Tuesday October 29th, 2019

7:00 — 8:00 AM

7:00 — 8:00 AM

8:00 — 8:30 AM

Chairman’s Welcome
– John Hansen, Conference Chair

Mayor’s Welcome
—Leirion Gaylor Baird, Mayor of Lincoln

Welcome Remarks and State Update
- Jim Macy, Director, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy

8:30 – 9:15 am

National View of Wind Energy
-Amy Farrell, Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, AWEA
Moderator: Rich Lombardi, Lobbyist, The Advanced Power Alliance

9:15 – 10:00 am

The Growing Impact of Electrical Vehicles on the Grid
– Scott Benson, Manager of Resource & Transmission Planning, Lincoln Electric System
– Kirk Estee, Customer Alternative Energy Solutions Manager, Omaha Public Power District
– Joe Francis, Associate Director, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy – Thad Kurowski, Director of Policy and Business Development, Tesla
Moderator: Anne McCollister, Nebraska Community Energy Alliance

10:00 – 10:30 am

10:30 – 11:15 am

Thriving with Wind Panel
—Darby Paxton, Holt County Economic Development
– Steve Boshart, Holt County Supervisor
– Amy Shane, Superintendent, O’Neill Public Schools
– Mike Zakrzewski, Holt County Landowner/Project Participant
Moderator: John Hansen, Conference Chair

11:15 – 12:00 pm

How Corporate Buyers are Changing the Market Place
-Monica Testa, Senior Manager of Origination, Lincoln Clean Energy
-Justin Pickar, Senior Director of Origination, Geronimo Energy
-Ian Schonwald, Business Development Manager, EDF Renewables
Moderator: Mike Degan, Partner, Kutak Rock LLP

12:00 – 1:30 pm

– Kevin Wailes, CEO, Lincoln Electric System – David Rich, Sustainable Energy Manager, Nebraska Public Power District
– Timothy Burke, CEO, Omaha Public Power District
Moderator: Stephen Bruckner, Fraser Stryker PC LLO

1:45 – 2:30 pm

Breakout A:

Planning and Zoning for All Sizes of Solar Development
-Colin Snow, Development Manager, Ranger Power
-Cliff Mesner, Attorney, Mesner & Mesner
-Michael Shonka, President, Solar Heat & Electric, Inc.
Moderator: Dave Levy, Partner, Baird Holm

Breakout B:

Renewable Energy Education and Outreach
-Josh Moenning, Director, New Power Nebraska
-Dr. David Corbin, Past President, Current Board Member, Nebraskans for Solar
-Eliot Bostar, Executive Director, Nebraska Conservation Voters
-John Hansen, President, Nebraska Farmers Union
Moderator: Anna Noucas, Project Development Manager, Sol Systems

2:40 – 3:25 pm

Southwest Power Pool 101 and the Growing Role of Renewables in SPP
-Casey Cathey, Manager for Reliability Planning and Seams, Southwest Power Pool
Moderator: Courtney Kennedy, Manager, Alternative Energy Program, Omaha Public Power District

3:25 – 3:45 pm

3:45 – 4:15 pm

How Does Nebraska Renewable Energy Fit into the Southwest Power Pool?
-Casey Cathey, Manager for Reliability Planning and Seams, Southwest Power Pool
-Ron Thompson, Energy Manager, Nebraska Public Power District
-Aaron Smith, Director of Operations, Omaha Public Power District
Moderator: Courtney Kennedy, Manager, Alternative Energy Program, Omaha Public Power District

4:15 – 5:00 pm

Policy and Legislative Update: State Senators Panel
-Senator Tom Brandt, District 32
-Senator Wendy DeBoer, District 10
-Senator Myron Dorn, District 30
-Senator John McCollister, District 20
-Senator Dan Quick, District 35
Moderator: Ken Schilz, Conference Committee Member

5:00 - 6:00 pm

  Wednesday October 30th, 2019

7:00 — 8:30 AM

7:00 — 8:00 AM

8:30 – 9:15 am

State of the National Solar Industry
-Gretchen Dolson, Renewable Energy Practice Lead, HDR
Moderator: Molly Brown, Vice President of Energy Production, GenPro Energy Solutions

9:15 – 10:00 am

Community Scale Renewable Energy
-Josh Moenning, Mayor, Norfolk, Nebraska
-Lance Hedquist, City Administrator, South Sioux City, Nebraska
-Courtney Kennedy, Alternative Energy Program Manager, Omaha Public Power District
-Phil Burke, General Manager, Polk County Rural Public Power District
Moderator: David Rich, Sustainable Energy Manager, Nebraska Public Power District

10:00 – 10:30 am

10:30 – 11:15 am

Changing Economics of Battery Storage
—Bill Francis, Business Development Manager, ENGIE
—Sara Mills, Director of Policy and Projects, Able Grid
—Graham Morin, Market Development, Siemens
—Kaitlyn Howling, Storage Engineer, Invenergy
Moderator: Matt Duffy, Vice President for Business Development, Convergent Energy + Power

11:30 – 12:15 pm

Breakout A

FERC Regulations
—Sylvia Bartell, Associate, Husch Blackwell
Moderator: David Bracht, Of Counsel, Kutak Rock LLP

Breakout B

Nebraska Stakeholder and Community Support for Wind Projects
—Jeff Danielson, Central Region Director, AWEA
—Josh Moenning, Director, New Power Nebraska
—Brad Wilken, Visual Resources/Aesthetics Senior Resource Specialist, Olsson
—Michael Laird, Field Survey & UAV Pilot, Olsson
Moderator: Amanda Miller, Senior Client Consultant, Olsson

12:15 – 1:15 pm

—Aaron Schapper, President, Valmont Utility Group
Moderator: John Hansen, Conference Chair

1:15 – 1:45 pm

—Drawings held

1:45 – 2:45 pm

Breakout A:

Project End of Life: Repowering and Decommissioning
-Andrew Ross, Director of Retail Utility Services & Member Relations, NMPP Energy
-Will Kirby, Renewables Project Manager, HDR
Moderator: Lon Rochester, Communications Director, Nelson Industrial/Nelson Wind

Breakout B:

UNL Renewable Energy Research Panel
- Dr. Chris Cornelius, Professor, College of Engineering
- Stonie Cooper, Mesonet Manager, School of Natural Resources
- Dr. Peter Dowben, Charles Bessey Professor of Physics, Nebraska Center for Materials & Nanoscience
Moderator: Joe Francis, Associate Director, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy

1:45 -2:45 PM

2:00 PM

2:45 – 3:00 pm

John Hansen, Conference Chair

 *Schedule subject to change
events held at The Cornhusker Marriott Hotel unless noted