psychologist instead.

What is the biggest challenge or you in working in this

area?

Looking at the industry as a whole, its a lot like the early days

o the internet right now, where its easy to raise money and

easy to fnd jobs, but its very difcult to actually make money

as a business. Its very competitive and has a real wild west

eel to it, and many companies will have a hard time surviving

until things become proftable. Combined with a completely

dysunctional energy policy environment in Washington, DC,

youve got a pretty tough business climate despite all the

enthusiasm by policymakers and the general public alike.

The other big challenge or me is in trying to create arenewable energy business within a very large oil company.

Chevron is a good company thats interested in doing the right

thing as a corporate citizen. But its also an extremely large and

risk-averse organization that has a hard time devoting attention

and resources to anything other than oil and gas. So in many

ways, selling my ideas internally within the corporation is much

harder than selling them externally. Its that proverbial case o

trying to change the course o a supertanker.

Where do you see this business/area heading in the next 5

10 years?

Renewable energy has seen many alse dawns in the past, so

those whove been doing this or a while are always on the

lookout or the next bust. But the boom really eels dierent

this time around and eels like renewable energy is fnally here

to stay. I think the combination o problems relating to energy

security, high energy prices, Middle East wars, and climate

change are fnally getting people to realize that something has

to change in the way we produce and use energy. So I believe

there will be phenomenal growth in wind and solar energy over

the coming years. Change in the energy industry is always slow

because the sums o money involved are so immense, but I

think the energy system in the next 10 to 20 years will start to

look quite dierent rom today.

How has the feld changed since you began working?

When I frst started working, it was very hard to fnd any jo

at all relating to the environment, especially ones that paid

decent wage. These days it seems like every job out there h

some kind o green angle to it. So I think there has be

a remarkable shit in societal attitudes. But translating th

into actually changing peoples behavior is a slow and pain

process. I ear what might happen to peoples attitudes, in t

US at least, i gasoline becomes cheap and plentiul again as

was only a ew years ago.

Can you mention any teachers or courses at ASIJ th

inuenced you?

In 8th grade science with Mr. Frens, which was during one

the oil shocks o the 70s, we did a unit on energy that ma

a lasting impression on me. I also really loved Mr. Taylo

psychology class during my senior year, and hence my inter

in psychology when I went to college. I should mention M

Boyds uturistic literature and ethics classes as well, ju

because I liked them so much, whether or not they aect

my career choices (plus he sold me my frst guitar, which I s

have and play).

What inspires you?

I think Im primarily inspired by everyday acts o sim

kindness, the kind o stu thats not newsworthy but mak

lie just a little bit better. But Ive also always had a sot sp

or iconoclasts and misfts who shake up peoples thinking a

challenge conventional orthodoxies. I suppose that kind

explains my continuing battle to drag Big Oil into the renewa

energy age and change the worlds energy landscape.

How green are you at home?

Fairly green. I cut my electricity bill by well over 50%

making things energy efcient. And my wie and I share o

small car, which I rarely drive since I take public transit to wo

I do have a 69 Honda motorcycle that belches a lot o um

so thats my one environmental sin, but its a classic and I do

ride it much. Im also pretty into cycling, so I ride my bike a

bit. We tend to buy organic ood when we can, but were n

dogmatic about it. We also recycle and compost, but thats

easy in San Francisco because the programs or them are w

set up and convenient.

One piece o advice or current students:

Listen to lots o old Led Zeppelin and Neil Young, and pract

those Jimmy Page guitar licks.