Photo courtesy of Moxion Power.
The 2024 Mill Valley Music Festival is set to become the first-ever U.S. festival to operate entirely on mobile zero-emission batteries, thanks to a groundbreaking partnership with Moxion Power, a Bay Area-based leader in mobile battery energy storage system technology. Moxion’s headquarters is an MCE Deep Green Champion and purchases 100% renewable and carbon-free energy to power its operations and products.
Organized by the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce and Noise Pop Industries, this two-day outdoor arts and culture extravaganza located just north of San Francisco will ditch all traditional diesel generators as the music festival returns May 11-12.
Instead, Moxion’s innovative MP-75/600 mobile BESS – recognized as a TIME Best Invention of 2023 – is virtually silent and will power everything from sound stages and VIP lounges to food trucks and vendor areas. By using Moxion’s batteries instead of diesel generators this year, MVMF will avoid approximately 4.5 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
“This crucial leap forward for the Mill Valley Music Festival comes at a critical moment in our community, as City of Mill Valley leaders, the Mill Valley Chamber, local businesses and a multitude of organizations take an all-hands-on-deck approach to reduce the burdens of climate change,” says Mill Valley City Manager Todd Cusimano. “Our City has identified reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a major reduction strategy, along with renewable energy, energy efficiency, EV infrastructure, green building and waste reduction.”
This isn’t Moxion’s first act at MVMF. Last year, they successfully powered a portion of the festival. Now, they’re expanding their footprint, proving that sustainability and innovation can transform the environmental impact of live events. Throughout the weekend, Moxion will monitor power usage through the Moxion app to seamlessly swap out any of the mobile batteries with fully-charged replacements, without interrupting the power supply.
“We’re thrilled to be the exclusive energy source for MVMF this year,” says Paul Heulskamp, CEO and Co-founder of Moxion. “Moxion was born right here in Mill Valley, so it’s incredible to see the festival become a sustainability leader. We hope this inspires more eco-friendly practices across the board.”
“And to think that this journey towards an emissions-free festival started when Paul and I grabbed a coffee at the Depot Cafe a few years back,” says Jim Welte, executive director of the Mill Valley Chamber, noting that it came in the aftermath of learning all too well that fire season is no longer, well, a season – it’s an ongoing state of affairs. The Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) amidst a high fire threat have provided a new dynamic to navigate, and PG&E has sought to provide more resources to help communities before, during & after shutoffs. Vital local businesses have invested in generators to provide a safety net in times of need.
“We’re so excited to have Moxion partner with us in making this significant stride toward a more eco-conscious future for Mill Valley Music Festival. Sustainability has been ingrained in Noise Pop’s ethos for many years and this collaboration is a tangible step towards a greener live event landscape not just for this festival, but for other events around the globe,” said Noise Pop’s CEO Michelle Swing.
“As a San Francisco-based entity, we understand the importance of sustainability, and we’re grateful to be among the first to offer this to our festival goers and artists,” said Festival Producer Stacy Horne.
Moxion’s proven track record of helping partners power events like BottleRock and the TOUR PGA Championship speaks volumes. As the music industry embraces a greener future, Moxion’s technology sets a new standard for sustainable live events, ensuring exceptional experiences for attendees while minimizing environmental impact.
Fantastic mill valley! I have a suggestion. Make it even safer for kids to walk and ride bikes/ scooters to school and you will be a long way toward your cutting greenhouse gases goal. It’s much cheaper to improve/ expand non car transport infrastructure than to do many of the things Todd cusimano suggests. Take a look at cars on the road at 815-830am in MV many of infrastructure are a parent and a kid doing a round trip to school. Those are parents who are not willing to risk sending their kids out on to many of the paint only bike lanes that don’t provide adequate safety for their kids. Make it safe enough that every parent is willing to let their child ride/walk to school. Parents if your kids are too young walk or ride with them, you were already driving them. When I used to ride with my 10 year old to school I would be back home much faster than I had driven. PS if you live way up in the hills of MV I understand if this advice can’t apply to you.