PROGRAM LINK

Overview

The Northeast has long been a leader and first adopter of renewable energy, storage, greenhouse gas management, and other climate-related policies.  Many states in the region have recently upped the ante with new decarbonization or 100% renewable goals and pledges.  The start of a new decade presents the opportunity for honest reflection of our progress against such goals and discussion on where we go from here. With that in mind, NECA’s 2020 Renewable Energy Conference will begin the day by examining the many climate goals and polices and their implications across the region to envision what our energy supply, and supporting technologies, would need to look like in order to achieve them. Through that lens, renewable energy developers, financers, government officials, engineers, utility representatives, and other market participants will explore the challenges our region faces to make those goals a reality and possible solutions that should be contemplated.

Welcome from Conference Co-chairs
Morning Keynote: Surveying the Scene - Climate Goals and their Impacts

Jeremy will provide a hard, honest look at where our region is meeting its climate and clean energy goals and where it is falling short, setting the stage for an engaging day of discussions and presentations on the solutions that will get us there.

Panel I: Energy Storage

This panel will explore the rapid advancement in electric storage adoption by both utilities and third parties. We will discuss how storage can play a role in state renewable energy and decarbonization goals. Our panelists will review state and federal policies and incentives that have been driving storage resource development. We will also consider some of the practical challenges to scaling up deployment, from fire safety concerns to market participation and compensation limitations.

Panel II: Offshore Wind
We will look at some of the successes of advancing offshore wind in the region but also contemplate the transmission concerns of bringing so much power to land – specifically, the development of and interconnection to independent offshore wind transmission networks.

Panel IIIA: What will Drive the Grid of the Future

Panel IIIB: How to Operate the Grid of the Future

We will tackle a concept often mentioned - but that has seldom materialized - over the prior decade: “the grid of the future.” In two parts, we will consider how the Northeast electric grid could be configured to integrate the zero carbon generation sources, (primarily variable sources) that will be necessary to meet states’ carbon reduction goals and address the electrification of the transportation and thermal sectors.

First, we will examine policy and market drivers and the coordination needed to truly achieve a clean, decarbonized, and reliable electric grid.

Second, a panel of technical experts will consider some of the engineering challenges and emerging innovative thinking and technology to keep the lights on while taking out the carbon.

Equity and Social Justice Issues in Solar
We will explore the equity (or lack thereof) in solar access. Vote Solar will discuss its work on solar justice and moderate a Q&A with two intriguing case studies from Sunwealth and Connecticut Green Bank.

Pricing:

Member - $475
Non-member - $525
Government - $265
Young Professional Member* - $270
Non-member Young Professional - $300
Student - $125
Student Member - $115

*Working in the energy industry less than five years