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DAY 1: MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2008 8:30 – 9:00am Welcome and Opening Remarks • Gerald Strahan, Managing Director, Euromoney Energy Events• Michael Eckhart, President, American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) • Nancy Floyd, Founder & Managing Director, Nth Power 9:00 – 9:10am Keynote Opening Address • Denis Hayes, President, Bullitt Foundation9:10 – 10:10am Session 1 – State Level Policy Drivers This session will examine the policy incentives that drive renewable energy investment in the region. What mechanisms are currently in place, what does the future hold, and how can investors and developers take most effective advantage of these incentives?KEY TOPICS • What investment opportunities do state policies create? • Status report: Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) for Western states • Will renewable energy continue to be driven by RPS in the West? • The role of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) and Green Tag trading in incentivizing renewable energy investment Moderator: Speakers: Senator Keynote • Nancy Floyd, Founder & Managing Director, Nth Power Networking Refreshment Break 11:00 – 12:15pm Session 2 – Project Finance This session will examine large-scale renewable energy financing, addressing wind, solar thermal and ocean power project development.Speakers will highlight recent deals and opportunities, and will comment on the likely development of these markets. KEY TOPICS • Deal flow outlook: Where will the projects come from, and who will finance them? • How are tighter credit conditions affecting renewable energy project finance deals? • Trends in deal size, leverage, and financing mechanisms Moderators: Speakers: Networking Lunch • Phil Angelides, Chairman, Apollo Alliance1:30 – 2:45pm Session 3 – Western Transmission Transmission is a key factor for successfully deploying renewable energy projects, and the Western US presents a unique set of challenges. This session will examine those challenges, as well the opportunities for companies who can successfully navigate the issues involved.KEY TOPICS • Financing: The potential for private sector investment in transmission • Congested areas: What are the effects and how are they being addressed? • How can the challenges of connecting renewables to the grid be overcome? Moderator: • John Geesman, Co-chair of ACORE Board of Directors & former California Energy Commissioner Speakers: • Carl E. Borgquist, President, Grasslands Renewable Energy LLC • David Olsen, Coordinator, California Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative • Pat Wood, Principal, Wood3 Resources, LLC and Former Chairman, FERC • Brian Weber, Manager - Transmission Strategy and Policy, PacifiCorp 2:45 – 3:45pm Session 4 – Smart Grid The concept of ‘Smart Grid’ encompasses a number of technologies, both existing and in development. This session will ask where the growth areas in this sector lie, and how these issues affect the renewable energy industry.KEY TOPICS • Who are the leading players and rising stars of the energy efficiency sector? • Smart grid: How will it impact renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies? • Electric vehicles: An analysis of investment potential • Demand response: From start up to utility scale technology Moderators: • Nancy Floyd, Founder & Managing Director, Nth Power • Kirk Van Alstyne, Managing Partner, Evolution Capital Advisors Speakers: • Paul Heitmann, Senior Program Architect, Comverge • David Kaplan, CTO & Founder, V2Green • Jon Wellinghoff, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) • Bob Zak, President and General Manager, Powerit Solutions 3:45 – 4:15pm Networking Refreshment Break Session 5 – Green Buildings This session will examine the range of technologies that form the ‘Green Buildings’ sector, addressing opportunities for investors, renewable energy integration into green buildings, and the near term evolution of the construction and energy industries.KEY TOPICS • Design, new materials, and building integrated renewables • Status report: Key players, policy incentives, technologies and investors • Capital flows: Who is investing and why? • Where are the investment opportunities? Analysis of expected returns and time lines Moderator: Speakers: Evening Networking Reception - Seattle Space Needle Join fellow conference attendees to network and continue the day's discussions 500ft above Seattle. Enjoy the views, local wines and hors d'œuvre while meeting the leaders of the renewable energy industry. Complimentary to all REFF-West participants.
DAY 2: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008 8:30 – 9:00am Welcome and Opening Remarks • Allison Lindsay, Euromoney Energy Events• Michael Butler, Chairman & CEO, Cascadia Capital • Greg Nickels, Mayor, City of Seattle 9:00 – 9:45am Opening Keynote: Day 2 • Kostya L. Zolotusky, Managing Director Capital Markets Development, Boeing Capital Corporation• Ron Pernick, Co-Founder and Principal, CleanEdge 9:45 – 10:45am Session 6 – Carbon Policy and Impact on Energy Markets This session will examine the policy initiatives related to carbon emissions and climate change, their likely development, and their effect on the clean energy sector. How will legislation affect US companies at state, regional and national levels?KEY TOPICS • How will carbon move the demand curve for renewable projects? • Update on the Western Climate Initiative • Voluntary carbon markets: Impact and opportunities • How will currently proposed federal carbon legislation affect the energy industry? Moderators: • Michael Rosenfeld, Vice Consul, UK Trade & Investment • Tom Starrs, CEO, Solar Energy Ventures, LLC Speakers: • Angus Duncan, Chairman, Oregon Global Warming Commission • K.C. Golden, Policy Director, Climate Solutions • Dan Kalafatas, President, 3Degrees 10:45 – 11:15am Networking Refreshment Break 11:15 – 12:30pm Session 7 – Venture Capital to Capital Markets The VC sector continues to play a crucial role in the financing of clean energy, especially for new and innovative technologies. This session will address emerging and known investment opportunities, drawing on the experiences and knowledge of leading cleantech venture capitalists.KEY TOPICS • High-tech to cleantech: Where and why VC funding is shifting into cleantech • What are the opportunities being presented by this switch? • How are business models adapting to fit this space, and how are strategies changing for VC investors? • State-level incentives and venture capital: How does public sector support fit in to investments? Moderators: • Nancy Floyd, Founder & Managing Director, Nth Power • Michael Butler, President & CEO, Cascadia Capital Speakers: 12:30 – 1:45pm Networking Lunch 1:45 – 3:00pm Session 8 – Emerging Technologies This session will showcase the leading technologies that are forming the next wave of the clean energy sector. A selection of companies will present their technologies, and a panel of investors will discuss how opportunities are evolving in this sector. Session 9 – Success Stories: High-Profile Western Companies A session devoted to successful companies from the Western US, showcasing the region’s innovation and technical expertise. Companies will be drawn from across the cleantech sector and will represent the different sub-sectors included in the REFF-West conference agenda, e.g. wind, solar, biofuels, energy efficiency, green buildings, carbon finance. Each company will give a short presentation highlighting their achievements, and take part in a panel discussion, sharing success strategies for both companies and investors.Moderator: Speakers: Summary • Michael Eckhart, President, American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)• John Geesman, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors, American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) |
