Speakers Announced for Hawaii Energy Conference June 22 & 24

Speakers Announced for Hawaii Energy Conference June 22 & 24

by | Jun 4, 2021 | 2021, News

With the days counting down to the 8th Hawaii Energy Conference, the keynote and invited speakers have been announced.  Suleman Khan of Swell Energy will give the keynote on Day 1 – June 22; and Mark Toney of TURN is the invited speaker on Day 2 – June 24.

Presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and supported by the County of Maui Office of Economic Development, the virtual conference will explore the “Energy Transition in Hawaii: Focus on investments in people and projects.” The 2021 theme will look to answer a key question – how can we invest in people while designing energy projects that are financially viable, resilient, and enhance job skills?

Suleman Khan, CEO, Swell Energy will give the Keynote on Day 1 of the Hawaii Energy Conference.

The CEO of Swell Energy, Suleman Khan will speak on ‘Creating Transformative & Inclusive Investment Opportunities with Virtual Power Plants.’

“With the propagation of distributed energy storage, the intrinsic value and investment outlook for renewable Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) is rapidly changing,” says Khan. “The ability to aggregate thousands of DERs into a centralized Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is finally allowing for meaningful inclusion of renewable DERs into the resource planning, grid operations, and energy portfolios of utilities in key markets.”

As CEO of Swell Energy, an energy and grid services company, Suleman directs Swell’s project development, project finance and grid services efforts. In the decade prior to launching Swell, Suleman worked within renewable energy and structured finance, productizing solar and energy storage applications for the residential and commercial markets.

Frank De Rego, Jr, Director of Business Development Projects, MEDB and President of the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce will moderate the panel, Investing Respectfully in Hawaii

Khan’s keynote will be followed by a panel titled ‘Investing Respectfully in Hawaii’, moderated by Frank De Rego, Jr., Vice Chairman of the Program Committee, President of the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, and Director of Business Development Projects, MEDB.  Employing a cultural and indigenous lens to focus on the dos and don’ts of developing energy projects in Hawaii, De Rego will be joined by Carol-Marie Kaʻonohi Lee (Poʻo, ʻAha Moku O Honuaʻula Council) Suzanne Singer (Founder/Executive Director, Native Renewables) and Wren Wescoatt (Director of Development, Hawaii, Longroad Energy.)

De Rego observed “I believe our conference attendees will benefit from the cultural ʻike (knowledge) to be shared in this panel as it impacts the development of energy projects in our respective communities.  Along with our experienced Native Hawaiian panelists, we are fortunate to have Suzanne Singer, Ph.D. of the Navajo Nation who is a mechanical engineer and founder of the non-profit Native Renewables in Northern Arizona. She will share the cultural dimensions of her work in developing energy projects for those in rural Hopi and Navajo communities that are off the electrical grid.”

Mark Toney, Executive Director, The Utility Reform Network (TURN) will kick-off Day 2 of the Hawaii Energy Conference

Day 2, June 24, will kick off with Mark Toney of The Utility Reform Network (TURN) with his talk, ‘Stop Overpaying for Solar: And Other Pathways to Affordable Bills.’

As executive director since 2008, Mark aligns the TURN legal, organizing, legislative and communication staff to fight for affordable, sustainable and safe energy, broadband and phone service for all California residents, with a special focus on low-income households, communities of color, immigrants, and rural communities.

The online event features keynotes, panel discussions, interviews, showcases and exhibits all in the virtual setting.  Attendees can visit the virtual exhibit hall to connect via chat and video with sponsors as well as view videos and resources of their products and services. Networking has been a key feature of the Hawaii Energy Conference since its inception in 2014 and the virtual platform will be open in advance, encouraging attendees to connect and build important relationships prior to, during and after the conference.

Companies featured in the Exhibit Hall are sponsors: Hawaiian Electric Company; the Hawai`i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI); Ulupono Initiative; Elemental Excelerator; Kauai Island Utility Cooperative; Progression Offshore Wind; Swell Energy; Burns & McDonnell; and Exhibitors CoolGreenPower and Generac Power Systems.

With in-person gatherings still limited due to COVID-19, the virtual presentation allows the energy industry leaders from Hawaii, the Continental U.S., Japan and Europe to continue to exchange ideas on how to better serve the community in today’s rapidly changing power generation and delivery environment.

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Suleman Khan, CEO, Swell Energy will give the Keynote on Day 1 of the Hawaii Energy Conference.

 

Mark Toney, Executive Director, The Utility Reform Network  (TURN) will kick-off Day 2 of the Hawaii Energy Conference

 

 

Frank De Rego, Jr, Director of Business Development Projects, MEDB and President of the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce will moderate the panel, Investing Respectfully in Hawaii

 

 

 

Keynote speaker announced for 2021 Hawaii Energy Conference

Keynote speaker announced for 2021 Hawaii Energy Conference

by | May 21, 2021 | 2021

The CEO of Swell Energy, Suleman Khan, will be the Keynote speaker for the 8th Annual Hawaii Energy Conference (HEC) on Day 1. Presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), the virtual two-day conference is on March 22 & 24 and will explore the theme “The Energy Transition in Hawaii: Focus on investments in people and projects”

As CEO of Swell Energy, an energy and grid services company, Suleman directs Swell’s project development, project finance and grid services efforts. In the decade prior to launching Swell, Suleman worked within renewable energy and structured finance, productizing solar and energy storage applications for the residential and commercial markets. Suleman helped establish new energy divisions within various companies including Tesla, NRG and FirstSolar, and assisted in launching a number of renewable energy and consumer finance startups.

Khan will speak on “Creating Transformative & Inclusive Investment Opportunities with Virtual Power Plants.”

With the propagation of distributed energy storage, the intrinsic value and investment outlook for renewable Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) is rapidly changing. The ability to aggregate thousands of DERs into a centralized Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is finally allowing for meaningful inclusion of renewable DERs into the resource planning, grid operations, and energy portfolios of utilities in key markets. Additionally, the recent commissioning of several high-capacity VPPs has introduced a new asset class (with multiple Revenue streams) to the capital markets – technical innovation has led to financial innovation and is now redefining how we finance DERs as VPP portfolios. With this comes the opportunity to reshape the energy landscape over the next decade in a manner that shatters the renewable glass ceiling, reduces the need for centralized power plants, preserves open space and habitat, and is inclusive in its benefits across the socioeconomic spectrum.

From an energy-empowerment standpoint VPPs are inherently communal, allowing for DERs to be owned by individuals, and democratize transactive energy in a manner that begins to levelize the ‘power dynamic’ between utilities and customers. The transformative and inclusive nature of this new investment approach is best exemplified within market constructs that allow VPP developers to monetize grid services and participate in wholesale energy markets, resulting in more efficient capital markets execution to ultimately bring down the cost of DER ownership within energy-vulnerable communities. With a formulaic approach to climate policy, regulatory frameworks, utility innovation and capital markets participation, VPPs are capable of creating transformative and inclusive change in how we all generate, consume and pay for our energy in the years to come.

Suleman previously worked on the structured credit products desk at Citigroup, as well as within Citigroup’s investment banking division and Prudential’s alternative investments group. Suleman also served as Senior Advisor to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission under the Obama administration’s safeguard initiatives. Prior to his capital markets work, Suleman worked within the microfinance sector with global and regional organizations including the UNDP and the Zimbabwe Association of Microfinance Institutions. Suleman has an academic background in financial engineering and political science and has served as advisor to various energy access and water reclamation initiatives.

The Hawaii Energy Conference consistently attracts energy industry leaders from Hawai’i, Continental US, Japan and Europe to exchange ideas on how to better serve customers in the Islands’ rapidly changing energy environment. The online event will also include a virtual exhibit hall for companies to showcase their products and services and connect with attendees. Networking has been a key feature of the Hawaii Energy Conference since its inception in 2014 and the virtual platform will be open in advance, encouraging attendees to connect and build important relationships prior to, during and after the conference.

The Hawaii Energy Conference is supported by the County of Maui Office of Economic Development and Sponsors and Exhibitors: Hawaiian Electric; Hawaii Natural Energy Institute; Ulupono Initiative; Elemental Excelerator; Kauai Island Utility Cooperative; Progression Hawaii Offshore Wind; Swell Energy; Burns & McDonnell; and Generac Power Systems.

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