features
ECO PROFILE:
BOB REDLINGER
Let the Sun Shine
I
’m Bob Redlinger. I was born in Tokyo
Bob Redlinger ’81 shares and spent my entire school years at
ASIJ, graduating in 1981. I attended
his work on sustainable college in the San Francisco Bay Area and
have lived in San Francisco ever since,
energy except for a three year period when I
lived in Copenhagen, Denmark. My wife
Michelle and I have two kids: Maya (10),
and Emil (6). I’m currently employed as
Director of Renewable and Distributed
Energy at Chevron Energy Solutions in
San Francisco. I lead Chevron’s business
that develops and constructs large utility-
scale solar energy and wind energy
projects. Chevron Energy Solutions is
the “green” division of Chevron, and
our entire business is focused on energy
efficiency, renewable energy and clean
small-scale power.
How did you get started in this
business?
I’ve spent my entire career in the energy
and environment space. I started out
working as an environmental engineer,
designing treatment systems and
processes for water, wastewater, and
hazardous waste. I didn’t enjoy that at
all, so I then became an economist and
worked in energy economics and policy
consulting for several years, both in the
States and internationally. I then moved
to Denmark and worked on energy
and environmental policy in developing
countries for the UN Environment
Program. I loved that life, but I couldn’t
accomplish anything; and the futility of
that effort convinced me to focus on
building real projects that I could see and
feel. So I moved back to San Francisco
and got into clean power project
development, which I’ve been doing for
the past nine years.
What influenced you to choose this
field?
I’ve been keenly interested in the
14 the ambassador WINTER 2008-09
environment ever since I was a kid, and it always bothered me
to see people wasting resources. The environmental aspects of
energy were always of particular interest to me. When I first went
to college, I had two primary academic interests: the environment,
and psychology. My first 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 of a decisive
fork in the road, and I’ve been doing the environment thing ever
since. And I married a psychologist instead.
What is the biggest challenge for you in working in this
area?
Looking at the industry as a whole, it’s a lot like the early days
of the internet right now, where it’s easy to raise money and
easy to find jobs, but it’s very difficult to actually make money
as a business. It’s very competitive and has a real “wild west”
feel to it, and many companies will have a hard time surviving
until things become profitable. Combined with a completely
dysfunctional energy policy environment in Washington, DC,
you’ve got a pretty tough business climate despite all the
enthusiasm by policymakers and the general public alike.
The other big challenge for me is in trying to create a
renewable energy business within a very large oil company.
Chevron is a good company that’s interested in doing the right
thing as a corporate citizen. But it’s 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. It’s that proverbial case of
trying to change the course of a supertanker.
Where do you see this business/area heading in the next 5 –
10 years?
Renewable energy has seen many false dawns in the past, so
those who’ve been doing this for a while are always on the
lookout for the next bust. But the boom really feels different
this time around and feels like renewable energy is finally here
to stay. I think the combination of problems relating to energy
security, high energy prices, Middle East wars, and climate
change are finally 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 of money involved are so immense, but I
think the energy system in the next 10 to 20 years will start to
look quite different from today.
features
ECO PROFILE:
BOB REDLINGER
How has the field changed since you began working?
When I first started working, it was very hard to find any jobs
at all relating to the environment, especially ones that paid a
decent wage. These days it seems like every job out there has
some kind of “green” angle to it. So I think there has been
a remarkable shift in societal attitudes. But translating that
into actually changing people’s behavior is a slow and painful
process. I fear what might happen to people’s attitudes, in the
US at least, if gasoline becomes cheap and plentiful again as it
was only a few years ago.
Can you mention any teachers or courses at ASIJ that
influenced you?
In 8th grade science with Mr. Frens, which was during one of
the oil shocks of the ‘70s, we did a unit on energy that made
a lasting impression on me. I also really loved Mr. Taylor’s
psychology class during my senior year, and hence my interest
in psychology when I went to college. I should mention Mr.
Boyd’s futuristic literature and ethics classes as well, just
because I liked them so much, whether or not they affected
my career choices (plus he sold me my first guitar, which I still
have and play).
What inspires you?
I think I’m primarily inspired by everyday acts of simple
kindness, the kind of stuff that’s not newsworthy but makes
life just a little bit better. But I’ve also always had a soft spot
for iconoclasts and misfits who shake up people’s thinking and
challenge conventional orthodoxies. I suppose that kind of
explains my continuing battle to drag Big Oil into the renewable
energy age and change the world’s energy landscape.
How green are you at home?
Fairly green. I cut my electricity bill by well over 50% by
making things energy efficient. And my wife and I share one
small car, which I rarely drive since I take public transit to work.
I do have a ’69 Honda motorcycle that belches a lot of fumes,
so that’s my one environmental sin, but it’s a classic and I don’t
ride it much. I’m also pretty into cycling, so I ride my bike a fair
bit. We tend to buy organic food when we can, but we’re not
dogmatic about it. We also recycle and compost, but that’s all
easy in San Francisco because the programs for them are well
set up and convenient.
One piece of advice for current students:
Listen to lots of old Led Zeppelin and Neil Young, and practice
those Jimmy Page guitar licks.
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