Renewable Energy in the Ukrainian Crisis

Paul Shmotolokha’s background is deep and complex. As a teenager he participated in Rotary Interact programs in high school. He was a Rotary Ambassador Scholar in 1991 and studied at the Universidad de Chile Institute for International Studies in Santiago, Chile. He was the only USA student among the 22 foreign nationals and Chilean students. I can testify to how this experience would be likely to widen an individual’s perspective on global politics, geography, and culture. My wife studied at the University of Concepcion in Chile.

 

Another valuable experience in Paul’s life was the time he served as an officer in the US Army. There he was first introduced to tactical solar and gas generators that have restrictions not common to civilian applications. He acquired insight into tactical field power needs. Most of the Ukraine fall into zone requiring tactical power needs. These specific needs mandate no glass, no reflection, and no temperature signatures. The Russians are skilled in using these signatures for target profiles and alignment.

 

Back home in the USA Paul serves as the CEO of New Use Energy, a high-tech company that produces state-of-the-art mobile solar + battery generator systems. The corporate headquarters is in Phoenix, AZ, but there are field offices in nearby Anacortes. Paul has a background of service with Alpha Tech in Bellingham where he oversaw a division that produced power systems for broadband and telecommunications systems.  

 

His dedication to the needs of Ukraine appear to go beyond making a living. I suspect Paul is right man on the scene. He seems to fall back on the cultural lessons learned as a scholar in Chile, most importantly, learning to view a situation from a non-USA perspective.

 

As Shmotolokha explained to us, war torn eastern Ukraine is desperate for industrial quality power sources.” Currently 60% of the prewar power generating sources in Ukraine have been destroyed.” Paul shared poignant photos taken of Ukrainian hospital ICUs that had been hit by bombs and cruise missiles. He wants to share these photos and tell their stories. Some of Paul’s work in Ukraine involves the Rotary ‘Power Up’ assist program that seeks to hold infrastructure together. At times critical power needs are as little as 1 km from Russian lines.