Major corporations and retailers are increasingly interested in procuring renewable power as a reliable and resilient hedge against rising electricity rates and as an important part of their sustainability and stakeholder strategies. This is a very significant emerging business opportunity for the sector; however, as the options available to purchasers and the regulatory playing field continues to evolve, companies need to be well informed in order to make the most knowledgeable decisions when procuring renewable power. Renewable energy procurement requires a sophisticated understanding of both the integration of renewable power into a company’s operations and the applicable state regulatory requirements. Additionally, understanding market dynamics and innovations as well as the different procurement options will allow companies to better navigate potential deals. Common procurement options include bulk power procurements with renewable energy certificates and power purchase agreements for purchasing off-site renewable energy or for on-site development projects. This webinar will examine several of the various deal structures, the effect of policy and market dynamics on procurement, and a handful of case studies detailing the complexity of procuring and producing renewable power.

ACORE is also forming a Corporate Procurement Working Group with the purpose of helping manage rising energy costs and achieving sustainability goals through increased use of renewable energy. As many leading corporations are discovering, procuring renewable energy can help reduce energy risks, lower bills, and help achieve sustainability targets important to customers, stakeholders, and the communities in which businesses operate.

Q & A Submission:
Q & A both on the teleconference and live at the host firm sites, will follow the speakers’ presentations. Please email questions to abaquestions@acore.org.

Call Times:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Eastern
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Central
10:00 am – 11:30 am Mountain
9:00 am – 10:30 am Pacific
8:00 am – 9:30 am Alaskan

Teleconference Chairs:
Sarah A.W. Fitts, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Roger D. Stark, Stark Energy Consulting LLC
Gene Gurevich, Securing America’s Future Energy
Matthew J. Frank, Murphy Desmond S.C.
Grant Rauscher, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Moderator:
Todd Foley, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Policy & Government Relations, Chief Strategy Officer, ACORE

Speakers:
Dan Lieberman, Senior Marketing Manager, Product Development, SunEdison
John Powers, Vice President of Business Development, Renewable Choice Energy
Ellen Gilman, Senior Director of Business Development, Apex Clean Energy, Inc.

World leaders will gather in Paris from November 30, to December 11, 2015 to hammer out an agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Commitments by the U.S. and countries around the world in the run-up to the Paris meetings rely on significant new deployment of renewable energy, which could double global renewable energy generation by 2030. This webinar will feature what to expect in Paris and what the negotiations mean for renewable energy.

The webinar will also review the findings of a just released report from Stanford University’s Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance. Comparing the solar and wind deployment experiences of three large “countries” — Germany, Texas and California — the report elucidates some of the most prominent (and controversial) themes in the global renewables debate, including electricity costs, output intermittency, grid stability, policy design, and soft costs.

Q & A Submission:
Q & A both on the teleconference and live at the host firm sites, will follow the speakers’ presentations. Please email questions to abaquestions@acore.org.

Call Times:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Eastern
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Central
10:00 am – 11:30 am Mountain
9:00 am – 10:30 am Pacific
8:00 am – 9:30 am Alaskan

Teleconference Chairs:
Sarah A.W. Fitts, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Roger D. Stark, Stark Energy Consulting LLC
Gene Gurevich, Securing America’s Future Energy
Piers Ede, Marine Phytoplankton for Health
Matthew J. Frank, Murphy Desmond S.C.
Grant Rauscher, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Moderator:
Dan Reicher, Interim President & CEO, ACORE; Executive Director, Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance, Stanford University

Speakers:
Karen Florini, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change, U.S. State Department
Andy Darrell, Chief of Strategy, Global Energy and Finance & New York Regional Director, Environmental Defense Fund
Felix Mormann, Associate Professor of Law, University of Miami School of Law; Faculty Fellow, Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance, Stanford University

Action by Congress in December to pass a multi-year extension of the renewable energy tax credits paves the way for accelerated investment and deployment over the next few years. Just two weeks earlier, 195 nations at the COP21 meetings in Paris reached agreement on an unprecedented global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Taken together, these developments are a source of immense promise for the future of renewable energy in the U.S. and around the world. This webinar will discuss the “reset” of U.S. renewable energy policy and additional considerations to support the transition to a low-carbon energy economy.

Q & A Submission:
Q & A both on the teleconference and live at the host firm sites, will follow the speakers’ presentations. Please email questions to abaquestions@acore.org.

Call Times:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Eastern
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Central
10:00 am – 11:30 am Mountain
9:00 am – 10:30 am Pacific
8:00 am – 9:30 am Alaskan

Teleconference Chairs:
Sarah A.W. Fitts, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Roger D. Stark, Stark Energy Consulting LLC
Gene Gurevich, Securing America’s Future Energy
Matthew J. Frank, Murphy Desmond S.C.
Grant Rauscher, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Moderator:
Greg Wetstone, President & CEO, ACORE

Speakers:
Alex McDonough, Senior Policy Advisor – Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, Office of Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)
Mark Anderson, SVP Public Affairs, EDF Inc.
Ryan Abraham, Senior Tax and Energy Counsel, U.S. Senate Finance Committee
Tom Kimbis, Vice-President of Executive Affairs/General Counsel, SEIA
Rob Gramlich, Senior Vice President, Government & Public Affairs, AWEA

Renewable energy finance is scaling-up and maturing. One change is the introduction of new financial mechanisms that are becoming more common in the clean energy sector, in part, due to the uncertainty over whether federal incentives will continue. This webinar will discuss these evolving and new mechanisms that expand access to capital, including green bonds, private equity investment, yieldcos, securitization, and sovereign wealth funds. What impact have these financial mechanisms had on the market? How will investors and developers react to these financial innovations over the next five years? Join us to gain an in-depth look at the financing tools that investors and developers are focusing on to spur growth throughout the renewable energy industry.

 

Q & A Submission:
Q & A both on the teleconference and live at the host firm sites, will follow the speakers’ presentations. Please email questions to     abaquestions@acore.org.

 

Call Times:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Eastern
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Central
10:00 am – 11:30 am Mountain
9:00 am – 10:30 am Pacific
8:00 am – 9:30 am Alaskan

 

Teleconference Chairs:
Kimberly E. Diamond, Lowenstein Sandler PC
Roger D. Stark, Microalgae Supplements
Sarah A.W. Fitts, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

 

Moderator:  
Todd Foley, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Policy & Government Relations, Chief Strategy Officer, ACORE

 

Speakers: 
Courtney B. Sandifer, Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Izzet Bensusan, Founder & CEO, Karbone
Michael Eckhart, Managing Director, Global Head of Environmental Finance, Citigroup Capital Markets, Inc.

Off-shore projects are confronting a number of hurdles that undermine their ability to attract construction financing. In some cases, local opposition has resulted in protracted permitting delays. In others, design and engineering challenges threaten the ability of turnkey contractors to make “fixed price/date certain” commitments. Advances in scientific knowledge, engineering know-how and equipment/software technology are advancing wind farm developments for both large and small projects. How can U.S. offshore wind projects obtain guaranteed revenue streams that will enable financing. What is the state of offshore wind development in U.S. market? Why has Europe succeeded where the U.S. has stumbled? Will innovations in software and turbine design translate into improved profitability and project “bankability”? In short, what are the elements for success and sustainability of the U.S. off-shore wind industry?

Q & A Submission:
Q & A both on the teleconference and live at the host firm sites, will follow the speakers’ presentations. Please email questions to abaquestions@acore.org.

Call Times:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Eastern
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Central
10:00 am – 11:30 am Mountain
9:00 am – 10:30 am Pacific
8:00 am – 9:30 am Alaskan

Teleconference Chairs:
Kimberly E. Diamond, Lowenstein Sandler PC
Roger D. Stark, Stoel Rives LLP
Sarah A.W. Fitts, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Legislative Update:
Todd Foley, SVP Policy & Government Relations, ACORE

Moderator:
Kimberly E. Diamond, Counsel, Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Speakers:
Jared Kassebaum, Senior Resource Assessment Engineer, EDF Renewable Energy
Brian O’Hara, President, Southeastern Wind Coalition
Doug Pfeister, Director, Co-Regional Head, Americas, The Renewables Consulting Group

Congress is currently drafting the first comprehensive energy bill since the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairwomen Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) have publically expressed their desires to introduce a Senate energy bill with four titles – efficiency, infrastructure, supply, and government accountability and reform – ready by the end of June and introduced before the August recess. Meanwhile Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is considering an energy package that focuses on infrastructure, boosting the energy workforce, and promoting energy efficiency. Both committees are holding hearings to discuss the potential bills and the impacts on the energy industry. Given the focus on grid modernization in both bills, could this be the moment to begin transition of outdated infrastructure to a more innovative energy system? This webinar will include an in-depth legislative update on the status and progress of the hearings in both houses, the practical significance of the proposals, and the feasibility and potential outcomes of getting an energy reform bill to the President’s desk.

Q & A Submission:
Q & A both on the teleconference and live at the host firm sites, will follow the speakers’ presentations. Please email questions to abaquestions@acore.org.

Call Times:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Eastern
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Central
10:00 am – 11:30 am Mountain
9:00 am – 10:30 am Pacific
8:00 am – 9:30 am Alaskan

Teleconference Chairs:
Kimberly E. Diamond, Lowenstein Sandler PC
Roger D. Stark, Stoel Rives LLP
Sarah A.W. Fitts, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Legislative Update:
Todd Foley, SVP Policy & Government Relations, ACORE

Moderator:
Todd Foley, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Policy & Government Relations, Chief Strategy Officer, ACORE

Speakers:
Mark W. Menezes, Partner, Hunton & Williams LLP
Colin Hayes, Deputy Staff Director, Chairman Murkowski, Senate ENR Committee
Chris J. Rauscher, J.D., Policy Advisor, Senator Angus S. King, Jr., Maine

As Congress returns from the August recess, looming energy debates will heat up in both chambers. In July, the Senate Finance Committee voted overwhelmingly to move a two year tax extenders bill out of committee. The mark-up includes a 2-year retroactive extension of the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (PTC), as well as credits for biofuels production, bonus depreciation, and nonbusiness energy property. Bipartisan efforts to add “commence construction” language to the Business Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar energy were withdrawn, although several senators agreed to reintroduce the amendment and consider it on the Senate floor. Additionally, legislation to extend master limited partnership tax treatment to renewable energy is picking up bipartisan support and both houses have passed separate versions of energy bills that aim to modernize energy infrastructure, efficiency, supply and accountability. Will the Congress extend the important renewable energy tax credits, for how long? Will MLP Parity Act Legislation move forward and what are the prospects for broader energy legislation? Energy tax and policy will be front and center this Fall, get the latest on what to expect.

Q & A Submission:
Q & A both on the teleconference and live at the host firm sites, will follow the speakers’ presentations. Please email questions to abaquestions@acore.org.

Call Times:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Eastern
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Central
10:00 am – 11:30 am Mountain
9:00 am – 10:30 am Pacific
8:00 am – 9:30 am Alaskan

Teleconference Chairs:
Sarah A.W. Fitts, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Roger D. Stark, Stark Energy Consulting LLC
Gene Gurevich, Securing America’s Future Energy
Matthew J. Frank, Murphy Desmond S.C.
Grant Rauscher, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Moderator:
Todd Foley, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Policy & Government Relations, Chief Strategy Officer, ACORE
Speakers:
Katie Cullen, Partner, SC Partners LLC
Steve Vavrik, Chief Commercial Officer, Apex Clean Energy
Pat Bousliman, Government Relations, Subject Matter

In May of 2014, the Multi-State Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Task Force, including eight states in the Northeast and West Coast, released the ZEV Action Plan to collectively put 3.3 million ZEVs on the road by 2025. The Plan identifies eleven key action items to: (1) build the ZEV, market including charging infrastructure; (2) provide consistent codes, standard and tracking; and (3) improve the driver’s experience. The Plan also identifies a series of partnership opportunities for states with various stakeholders. These stakeholders include the automobile manufacturers, car dealers, the electric vehicle supply equipment industry, electricity providers, and others. One year later, how are states progressing towards implementing this plan? What are the right combinations of policies and partnerships to create a robust ZEV market while fostering investment in and development of the necessary infrastructure?

Q & A Submission:
Q & A both on the teleconference and live at the host firm sites, will follow the speakers’ presentations. Please email questions to abaquestions@acore.org.

Call Times:
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Eastern
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Central
10:00 am – 11:30 am Mountain
9:00 am – 10:30 am Pacific
8:00 am – 9:30 am Alaskan

Teleconference Chairs:
Kimberly E. Diamond, Lowenstein Sandler PC
Roger D. Stark, Stoel Rives LLP
Sarah A.W. Fitts, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Legislative Update:
Todd Foley, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Policy & Government Relations, Chief Strategy Officer, ACORE

Moderator:
Sarah A.W. Fitts, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Speakers:
Michael Krauthamer, Director, Mid-Atlantic Region, NRG eVgo
Matt Solomon, Transportation Program Manager, Northeast States Air Use Management (NESCAUM)
Britta Gross, Director of Advanced Vehicle Commercialization Policy, General Motors