Resource Innovation Institute Forms Water Working Group
Will establish a standardized methodology for assessing water practices via RII’s Cannabis PowerScore benchmarking tool
PORTLAND, Ore. (April 1, 2020) – Resource Innovation Institute, an industry leader in promoting energy efficiency for cannabis growers, has announced the formation of its Water Working Group. The group, made up of experts in multiple fields and disciplines, is an important part of RII’s push for more sustainable water management in the fast-growing cannabis agricultural sector.
The Water Working Group will advise RII on a range of issues, including upgrades to its Cannabis PowerScore benchmarking tool to enable governments and other stakeholders a more accurate understanding of cannabis water use, and how geographies and cultivation methods impact usage rates. The group will also counsel RII on its farm outreach strategies to gather best practices.
“Resource Innovation Institute facilitates our multi-disciplinary Technical Advisory Council to provide peer-reviewed objective guidance on how to cultivate cannabis in a resource efficient manner across a variety of grow environments, from indoor to outdoor to greenhouse,” said Derek Smith, Executive Director, RII. “The Water Working Group will be a key contributing body as we expand our breadth of expertise on water issues.”
New candidates will join these previously identified members of the Water Working Group:
- Hollie Hall, founding board member, International Cannabis Farmers Association (Arcata, Calif.)
- Chris Dillis, environmental scientist and postdoctoral researcher, University of California, Berkeley
- Barb Anderson, Water Resources Program management analyst, Washington State’s Department of Ecology
RII is accepting applications for the Water Working Group and is seeking experts with cannabis-related experience from the following backgrounds:
- Environmental NGO
- Municipal water utility
- Water filtration/treatment systems
- Indoor cultivation
- Greenhouse cultivation
- Outdoor cultivation
- Automated fertigation
- Dehumidification
- Drip irrigation manufacturer
- Soil/media
Interested individuals can access the application at https://resourceinnovation.org/tac/. The group will hold its first meeting in May 2020.
For more information or to schedule an interview with Resource Innovation Institute, contact Shawna Seldon McGregor at shawna@themaverickpr.com or 917-971-7852.
Resource Innovation Institute: Advancing Resource Efficiency to Create a Better Agricultural Future
Resource Innovation Institute (RII) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance resource efficiency to create a better agricultural future. Founded in 2016 in Portland, OR, USA, RII’s Board of Directors includes the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a former Energy Policy Advisor to two Oregon governors, a former board member of the US Green Building Council and leading cannabis industry players. The organization has unique expertise on intelligence, policy and education related to energy use in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Its Cannabis PowerScore benchmarking tool is backed by the world’s largest dataset on CEA energy use. RII’s Technical Advisory Council is the leading multi-disciplinary body assessing the environmental impacts and best practices associated with cultivation resource issues. In 2018, RII advised the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the establishment of the world’s first cannabis energy regulations, and it is now advising Illinois, California and other governments on CEA-related energy policies. RII’s Efficient Yields cultivation workshops are the only grower-led, non-commercial venues for the exchange of resource efficient cultivation best practices. RII is funded by utilities, foundations, governments and leading members of the supply chain serving CEA, from LED manufacturers to HVAC engineers. Visit our website at ResourceInnovation.org. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
