Agenda

(Additional speakers will be added as they are confirmed)

7.30am – 8.30am       Registration

8.30am – 10.15am     Morning Plenary Session

         Overview of the Emerging New Energy Economy in the Southeast
         Ivan Urlaub, Executive Director, North Carolina Sustainable Energy
         Association

         Preview of the Southern Bioenergy Roadmap (major study to be released
         Spring '09)

         Dr. Liam Leightly, Executive Director, The Institute for Advanced Learning and

         Research & Co-Chair Southeast Agriculture and Forestry Energy Resources

         Alliance

         Energy Efficiency in the Southeast

         Neal Elliot & Maggie Eldridge, American Council for an Energy-Efficient

         Economy

10.15am – 10.30am   Break

10.30am – 12.00pm   Morning Breakout Sessions

Track 1: Workforce Training – National Perspectives & Best Practices

The Southeast could generate a significant number of jobs centered on renewable energy, energy efficiency and high performance building.  This session will discuss public policies that encourage these jobs, the importance of assessing workforce needs, steps to develop workforce training program programs, resources and outcomes from national dialogues, and examples of workforce training programs from across the country.

Moderator:

Paul Quinlan, Director of Economic Research and Development, NC Sustainable Energy Association

 

Presenters:

Katie Bolcar, Solar Technologies Program, US Department of Energy

Jerry Ventre, Ph.D., P.E., Engineering Consultant

Melonee Docherty, Energy Resources Coordinator, Advanced

Technology Environmental and Energy Center

Track 2: Renewable Energy Portfolio and Reliability

The portfolio mix reliability session focuses on how renewable energy contributes to reliability in other regional portfolios.  The objective of the session is to support an informed dialogue about how solar, wind and biomass resources contribute to a reliable portfolio mix.  The presenters will capture a variety of operational aspects of grid reliability and planning.

 
Moderator:
Tamica Shipman, Regional Market Developer, General Electric
 
Presenters:
Elizabeth Doris, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Henry Durrwachter, Director - ERCOT Market Services, Luminant Energy Company
Julia Souder, Director of Inter-Governmental Relations, North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Track 3: Energy Productivity of Southeast Economies

The Southeast maintains the lowest economic energy productivity in the country. As a result, our region must consume significantly more electricity in order to produce $1 million in gross state product relative to other states and regions.  This session will explore the energy characteristics of the Southeast and discuss how they can be turned into economic opportunities.

Presenters:

Aaron Rittenhouse, Mid-Atlantic Region Director, ConEdison Solutions

Nikolaas Dietsch, Policy Analyst, Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership, US Environmental Protection Agency

Ben Taube, Executive Director, Southern Energy Efficiency Alliance

Track 4: Green Buildings and State Building Codes

Southeastern states are facing rapid population growth which will increase our demand for electricity. Incorporating energy efficiency into our built environment will reduce our electric demand and provide significant long-term economic savings. This session will discuss how states and communities may improve efficiency and performance through the built environment.

Moderator:
Chris Mathis, President, MC² Mathis Consulting Company

Presenters:

Karen Butler, Energy Star - Commercial Building Design, US Environmental Protection Agency

Mike Nicklas, President, Innovative Design

Kym Willock, Senior Program Associate, Building Codes Assistance Project

Track 5: Local Perspectives - Reflections on Sustainable Energy Implementation

State-level policies may encourage the adoption of sustainable energy, but in many cases, local communities must ensure successful and responsible implementation of technologies and programs. Local leaders from the Southeast will share their experiences and lessons learned from implementing sustainable energy solutions.

Moderator:
Jennifer Roberts, Chairman, Mecklenburg County (NC) Board of Commission

Presenters:

Mandy Schmitt, Sustainability Director, City of Atlanta

The Honorable Otis Johnson, Mayor of Savannah, Georgia

Betty Huskins, Senior Vice President - External Relations, AdvantageWest North Carolina

12.00pm – 2.00pm     Lunch - Sponsored by ConEdison Solutions

         Welcome
         Jorge Lopez, President, ConEdison Solutions

         Energizing the Southeast: Balancing Short-Term Federal Stimulus with

         Long-Term Growth
         The Honorable Joe Hackney, President of the National Conference of State   
         Legislatures & Speaker of the North Carolina House

         Financial Role of States in the New Energy Economy
         The Honorable Janet Cowell, North Carolina Treasurer

2.00pm – 3.30pm       Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Track 1: Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Technologies

The Southeast maintains a variety of renewable energy resources.  This session will explore technologies that harness the energy potential from wind, solar, and landfill gas resources.  An overview of each technology and their respective cost trends, economic and environmental benefits, and siting and operational challenges will be presented.

 

Moderator/Presenter:

Tommy Cleveland, Building Energy Analyst, NC Solar Center

 

Presenters:

Tom Leyden, Managing Director, Sunpower Corporation

Glenn Mauney, Director of Business Development, Wind Energy Consulting and Contracting

Bill Brinker, President, Enerdyne Power Systems

Track 2: Energy Efficiency and Demand Response in Reliability and Resource Planning

This session focuses on how energy efficiency and demand response is treated in reliability and resource planning.  The objective of the session is to hear the national dialogue from stakeholders and NERC to establish a discussion about how energy efficiency and demand response can work in planning in the Southeast.

 

Moderator:
Jim Dixon, VP of Energy Services, ConEdison Solutions

Presenters:

Dr. Dan York, Senior Research Associate - Utilities Program, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy

John Moura, Technical Analyst for Reliability Assessments, North American Electric Reliability Corporation

Track 3: Generating Economic Opportunities for Low-Wealth & Minority Communities

Low-wealth and minority communities are often the last to benefit from job growth during economic shifts and new industry expansion.  This session will explore approaches to include low-wealth households and minority communities in workforce development and the growth of the new energy economy.

 

Moderator:

Maria Kingery, Co-Owner, Southern Energy Management

 

Presenters:

Vien Troung, Senior Policy Associate, Green For All

Dr. Raquel Pinderhughes, Professor of Urban Studies, San Francisco State University

Joseph James, President, Corporation for Economic Opportunity

Track 4: Financing of Renewable Energy Projects and Companies

This session will explore the various facets of financing sustainable  energy projects and companies. Topics will explore how various equity capital categories address differing investment needs, global and U.S. trends in equity capital investment, and risks and opportunities associated with the developing U.S. carbon finance markets.

 

Moderator:

Greg Montgomery, Managing Director, MCF Advisors

 

Presenter/Panelists:

Ethan Zindler, Head of North American Research, New Energy Finance

Jigar Shah, Founder SunEdison

Rick Larson, Program Manager, Natural Capital Investment Fund

Larry Ostema, Special Counsel, Horack Talley

Track 5: Manufacturing & Sustainable Energy – An Overlooked Economic Driver

An industry census of sustainable energy jobs in North Carolina found over 70% of the existing jobs were at firms associated with manufacturing. This panel will explore the drivers behind sustainable energy manufacturing, the employment potential across the Southeast, and policies options that support and encourage manufacturing in this growing industry.

Moderator:
Olee "Joel" Olsen, Director of Business Development, Sencera International Inc.

Presenters:

Jeff Mittelstadt, Vice President - Sustainable Manufacturing, National Council for Advanced Manufacturing

Matt Card, Director - Business Development, Suniva

Dr. Keith Debbage, Professor of Geography in Urban Devleopment, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

3.30pm – 3.45pm       Break

3.45pm – 4.30pm       Afternoon  Plenary Session

         Moving Forward: A Vision for the Southeast
         The Honorable Eva Clayton, Eva Clayton Associates International & Former 
         U.S. Congresswoman

4.30pm – 6pm            Networking Reception - Sponsored by Southern Energy

                                      Management

** Agenda is subject to change **