Ask Our Experts 3/2/20: Indoor Agriculture Energy Solutions Conference
Q: We saw on social media that New Frontier Data participated at the Indoor Agriculture Energy Solutions (IAES) Conference in San Diego; what were some takeaways?
By New Frontier Data
A: Predictably, the attendees at IAES were very knowledgeable about all forms of indoor cultivation, whether for flowers, greens, herbs, produce, or cannabis.
Among the keynote speakers was Kay Doyle from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. The Bay State has been driving a lot of energy and sustainability policies via some of the strictest regulations in the nation for their adult-use market. For example, Massachusetts’ Cannabis Energy Guidance stipulates that cannabis businesses must comply with standards for energy efficiency, electricity demand reduction, renewables, and engagement with state energy efficiency programs.
Many among the attendees in San Diego shared their experiences and best practices for energy deployment and environmental solutions, and shared lessons learned along with some outlooks for indoor production in the U.S.
New Frontier Data’s Senior Economist Beau Whitney shared his insights about cultivation output by sectors (e.g., indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse); the influences that innovation can have on the market; how smaller, craft producers can compete with larger outdoor growers; and some examples of initiatives underway internationally.
While there are benefits to be had for cannabis professionals to act locally through their businesses, Whitney reminded that it is important to think globally and be aware of influences which other markets will have on the U.S. industry as things progress.
It was also announced that New Frontier Data is collaborating with both the Resource Innovation Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, on an upcoming report due this fall about water consumption in cannabis cultivation, a keenly resonant issue in California.
