• Paul Clark, Conference Manager, Euromoney Energy Events
• VADM Dennis V. McGinn (USN, Retired), President, ACORE

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:

• VADM Dennis V. McGinn (USN, Retired), President, ACORE

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:
• Ira Ehrenpreis, General Partner, Technology Partners

Speakers:

• Nancy Hartsoch, VP Marketing, SolFocus
• Neil Auerbach, Founder & Managing Partner, Hudson Clean Energy Partners
• Laura Lovelace, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Wellford Energy

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?

Chair:

• Stephan Dolezalek, Managing Director & Group Leader CleanTech, Vantage Point Partners

Speakers:

• John Woolard, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank
• F. William Capp, President & CEO, Beacon Power
• Paul Gaynor, Chief Executive Officer, FirstWind
• Mike Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Infinia Corporation

SESSION 4: Financing Smaller Deals

In a first for REFF-West, we turn the spotlight on those deals in the $5-$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?

Co-Chairs:

• Ed Feo, Managing Director, USRG Renewable Finance

Speakers:

• Chris Diaz, Senior Vice President, Seminole Financial Services
• Dick Rai, Manager, PNC Energy Capital
• Dan Adler, President, California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF)
• Jacob Susman, Founder & CEO, OwnEnergy

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?

Chair:

• Bruce Pasternack, Operating Partner, Venrock

Speakers:

• John M. May, Managing Director, Stern Brothers & Co.
• Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, Biotechnology Industry Organization

• Paul Clark, Conference Manager, Euromoney Energy Events

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.

• Dan Reicher, Chairman, Board of Directors, ACORE & Executive Director, Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance, Stanford University

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 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

• John Pimentel, President, Foundation Windpower
• Mark McLanahan, Senior Vice President, FRV (Fotowatio Renewable Ventures)
• Hunter Armistead, Executive Director, Pattern Energy
• Benjamin Cook, Vice-President Project Finance, SolarCity
• Daniel Alcombright, President & CEO, SOLON Corporation
• Arno Harris, CEO, Recurrent Energy
• Declan Flanagan, Chief Executive Officer, Lincoln Renewable Energy, LLC

Co-Chairs:

• John Cavalier, Managing Partner, Hudson Clean Energy Partners

Speakers:

• Kevin Genieser, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
• Raymond Wood, Co-Head Global Alternative Energy, Credit Suisse
• Sandip Sen, Global Head - Alternative Energy, Citigroup Global Markets
• Amy Corinne Smith, Managing Director, Co-Head Global Cleantech Investment Banking, Jefferies & Company Inc.
• Jeffrey McDermott, Managing Partner, Greentech Capital Advisors

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

Chair:

• Craig Kline, Partner, Troutman Sanders LLP
• Michael Butler, Co-Founder, Cascadia Capital

Speakers:

• Inigno Velazquez, Director, Energy & Environment Project Finance, Bankia
• Rick Needham, Director of Green Business Operations & Strategy, Google, Inc.
• John Eber, Managing Director - Energy Investments, JP Morgan

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?

Co-Chairs:

• Ted Brandt, Principal-CEO, Marathon Capital, LLP

Speakers:

• Mahboob Hossain, Investment Officer, CalSTRS
• Randolph P.Mann, Managing Director, Development, Edison Energy Mission
• Peter Liu, Entrepreneur in Residence, CalCEF
• Cisco Devries, President, Renewable Funding

• VADM Dennis V. McGinn (USN, Retired), President, ACORE

• VADM Dennis V. McGinn (USN, Retired), President, ACORE
• Paul Clark, Conference Manager, Euromoney Energy Events