Marubeni and LO3 Energy Partner to Bring Transactive Energy to Japan

February 20, 2019

For Immediate Release

Marubeni

LO3

Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter “Marubeni”), and LO3 Energy Inc (hereinafter “LO3 Energy”), an energy-tech company revolutionizing the future of energy through disruptive technologies, have commenced a pilot project (hereinafter the “Project”) in Japan.

LO3 Energy will administer the energy marketplace using blockchain to connect a number of Marubeni’s power production facilities, including renewables, with offices and factories around Japan in a virtual marketplace in order to test ‘simulated’ energy transactions intending to create a full-scale commercially operational network in the future.

LO3 Energy’s transactive energy platform was pioneered in the creation of the Brooklyn Microgrid. It utilizes standard electricity meters combined with blockchain-enabled TAGe computer devices to measure useful energy data and power quality information and communicate with other devices on the network to activate energy transactions. The actual electrons flow through the normal grid transmission network, but the private, permissioned blockchain manages the transactional element – the definition of the energy source and the contract agreement to pay for it. Users set preferences via a dedicated mobile app, giving consumers the opportunity to choose preferred energy sources and how much they are willing to pay for renewable energy.

LO3 Energy CEO Lawrence Orsini said, “This is a significant moment for LO3 Energy as it further expands our global net, giving us presence in Asia alongside our other projects in Australasia, Europe and the USA.

“The Japanese energy sector is in the midst of a drastic transition, and there are increasing numbers of private power producers and suppliers interested in developing new customer offerings particularly in the renewable energy space.

“Initially this project is internally focused, but it is very much driven by the desire from Marubeni to explore the opportunities that blockchain management systems can offer in the transaction of energy throughout Japan.”

Chief Operating Officer of the Marubeni Power Business Div. Yoshiaki Yokota said, “The way we produce and consume energy in Japan is changing radically, and we want to be at the forefront of that change, which is why we are partnering with LO3 Energy for this project.

“Their successful use of blockchain in the Brooklyn Microgrid and other projects around the world has shown us the potential for providing consumers with more energy choices and, crucially, improving efficiencies in energy usage.

“This project will allow us to privately evaluate how this kind of network could work here in Japan and develop case examples that we can use to decide how and when this kind of project could be implemented widely.”

About Marubeni:

Marubeni, a Japanese general trading company, has 130 representative offices in 66 countries. With more than 150 years of activity, (founded in 1858) the company operates in 6 key sectors: food, consumer products, chemical and forest products, energy and metals, power business and plant and transportation, and industrial machinery. In the power business, Marubeni has been a leading IPP (Independent Power Producer) business player in power generation asset scale, with a net overseas generation capacity of 11,765 MW (as of March 31, 2018). More information can be found at: https://www.marubeni.com/en/

About LO3 Energy:

LO3 Energy, a Brooklyn, NY based company, is building a blockchain-based platform to enable decentralized business models and innovative technologies related to energy, cleantech and utility systems. The LO3 team has deep expertise in design, architecture, development, prototyping, and testing of cutting-edge distributed energy, computing and peer-to-peer distributed consensus networks. The company builds blockchain-based tools and projects to support and accelerate the proliferation of distributed energy, utilities and computation sharing economy of the future. For more information about blockchain for energy, visit www.LO3energy.com.

Contact Information for the Project

Marubeni Corporation

Power Business & Plant Group, Power Business Division, Domestic Power Business Dept.

Address: Tokyo Nihombashi Tower, 7-1, Nihonbashi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-6060 Japan

Tel: +81-3-3282-7180 (direct)

Media Organizations Contact Information

Marubeni Corporation

Corporate Communications Dept., Media Relations Sec.

Address: Tokyo Nihombashi Tower, 7-1, Nihonbashi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-6060 Japan

Tel: +81-3-3282-7732 (direct)

LO3 Energy Inc.

Tel: +1 (703) 881-2540

Email: epetry@lo3energy.com

About Braemar Energy Ventures

Founded in 2003, Braemar Energy Ventures is a leading venture capital firm focused on investing in transformative energy-tech and related companies contributing to global sustainability and combating climate change. Using sector expertise and experience, Braemar aims to be an engaged partner with its portfolio companies to best help them navigate the path to creating significant global impact. For more information, visit braemarenergy.com.