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Monday, September 28, 2009
| 6:00pm |
Welcome Reception (Palace Hotel-French Parlor) |
Day 1: Tuesday, September 29, 2009
| 7:00am |
Registration & Coffee |
| 7:30am |
Exhibition Opens |
| 8:30am |
Welcome & Opening Remarks
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| 8:45-9:15am |
Session 1: Keynote Opening Address
The opening session will feature a keynote address from a senior level speaker, providing a backdrop for subsequent conference sessions.
- John Geesman, Writer, Green Energy War
- Dan Reicher, Director of Climate Change and Energy Initiatives, Google
- Gavin Newsom, Mayor, San Francisco
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| 9:15-10:30am |
Session 2: Government Initiatives & Policy Drivers
This session will examine the policy initiatives that drive investment in the clean energy sector at both federal and state level. What mechanisms are currently in place, how are these mechanisms being implemented, and what are the effects on investors and project developers?
Key topics
- Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
- National and State level Renewable Energy Standards
- The role of climate change legislation and carbon trading
Co-Chairs:
- Dan Adler, President, California Clean Energy Fund
- John Geesman, Co-Chair, ACORE Board of Directors
Featured Speaker:
- Matt Rogers, Senior Advisor to the Secretary for the Recovery Act, Department of Energy
Speakers:
- John Bohn, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
- Vic Fazio, Senior Advisor, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, and former Congressman representing California's 3rd District
- Tim Newell, Managing Director, U.S. Renewables Group
- Ryan Wiser, Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
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| 11:00-12:30pm |
Session 3: Global Financial Markets
A focus on developments in debt and equity markets in the US and abroad, and how these markets affect developers of renewable energy technologies and projects.
Key topics
- Developments in global financial markets and their effects on clean energy in the US
- Sources of capital for clean energy projects
- How are patterns of investment changing?
- Examining the interdependencies between debt and equity financing in today’s market
Co-Chairs:
- Michael Butler, CEO, Cascadia Capital
- John Cavalier, Managing Partner, Hudson Clean Energy Partners
Speakers:
- Kevin Genieser, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
- Anup Jacob, Managing Director, Co-Head of Cleantech and Alternative Energy Group, Credit Suisse Investment Banking Division
- James Metcalfe, Global Head of Power & Utilities, UBS
- Parker Weil, Managing Director, Co-Head of Americas Energy & Power Group, Bank Of America Merrill Lynch
- Jonathan Yellen, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank
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| 12:30-2:00pm |
Networking Lunch |
| 2:00-3:30pm |
Session 4: Sources of Project Finance for Renewable Energy Initiatives
The contraction of debt markets that began in late 2007 has had significant effects on project finance for the renewable energy industry. However, financial and strategic investors remain active in renewable energy, driven by fundamental long-term drivers and government support. This session will provide cutting-edge insight into these markets.
Key topics:
- The role of Federal stimulus money: who is winning grants and why
- Tax equity and project finance – sources of capital and deal structures
- A lender’s perspective on the renewable energy sector
- How can project developers access financing in today’s market?
Chair:
- Keith Martin, Partner, Chadbourne & Parke LLP
Speakers:
- Recep Kendircioglu, Managing Director, John Hancock
- John Eber, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan
- Jim McDermott, Managing Director, US Renewables
- Bruno Mejean, Managing Director, Nord/LB
- Jerome Peters, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Project Finance, TD Bank North America
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| 3:45-4:45pm |
Session 5: Solar Finance
Co-Chairs:
- Mike Eckhart, President, ACORE
- Morten Lund, Member, Stoel Rives
Speakers:
- Dennis Arriola, CFO, SunPower
- Matt Cheney, CEO, Renewable Ventures, a Fotowatio Company
- Craig Lewis, Founding Principal, Right Cycle Enterprises
- Paul Detering, CEO, Tioga Energy
- Greg Rosen, VP Project Finance, Helio Micro Utility
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| 4:45-5:55pm |
Session 6: ‘ET meets IT’ - How technology will change the way we use and manage energy
The rich history of the IT industry in the Western US is now being translated into a new boom for tech companies in the energy sector, as the potential of energy management and other applications is starting to be understood. This session will examine that potential, asking what the key technologies will be, and how investors will enable these technologies to expand into the mainstream.
Key topics:
- Demand management and energy efficiency technologies
- The role of IT in managing energy use
- Utility scale applications – Large scale energy management
- Identifying opportunities for starts-ups, major companies and investors
Co-Chairs:
- Dan Reicher, Director of Climate Change and Energy Initiatives, Google Inc.
- Laura Meadors, Vice Consul- Renewable Energy, Clean Technology & Financial Services, UK Trade & Investment
Speakers:
- Rich Lordan, VDirector of Power Delivery and Utilization, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
- Allan Schurr, VP Strategy and Development, Global Energy and Utilities, IBM
- Scott Lang, President & CEO, Silver Spring
- Don Paul, Executive Director, University of Southern California Energy Institute
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| 6:00–8:00pm |
Opening Reception (Palace Hotel-Garden Court)
Join fellow conference attendees and speakers, for an informal networking session where you can continue the day’s discussions. This event is sponsored SolFocus and Sunpower. |
Day 2: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
| 7:00am |
Morning coffee |
| 7:30am |
Exhibition opens |
| 8:30am |
Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Paul Clark, Conference Manager, Euromoney Energy Events
- Michael Eckhart, President, American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
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| 8:45-9:15am |
Session 7: Keynote Address
The second day of REFF West will open with a session looking at the rapidly changing IPO landscape.
IPOs and Boutique Investment Banks: How the new “Four Horsemen” can help your company price an IPO & why you want to be public
Introduction:
- Janice Moore, Partner, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, Washington, DC Office
Keynotes:
- Pascal Levensohn, Board of Directors, NVCA
- Jonathan Mason, Managing Director, Livingston Securities LLC
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| 9:15-10:30am |
Session 8: Renewable Electricity
The companies enabling the shift to a clean energy economy range from small start-ups to large multinationals. This session will ask how companies across the energy and technology sectors will facilitate the expansion and diversification of clean technology across the US and internationally.
Key topics:
- The role of the energy majors in technology development and deployment
- Challenges for scaling existing technologies
- How can companies and investors work together to achieve large scale clean energy profitably?
- Opportunities for large-scale investment in the clean transport sector
Co-Chairs:
- Nancy Floyd, Founder & Managing Director, Nth Power
- Charles Robinson, Partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP
Speakers:
- Jeffrey Eckel, Chief Executive Officer, Hannon Armstrong
- Phil Metz, SolFocus
- Diarmuid O’Connell, Vice President Government & Regulatory Affairs, Tesla
- Lyndon Rive, CEO, SolarCity
- Jim Walker, Vice Chairman of the Board, Enxco
- Charlie Ricker, Senior Vice President, BrightSource Energy
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| 11:00-12:15pm |
Session 9: Venture Capital & Private Equity
Given the highly capital intensive nature of the energy sector, it can be difficult to draw comparisons with other VC sectors. Renewable energy has attracted considerable interest from Silicon Valley investors in recent years, performing well in spite of the difficulties faced by financial investors. This session will address the challenges faced by VC funds and portfolio companies in the current turbulent markets.
Key topics:
- Characterizing a successful cleantech VC company
- Investment trends and key milestones
- Sources of equity and debt capital – Overcoming investment challenges
Co-Chairs:
- Ira Ehrenpreis, General Partner, Technology Partners
- John J. Leonti, Associate, Troutman Sanders LLP
Speakers:
- Neil Auerbach, Managing Partner, Hudson Clean Energy Partners
- Stephan Dolezalek, Managing Director and Group Leader, CleanTech, VantagePoint Venture Partners
- Ajit Nazre, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
- Ravi Viswanathan, Partner, New Enterprise Associates (NEA)
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| 12:15-1:45pm |
Networking Lunch |
| 1:45-3:00pm |
Session 10: Utility & Energy Industries
This session will focus on the finance and investment plans of major energy and utility companies.
Co-Chairs:
- Ted Brandt, Managing Director, Marathon Capital
- Rich Homich, CEO, Advantage for Analysts
Speakers:
- Matt Ferguson, Principal, Reznick Group
- Fong Wan, Senior Vice President, Energy Procurement, PG&E
- Jonathan Weisgall, Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Affiars, MidAmerica Energy Holdings Company
- Michael Walsh, Group Finance Director, NTR plc.
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| 3:15-4:45pm |
Session 11: CEO Roundtable - Outlining key elements for success
The final conference session will take the form of a discussion featuring leading executives from successful companies in the cleantech sector. Panelists will be asked to outline what they believe to be the key elements of their success, and to comment on how the sector is evolving for both large and small companies.
Questions for panelists:
- How have you responded to developments in the economy over the past 12 months?
- What are the major challenges facing your business right now?
- Where do you see the most significant opportunities for companies and investors over the next 12 months?
Chair:
- Bruce Pasternack, Venture Partner, CMEA Capital
Speakers:
- Michael Allman, CEO, Sempra Generation
- Arno Harris, CEO, Recurrent Energy
- Kirt Montague, CEO, Prometheus Energy
- Alan Shaw, CEO, Codexis
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| 4:45pm |
Closing Remarks
- Gerard Strahan, Managing Director, Euromoney Energy Events
- Michael Eckhart, President, American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
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| 5:00pm |
Close of Conference |
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