Phase II of Renewable Energy in America

National Policy Conference

November 28-29

Cannon Caucus Room, Washington, DC

American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)

A brief overview to begin about ACORE.  I think this is a different presentation.  We were founded in 2001 as a 501C3 nonprofit based here in Washington, D.C with the mission of bringing renewable energy into the mainstream.  We're known to be for renewable energy and against nothing. We encompass all the renewable energy options which are defined as a set of technologies, solar energy, wind power, hydropower and ocean energy, biomass energy and fuels, geothermal energy, waste to energy, and in all forms ranging from electricity and fuels, to hydrogen and end use thermal energy.  We focus on three strategic themes and three major areas of activity ranging from markets, finance and policy, to strategic convening, information publishing and communications.  We're led by a senior advisory board.  Dan Arvizu, Mike Bryan [ph?], Jim Dehlsen, Christine Ervin, Chris Flavin, Frank Habicht, Jan Hamrin, Amory Lovins, Bud McFarlane, Dennis McGinn, Jack Robinson, Robert Swan, Jefferson Tester, Richard Truly, Frank Tugwell, and Jim Woolsey.  We're honored as well by a very strong and active Board of Directors, cochaired by John Geesman and Dan Reicher, Roger Ballentine, Howard Berke, Aimée Christensen, Linda Church Ciocci, Michael Eckhart, Roger Feldman, Nancy Floyd, Lisa Frantzis, Bill Holmberg, Mel Jones, Howard Learner, Chris O'Brien, Judy Siegel, Frank Tugwell, Michael Ware, and Pat Wood.  I'd like to particularly recognize the three new members of the Board of Directors, Aimée Christensen, Nancy Floyd and Pat Wood were recently elected this fall.  I'd like you to ask me in welcoming to the Board.  Our membership has nearly doubled in the past year from 250 last June to over 500 organizational members today.  The membership is defined as a scope of all of the stakeholders necessary to make renewable energy successful in the United States ranging from end users, the government, the renewable energy industry, financial institutions, the education and nonprofit sectors, and professional services and associations.  One of the newest programs created for the members have been the member committees focused on mobilizing the membership to address shared issues.  Some of these groups include the CEO Council, the Utility Committee, the Higher Education Committee with which we celebrated our 500th member, the University of Virginia, this week, the Financial Services Committee and International Committee, two committees currently under formation and lastly the Biomass Coordinating Council.  On the convening side we bring together the finance community and Wall Street every June.  This coming year it will be held from June 18th to 19th in conjunction with our partners Euro Money Institutional Investor.  Our annual trade show will be held in conjunction with the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference from March 4th to 6th this year, also in Washington, D.C.  This trade show will be co-located with a global ministerial level meeting of governments from which we'll hear from Ambassador Reno Harnish later this afternoon, official side events, as well as the business conference in conjunction with the expo.  The trade show floor is currently 75 percent sold out we're delighted to announce, and registration opened yesterday.  So we invite you to visit americanrenewables.org and learn more about this excellent event.  Lastly, as I was saying, this is not the right presentation.  We're here today at the Phase II Policy Forum, and I'd like to kick off by thanking our conference sponsors.  Matt Ferguson of the Reznick Group, he sponsored the opening reception last night which I believe a great number of you were there to enjoy.  Mel Jones of Sterling Planet the provider of the carbon neutral credits for the conference.  From Dynamotive I'd like to thank Nathan Neumer, and Katherine Robinson [ph?] who provided for the greening of the conference.  Penn Cox of Rollcast Energy who sponsored the notepads.  Geoff Morgan of Michael, Best and Friedrich the refreshment break sponsor here in the Cannon Caucus Room today.  From Holland and Hart we'd like to thank Sandra Velasco.  John Bertelino from SMUD.  Julie Blunden from SunPower.  We also enjoyed the support from a large number of organizations who sponsored literature distribution here at the event.  Oxyona [ph?], Ballard Spahr, Hurst Boiler, Normandeau Associates, Proven Energy, SatCon, SkyFuel, Solfocus and Vinson and Elkins.  Since the first Phase II Policy Forum we've been honored to enjoy the support of a large number of non-governmental organizations and associations who supported the Phase II process.  This year we enjoyed the support of 33 organizations.  I'd like to ask you all to take a moment to thank these supporters and our sponsors who made it possible for us to be here today.  Lastly I'd like to give a special thanks to the office of Representative Mark Udall and in particular Jennifer Barrett who have made it possible for all of us to convene here in the Cannon Caucus Room which is a public space and is under high demand.  I'd like to thank them for making it possible for us to convene.