Michelle Wyman, Executive Director, National Council for Science and Environment
The program is set with all speakers confirmed for the 2017 Maui Energy Conference, hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB).
The Conference Program Committee is pleased to welcome Michelle Wyman to the 2017 Maui Energy Conference. Michelle is the Executive Director at the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE), a non-profit organization based in Washington DC that seeks to strengthen the role and use of science in environmental policy and decision-making.
Michelle has worked on energy and environmental policy with states and local governments for over 15 years. In close consultation with regional and local governments and their constituencies, she developed strategic and tactical solutions to their energy planning, climate mitigation, and adaptation challenges.
She previously served as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In that role, Michelle led the Department’s engagement activities with state, regional, and local governments on issues across the DOE complex, including renewable energy, science, fossil energy, and environmental clean-up.
Michelle’s extensive experience prior to joining the Department of Energy includes founding Applied Solutions- Local Governments Building a Clean Economy, and leading ICLEI USA, both of which are nonprofits engaging directly with cities, counties, and states on clean energy, environmental, and sustainability issues.
Michelle has served in a wide variety of leadership capacities including work with the World Bank, United Nations, and other multilateral institutions. As well as giving a presentation on Day 2, Michelle will be joining a panel to discuss Resilience. The panel will explore how we define resilience and sustainability and the strategies that will get us to an energy system that is resilient.
The 2017 Maui Energy Conference has an exciting blend of Speakers, Panels, Case Studies and Exhibits covering a broad range of topics that make up the new energy landscape. The core of the conference focuses on the idea of resilience with. Transportation, Mobility, the Water Energy Food Security Nexus and Emerging Trends in Hawaii Energy Policy promising to deliver interesting debates.
The 2017 Maui Energy Conference sponsors include signature sponsors, HiVE Energy Systems (Product Launch), Maui-based HNU Energy, Sunburst, and ecostruktures. Silver Spring Networks, Hitachi, Ulupono Initiative – a unique sustainability investment firm, and several other energy companies are also sponsoring the event.
The full list of sponsors is: Alaska Airlines, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric Companies, Hawaii Energy/Leidos, Hawaii Gas, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, Hawaii State Energy Office, Hitachi, HNU Energy, Holu Energy, HTDC, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, Mercedes-Benz Energy, Pacific Biodiesel, PV Hardware, Sempra Renewables, Silver Spring Networks, Ulupono Initiative.
The fourth annual Maui Energy Conference will be held March 22-24, 2017 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. The event, hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), is Hawaii’s leading energy conference. For 2017 the conference theme is ‘All Things Energy: Pursuing Opportunities for Electricity and Beyond.’
From electricity and gas to transportation and water delivery system, all sectors play a vital role in creating the new energy landscape, so this year the Maui Energy Conference broadens its focus.
Hawaii has made substantial progress moving away from fossil fuel sources of electricity. This year we celebrate what has been achieved in the electricity sector but also consider how the lesson learned in that sector can be applied to other types of energy. “Energy experts and stakeholders from across the U.S. will examine groundbreaking strategies, and analyze how concepts like resilience apply beyond the traditional grid,” said Frank De Rego Jr., Director of Business Development Projects at MEDB and member of the conference Program Committee.
One of the new features this year will be a panel discussion on nuclear energy.
“Whatever your adjective is – ironic; surprising; misguided – the argument that nuclear energy is more friendly to the environment is being made across the US. We want our audience to be familiar with the arguments being made at the national level, then add a layer of Hawaii specific information related to our Constitutional provision,” said Program Committee Chair Doug McLeod.
The Session titled “Emerging Trends in Energy Policy: Nuclear Energy – Old Peril or New Promise” seeks to answer the questions: What are the social, cultural, legal, and economic challenges of decarbonization using nuclear energy? Does nuclear energy have a role in Hawaii’s energy future? Gavin Bade from Utility Dive will moderate the panel which will include Henry Curtis, Ililani Media Journalist, Life of the Land Executive and Director of Ka Lei Maile Ali`i Hawaiian Civic Club.
Another change for 2017 will be a discussion of the nexus between food and energy production, using islands as an example.
If an island can go without energy resupply for six months but there is only food for two weeks, can that really be considered “sustainable”? Come join us at a time when the last sugar plantation in Hawaii has just closed and we are working to identify replacements for the energy previously supplied to the grid by the sugar plantation.
The challenge of decarbonizing energy production while maintaining a reliable, safe, affordable, secure, and resilient energy system is formidable. Michael Jung of Silver Spring Networks and Delavane Diaz of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) will help us define resilience and explain how it differs from sustainability.
Rick Rocheleau and Jay Griffin from the University of Hawaii’s Hawaii Natural Energy Institute will present an update on grid resiliency as Hawaii moves towards its ambitious 100% Renewable Portfolio Standards. Several international experts from companies such as Mercedes-Benz and Sumitomo will review case studies from Japan, Germany, and the U.S.
Rajit Gadh, Professor at Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and Founder & Director of UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center (SMERC) will be speaking on the panel discussing “Technology: The Role of the Smart Grid.”
The Program Committee includes energy experts from Maui, Oahu, Colorado, and California. Our new members for 2017 are Dave Parsons, Director of Policy and Research for the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, and Lisa Briggs, Manager at Sempra Energy in San Diego.
The exhibition segment of the conference provides networking opportunities to participants who want to generate business or collaborate to address common issues and concerns.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS – POWERING FORWARD: WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AMERICA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY REVOLUTION Introduction by Jonathan Koehn, Conference Program Committee Member Governor Bill Ritter Jr., Founder and Director, Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE), Colorado State University; and former Governor of Colorado
SESSION 1: DEFINING 100% RENEWABLES Moderated by Kyle Datta, General Partner, Ulupono Initiative David Bissell, CEO, Kauai Island Utility Coop Greg Callman, Business Development & Market Entry, Tesla Energy Shelee Kimura, Vice President, Corporate Planning & Business Development, Hawaiian Electric Company Alicia Moy, President & CEO, Hawaii Gas
SESSION 2: COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE OF 100% RENEWABLES Moderated by William Aila Jr, Deputy Director, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and former Head of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) James Gomes, Operations Manager, Ulupalakua Ranch Richard Ha, Co-Founder, Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative Emillia Noordhoek, Executive Director, Sustainable Molokai
SESSION 3: THE SOCIAL IMPACTS OF PURSUING A 100% RENEWABLE FUTURE Moderated by Hermina Morita, Energy Dynamics, and former Chair of the Hawaii PUC Jim Alberts, Senior Vice President Customer Service at Hawaiian Electric Company Olin Lagon, Chief Executive Officer, Shifted Energy Kristen Mayes, Senior Sustainability Scholar, Arizona State University Craig Swift, Director, Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.
Special Presentation Discussion and Q&A Facilitated by Dawn Lippert, Co-founder and Director, Energy Excelerator and Mark Wight, Managing Director Marketing & Strategy, GE Ventures
Day 2 | Thursday, March 17, 2016
SESSION 4: INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: EDUCATING TOWARD 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY Moderated by Leslie Wilkins, Vice President, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc. Michael Chang, Chief Innovation Architect, Hawaii Energy Brandon Hayashi, Strategic Alliances Manager, OpTerra Energy Services Melanie Stephens, Education Coordinator, Sustainable Living Institute of Maui
SESSION 5: INVESTING IN HAWAII Moderated by Luis Salaveria, Director, Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, State of Hawaii Lorraine Akiba, Commissioner, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Boris von Bormann, Chief Executive Officer, sonnen, Inc. Murray Clay, Managing Partner, Ulupono Initiative Josh Teigiser, Senior Project Developer for Renewables, Sempra U.S. Gas & Power
SESSION 6: THE HAWAII RENEWABLE EXPERIENCE – WHAT CAN BE REPLICATED NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY? Moderated by Gavin Bade, Associate Editor, Utility Dive Mike Champley, Commissioner, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Mark Glick, Hawaii State Energy Office Administrator, Dept of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, State of Hawaii Colton Ching, Vice President Energy Delivery, Hawaiian Electric Company
SESSION 7: INTEGRATION OF DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES Moderated by Sebastian (Bash) Nola, Utility Consultant Mark Duda, President, Hawaii PV Coalition Brendan Kirby, Consultant, Consult Kirby John Cole, Assistant Specialist, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii
MAUI: A CASE STUDY – IS THIS WHERE WE’RE ALL HEADED? Moderated by Frank De Rego Jr., Director of Business Development Projects, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc.
Making the Case: Jamie Cook, Renewable Energy Projects Director, Maui Electric Jonathan Koehn, Regional Sustainability Coordinator, City of Boulder Marco Mangelsdorf, Co-founder, Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative
Maui Panel Responds: Jennifer Chirico, Partner/President, Susty Pacific Kelly King, Vice President, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC Doug McLeod, DKK Energy Services, LLC
