The Future Is Now

                              Agenda – Track 1: Renewable Energy/Alternative Fuels​

Click here for Speaker Bios

For downloadable (print) Agenda, click here

All times shown are in EASTERN time zone

Outstanding Event ... On-Demand Replays Access!

Place your order by clicking here

Also see Track 2 details below

​​​Wednesday, March 23, 2016

9:00 AM – Welcome, Acknowledgements & Introductory Remarks - Marcia Elder, Conference Chair & Moderator, Future Is Now Foundation

9:10 AM -- Rural Communities: Opportunities & Resources for Renewable Energy - Jefferson County Small Business Development Program 

9:20 AM – KEYNOTE SPEAKER:  Karl R. Rábago, Executive Director, Pace Energy & Climate Center (NY); former roles as Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Department of Energy; Commissioner, Texas Public Utility Commission; Vice President of Distributed Energy Services, Austin Energy; & other key roles

Topic: “Utilities of the Future: Opportunities for a Cleaner, Greener & Empowered Electric Grid”  

Brief Stretch Break

►Utilities & Renewables … Job Creation … Community-Based Renewables

10:00 AM – Jennifer Szaro - Senior Director of Programs, Solar Electric Power Association/Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA)                                                                                                                         Topic: “Utility Solar: the Expanding Nexus Between Electric Utilities & Solar Energy”

10:30 AM -- Andrea Luecke - President & Executive Director, The Solar Foundation                           Topic: “Solar Energy & the Economy: Job Creation, Business Growth & Economic Development for Communities”

11:00 AM – Emily Stiever – Chief of Staff, Community Power Network                           

Topic: “Community EmPowerment: Helping Communities Go Solar with Solar Co-ops”

►Utility Models of Success

11:30 AM -- Josh Halley - Renewable Power Program Manager, Portland General Electric

Topic: Innovative Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Services, Approaches & Results

Noon – Lunch Break

1:00 PM – Bonus Resources & Acknowledgements 

►Community Planning, Community Innovations

1:15 PM -- Community Planning for Renewables - Lindy Wordlaw, AICP   -- Chair, Environment, Natural Resources & Energy Division, American Planning Association  

1:45 PM -- Alternatives for Community-Based  Initiatives - Chris Castro, LEED GA, CPB,
Senior Energy Advisor, Program Manager, City Energy Project, Office of Sustainability & Energy,
City of Orlando

►Green Power Markets & Opportunities

2:15 PM – Panel Presentation on Green Power Markets, Trends & Opportunities

​

Christopher Kent – Program Manager, Green Power Partnerships Program, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Eric O’Shaughnessy -  Market & Policy Impact Group, Strategic Energy Analysis Center, National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) 

Jennifer Martin – Executive Director , national Center for Resource Solutions

3:50 PM -- Resources for Renewables - Future Is Now Foundation

 Thursday, March 24

​9:00 AM – Acknowledgements & Announcements - Marcia Elder, Conference Chair & Moderator, Future Is Now Foundation

 ►Bioenergy: National Outlook on Achievements & Potential

9:10 AM -- Jonathan Male, Director, Office of Bioenergy Technologies, US Department of Energy (USDOE)      

9:40 AM -- Bob Cleaves - President, Biomass Power Association 

►Models of Success/Solutions for the Future/New Data Releases & Impacts

10:10 AM - Mini Showcase – Renewable energy success stories 

 10:15 AM - Steve Clemmer -  Director of Energy Research & Analysis, Union of Concerned Scientists

Topic: The Clean Power Plan Opportunity: Accelerating the Transition to Renewables

10:45 AM -- Ruth McCormick - Director of Federal & State Affairs, Business Council for Sustainable Energy

 Topic: Clean Energy Solutions: Providing Sustainable Energy in America  ... technology markets, impacts of industry sectors, other findings of the Sustainable Energy in America Fact Book                                                 
11:15 AM – Dr. James Fenton - Director, Florida Solar Energy Center

Topic: PV, EV & Your Home: How Transportation and Grid Integration Work Together

11:45 AM - Lunch

►Renewable Energy Markets & Outlook

1:00 PM -- Philipp Beiter - Energy Markets & Policy Analyst, Strategic Energy Analysis Center, Strategic Energy Analysis Center, National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)                                          Topic: “Renewable Energy Data Book – Trends & Key Statistics in Renewable Energy”

►Clean Cities & Alternative Fuel Vehicles  

1:30 – 4:00 PM
Colleen Kettles - Clean Cities Coordinator, FL & Florida Solar Energy Center Program Director

Trevelyn Hall - Clean Cities Southeast Region Manager, US DOE/National Energy Technology Lab - Office of Energy Project Management

Cornelius Willingham - Electric Vehicle Strategy & Business Development Manager, Nissan USA

​Britta Gross - Director, Advanced Vehicle Commercialization Policy, General Motors

Kenneth Hernandez - Program Manager, Alternative Fuel Vehicles, TECO Energy – Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas

Anne-Louise Seabury - Electric Vehicle Program Manager, Florida Power & Light

Closing Remarks – Marcia Elder, Chair, Future Is Now Foundation

 

National Energy Solutions Conference

​

  Agenda Track 2: Efficiency, Commercial Applications & Green Buildings

​ Just some of the top notch speakers for this 3-part Track of the Conference appear below.

► Energy Efficiency: Opportunities & Achievements                                                             

•    Invited Keynote -- Dr. David Danielson -- Assistant Secretary, US Department of Energy

•     Kateri Callahan - President, Alliance to Save Energy

•    Steve Nadel, Executive Director, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy

•    Thomas Walther - President, national Energy Services Coalition

•    Michelle Thatcher - CEO, US Green Chamber of Commerce

•    Abby Fox - Policy Manager, Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance

•    Larry Leetzow - President, Magnaray International/ World Institute of Lighting

►Green Hotels & Restaurants: Leadership in the Commercial Sector
Learn about achievements in this sector, potential for the future, models of success, best practices & more        

•    Patricia Griffin - President, national Green Hotels Association

•    Michael Oshman - Executive Director, US Green Restaurants Association  

•   Sheena Chin-Greene - State Green Lodging Program Coordinator, FL Department of Environmental Protection

•    Stefan Muhle – General Manager, Kinzie Hotel (Chicago)

•    Bo Schmitz - General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton

•    Additional spokespersons for green hotels/green restaurants

​

•   Hotels of the Future: Ways to Turn Online Events & Other Internet Technologies to the Advantage of Hoteliers, Not the Loss

 ►Green Buildings: Design, Construction, Codes & Strategies                                      

•    Jeremy Sigmon - LEED® AP BD+C, Director, Technical Policy, US Green Building Council (USGBC)

•    Jennifer Languell,  Immediate Past President, Green Building Coalition & President, Trifecta Construction Solutions 

•    Senior official, national Building Code Assistance Project (Invited)

•    Business & public sector leaders on models of success in green building and design implementation