SEPTEMBER 26-27, 2011 THE FOUR SEASONS, SAN FRANCISCO
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Welcome Reception Sunday, September 25, 2011
Veranda Ballroom Four Seasons San Francisco
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Join us for a drink and an initial meet and greet with your fellow event attendees on the eve of the conference. |
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Monday, September 26, 2011
7:30am | Registration and Coffee | 8:45am | Welcome and Opening Remarks | 9:00am-9:30am | SESSION 1: OPENING KEYNOTES This opening session will provide a backdrop for subsequent conference proceedings by giving high-level perspectives on public policy, financial markets and corporate strategy in the renewable energy sector. Senior speakers will share their experience and knowledge of the sector and set the scene for this year's REFF-West. Chair: Keynote Speaker: - Tom Steyer, Senior Managing Member, Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C.
| 9:30am-10:45am | SESSION 2: PUTTING RENEWABLE ENERGY IN CONTEXT The 2011 IPCC report, commissioned by the UN, has asserted that renewable energy could account for 80% of the world's energy supply by 2050. But, clearly, we have a long way to go. This session explores the role of renewable energy as part of the broader energy mix and identifies key drivers for development at scale. - World energy outlook: How is renewable energy viewed globally and what is the outlook for its development as a greater part of the energy mix?
- Governmental support: What support programs do we need from governments both in the US and elsewhere, to continue to foster the development of renewable energy at scale?
- Momentum: Major facts and trends in renewable energy investment and financing and the intersection of renewable energy and the commodities market
Co-Chairs: Speakers: | 10:45am-11:15am | Networking Refreshment Break Sponsored by SOLON Corporation | 11:15am-12:45pm | SESSION 3: Emerging Commercial Technologies
The West Coast is undeniably the hub of innovative renewable energy technologies, but there are significant challenges in securing the funding to bring these technologies to market effectively. This session explores strategies for overcoming these challenges and identifying a pathway for deployment outside of traditional project finance mechanisms. - Bridging the gap between late-stage venture capital and project finance: What elements of these two different funding mechanisms can work effectively in tandem?
- Crossing the 'Valley of Death' and moving from demonstration to deployment: How can you find a route to get these technologies to market
- Identifying sources of capital for projects that have passed venture stage but aren't quite ready for the banks: How can Federal and State level programs help, given that they are often geared towards large-scale projects?
Co-Chairs: Speakers: | 12:45pm-2:15pm | Networking Lunch | 2:15pm-4:00pm | SESSION 4: Financing Smaller Deals
In a first for REFF-West, we turn the spotlight on those deals in the $9-$25million range, highlighting the differences and similarities between these deals and the big-ticket deals, and offering you practical advice on moving smaller-scale projects forward. - Breaking into the project finance market: Which traditional large-scale project finance mechanisms are applicable?
- Taking a different route: Vendor finance & asset finance possibilities
- The role of community and residential power projects: How are these projects being financed and who is doing it?
- Identifying key sources of funding: Can you pull together strands from different financing vehicles to make it work, and how can you make your project attractive to an investor?
Chair: - Ed Feo, Managing Director, USRG Renewable Finance
Speakers: - Chris Diaz, Senior Vice President, Seminole Financial Services
- Richard Kauffman, Chairman of the Board, Levi Strauss
- Dick Rai, Manager, PNC Energy Capital
- Ray Henger, Chief Financial Officer, Own Energy
- Scott Reising, Senior Vice President,Technology Banking Group, Bridge Bank
| 4:00pm-4:30pm | Networking Refreshment Break Sponsored by SOLON Corporation | 4:30pm-5:30pm | SESSION 5: Bioenergy – A Renaissance? With renewable fuels currently a topic of much debate at the Federal level, the industry appears to be experiencing somewhat of a renaissance, but investors still seem unsure. This session will unlock the myths surrounding renewable fuels and evaluate funding mechanisms to bring these projects to fruition. - How are biomass and biofuels technologies being applied at a commercial level, especially in the electric automotive industry?
- Evaluating the challenges faced in financing projects in this space when compared with the more popular wind and solar technologies
- Understanding key drivers for investing in renewable fuels: Can the sector compete effectively?
Co-Chairs: Speakers: - John M. May, Managing Director, Stern Brothers & Co.
- Sarah Thornton, Director, Biofuels and Biomass Policy, Biotechnology Industry Organization
- Justin DeAngelis, Director, Denham Capital
- Adam Borison, Director, Power Systems, Markets and Pricing, Navigant Consulting
- David Blume, Chair, Chief Technology Officer and Director of Research and Development, Blume Distillation, LLC
| 5:30pm | Close of Conference Sessions | Evening Networking Reception Monday, September 26, 2011
Seasons Restaurant Bar and Lounge Four Seasons San Francisco 5:30pm - 7:30pm Join us for our lavish evening networking reception at the end of Day One, for a chance to discuss the day's proceedings with fellow delegates, cement existing relationship and meet new business partners, in a relaxed informal setting. |
| | | Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Networking Breakfast Tuesday, September 27, 2011
8:00am - 8:45am
The Four Seasons
Raise your profile at our popular networking breakfast, where delegates will have the opportunity to introduce themselves to their fellow conference attendees using a roving microphone. |
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8:00am | Registration Opens |
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8:45am | Conference Opens |
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9:00am-9:30am | SESSION 6: WELCOME AND KEYNOTE PRESENTATION The opening session on Day Two will feature a keynote address from a senior level industry executive, considering changing dynamics in the renewable energy markets and providing a context for the day's discussions. Chair:
- Dan Reicher, Chairman, Board of Directors, ACORE & Executive Director, Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance, Stanford University
Keynote Speakers:
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9:30am-11:00am | SESSION 7: Developers' Perspectives – Reflecting on Success
Hear from the landmark success stories in this session. With a specific focus on the West Coast, developers across a range of renewable energy technologies will debate the challenges they faced in achieving success, and will give you practical advice on how you can realize opportunities for your projects and ensure they have bankability. Projects discussed will consider: - Rooftop vs. large-scale solar installations
- Scale-up of transmission and distribution capacity, and the notion of the smart grid
- Indian/tribal land rights and their impact on renewable energy projects
Chair: - Matt Ferguson, Principal & Practice Leader of National Renewable Energy, Reznick Group
Speakers: - John Pimentel, President, Foundation Windpower
- Hunter Armistead, Executive Director, Pattern Energy
- Benjamin Cook, Vice-President Project Finance, SolarCity
- David Goldman, VP of Project Finance, SOLON Corporation
- Arno Harris, Chief Executive Officer, Recurrent Energy
- Declan Flanagan, Chief Executive Officer, Lincoln Renewable Energy, LLC
- Tracey A. LeBeau, Director, Office of Indian Energy Policy & Programs, U.S. Department of Energy
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11:00am-11:30am | Networking Refreshment Break | 11:30am-12:30pm | SESSION 8: The View from Wall Street
REFF-West is the only major renewable energy event on the West Coast to bring you up-to-the-minute commentary from Wall Street. A panel of top energy investment bankers, representing world-leading financial institutions, who are all currently leading major deals, will debate how the financial landscape has changed over the last 12 months and explore what we can expect from the market moving forward.
Chair: Speakers: - Kevin Genieser, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
- Sandip Sen, Global Head - Alternative Energy, Citigroup Global Markets
- Amy Corinne Smith, Managing Director, Head Global Cleantech Investment Banking, Jefferies & Company Inc.
- Jeffrey McDermott, Managing Partner, Greentech Capital Advisors
- David Dolezal, Managing Director, Investment Banking, Head of Renewable Energy and Cleantech, Americas, UBS
- Sanjeev Chaurasia, Director, Credit Suisse
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12:30pm-2:00pm | Networking Lunch |
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2:00pm-3:15pm | SESSION 9: Renewable Energy Project Finance
Whilst we have seen continued investment in renewable energy throughout even the bleakest of financial outlooks, investment must continue if we are to move forward. This session will compare different financial models and their outlooks as we move forward, and their applicability to different renewable energy projects and technologies, including: - Project debt and equity
- Tax equity and other tax considerations
- Leasing and other project finance structures
- Overall deal structuring, issues and trends
Co-Chairs: Speakers: - Inigo Velazquez, Director, Energy & Environment Project Finance, Bankia
- John Eber, Managing Director - Energy Investments, JP Morgan
- Geraint Breeze, Executive Director, Project Finance, CIBC
- Michael Switt, Managing Director - Project Finance, Manulife Financial Corporation
- Pat Eilers, Managing Director, Madison Dearborn Partners LLC
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3:15pm-3:45pm | Networking Refreshment Break |
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3:45pm-4:45pm | SESSION 10: Alternative Sources of Financing
This new session for REFF-West will focus on alternative sources of financing for renewable energy projects. Where can you go to get capital for your projects other than pursuing the traditional project finance route through the banks and private equity houses? Areas of focus include: - Attracting institutional capital to your projects: What makes a project attractive to this investor class?
- The use of bonds in financing renewable energy projects
- Efficient use and monetization of tax and other government incentives: What is out there already, and what new initiatives would help move projects forward?
Chair: Speakers: |
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4:45pm- 5:00pm | SESSION 11: Executive Summary
A look back over the two days and reflect on some of the key themes and issues that emerged, giving you key takeaway strategies to take back to your desk. |
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5:00pm | Closing Remarks | 5:15pm | Close of REFF-West 2011. |
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