National Clean Energy Week Look Ahead: Tuesday September, 22

The latest from National Clean Energy Week

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Good morning!
National Clean Energy Week is off to a great start! We hope you had a chance to enjoy at least one of the great sessions we hosted yesterday.

If not, there is still time to register and see all of the remaining events and view archived events after the Symposium. You can also get live updates by following us @NCEWConf on Twitter.

Today’s sessions tackle domestic energy innovation, the role that the American farmer plays in a clean energy future, what clean energy means to Western and rural states, and how clean energy can support a more secure and resilient power grid.

It is also an incredible day to hear from high-profile policymakers. At 11:45 AM ET we’ll hear from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, followed by Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Chris Coons (D-DE), Co-Chairs of the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, in conversation with former U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) at noon. Be sure to tune in for remarks and Q&A with the top Republican on the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA) at 2:30 PM ET, and remarks by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Chair, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at 3:00 PM ET. You won’t want to miss a single minute!

9:00 - 10:00 AM ET
Private Sector Innovation: Accelerating the Greening of the Grid in Forgotten America
Panelists will discuss how focus, innovation, and common sense can transform clean infrastructure investments for companies to have more tools to slash greenhouse gas emissions, expand access to clean energy, and spur economic growth across the United States. Clearloop, WattTime and Downstream strategies will release a new white paper and tool to focus U.S. solar development for greatest impact, expand the geographic spread of solar development and support U.S. communities getting left behind in the clean energy transition.

Phil Bredesen | Former Tennessee Governor
Joey James | Principal, Downstream Strategies
Henry Richardson | Senior Analyst, WattTime
Zdravka Tzankova | Professor, Vanderbilt University
Laura Zapata | Co-founder, Clearloop
MODERATOR: Michael Vandenbergh | David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair of Law Director, Climate Change Research Network

10:30 - 11:30 AM ET
Renewable Energy in My Backyard: A Focus on Property Rights
Federal and state energy policy can have a profound local impact. In many cases, the support or opposition to a particular project comes down to property rights. The panel will discuss siting challenges and issues, as well as the role of clean energy development in powering communities.

John Davis | Energy farmer, rancher, former Texas Policymaker
Jackson Keith | Director, Land and Liberty Coalition
Dahvi Wilson | Vice President of Public Affairs, Apex Clean Energy
Amy Farrell | Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, American Wind Energy Association
MODERATOR: Larry Ward | Midwest Regional Director, Conservative Energy Network

11:45 AM - 12:00 PM ET
Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Chief Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture

12:00 - 12:30 PM ET
Senators' Dialogue with Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Chris Coons (D-DE), Co-Chairs of Senate Climate Solutions Caucus

MODERATOR: Kelly Ayotte | Former U.S. Senator and Senior Advisor, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions

12:30 - 1:30 PM ET
The American Farmer: Tomorrow's Clean Energy and Climate Solutions Mogul
Farming has been the heart and soul of America since its founding. American farmers not only feed the world, but they often lead the world on new farming practices and technologies that can increase the land’s productivity and lessen environmental impact. This panel will explore how the agricultural sector represents a new frontier for clean energy opportunities. Discussion will focus on policies that can help encourage emissions reductions and the role of voluntary carbon credit markets. Panelists will address historic barriers that farmers, ranchers, and land managers face in reducing emissions and the appropriate role for government to simplify the process.

Collin O'Mara | President & CEO, National Wildlife Federation
Vanessa Tutos | Director of Government Affairs, EDP Renewables North America
Jill Kolling | Vice President of Global Sustainability, Cargill
Cinch Munson | Senior Vice President, Business Development, Propane Education Research Council
MODERATOR: Charles Hernick | Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, CRES Forum

1:30 - 2:30 PM ET
Renewable Energy Development in the West: Successes, Hurdles and the Path For Increased Development
The Western United States is home to an abundance of renewable resources with nearly every type of resource being well suited for deployment across the region. From wind and solar to geothermal and hydroelectric, the West is seeing record levels of investments in utility-scale projects. This panel will look at what policies have driven successful projects, where roadblocks exist slowing development, and ideas for increasing development opportunities.

Taylor Henderson | Chief Energizing Officer, Outshine Energy
Mike Kruger | President & CEO, Colorado Solar and Storage Association
Jared McKee | Director of Business Development, Clēnera - Renewable Energy
MODERATOR: John Karakoulakis | Executive Director, The Western Way

2:30 - 3:00 PM ET
Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), Ranking Member, House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis

3:00 - 3:15 PM ET
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chair, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

3:15 - 4:30 PM ET
Towards a More Secure Power Supply: Domestically Resourced, Reliable, Resilient
As any emergency planner in Tornado Alley or the Hurricane belt can tell you, resiliency is critical to surviving and recovering from a natural disaster. But in today’s hyper-networked, “always on” global economy, the threats to our energy infrastructure don’t exclusively come from Mother Nature. This panel will explore current and reasonably foreseeable security risks to our critical energy infrastructure, as well as new technologies and tools to ensure a secure grid and reliable and resilient power supply. Panelists will discuss the importance of domestically sourcing rare earth minerals that make up the backbone of our energy and telecommunications technologies, supply chain risks exposed by COVID-19 and the risk of overreliance on imported technologies, and the role of renewables in defending the American homeland. The panel will highlight ongoing efforts at the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense.

Scott Aaronson | Vice President, Security and Preparedness, Edison Electric Institute
Jonathon Monken | Principal, Converge Strategies & former Senior Director PJM Interconnection
Leia Guccione | Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute
Kellie Donnelly | Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Lot 16 Consulting
MODERATOR: Michael Wu | Principal, Converge Strategies

Check Out These Additional Events from Our Partners!

The American Biogas Council is hosting a webinar entitled, “Managing Animals & Energy: Swine, Dairy, Poultry & Beef” from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Eastern Time. Dairy farms aren’t the only agricultural operations clamoring to turn their manure into biogas. The hog and poultry industries are beginning to see a boom in biogas system development. What’s driving this renaissance and what are the biggest challenges for farmers to manage both their animal operations and renewable energy production?

Join the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association for a free virtual webinar from 3:00 PM-4:00 PM Eastern Time. Year over year, polling across North Carolina points to strong support for clean energy from voters on both sides of the aisle. This same polling indicates that voters are split, and overall less supportive, of fossil fuel development. Further, voters also believe lawmakers in North Carolina should invest more in clean energy and ensure more market competition in energy production. These results are particularly important to consider when various stakeholders and lawmakers continue to chart the path forward for the clean energy economy in North Carolina and the southeast. Register here.