Speakers: Tackling Tomorrow's Energy Challenges Today
Session 1: The Potential
Moderator, Etan Gumerman
Panelists:
Wear is Project Leader for Forest Economics and Policy Research with the U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station in North Carolina. In this capacity he leads a team of researchers working in several areas, including fire economics, forest taxes, land use and timber markets. In addition, Wear currently leads a national effort to forecast future forest conditions and uses in the United States for the congressionally mandated RPA Assessment. He also co-leads the Southern Forest Futures Project, an interdisciplinary analysis of forest conditions, uses, and ecosystem services in the U.S. South. He holds a bachelor's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Montana and a master's degree from Duke University.
Cathie France
France is the Deputy Director of Energy Policy at the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. In this role, she works closely with the Governor to develop and implement energy policy initiatives for the Commonwealth. Prior to joining the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy in 2011, France served as director of governmental relations at Virginia Natural Gas. In that role, she handled advocacy to state, local and federal officials, as well as the company's energy conservation programs. She also served as the legislative aide to Senator Ken Stolle for two years before opening a Hampton Roads office of the Vectre Corporation, a legislative and public affairs firm based in Richmond, Virginia.
James Fenton
Fenton is the director of the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Florida Solar Energy Center, which focuses on the research and development of energy technologies that enhance the nation’s economy and environment and educates the public, students and practitioners on the results of the research. In addition to his duties as director of the Florida Energy Center, Fenton leads a 12-member university and industry research team in a $19 million U.S. Department of Energy research program to develop the next-generation proton exchange membrane fuel cell automobile engine.
Session 2: The Hurdles
Moderator, Christopher Galik
Panelists:
Rob Jackson
Jackson is the Nicholas Chair of Global Environmental Change and a professor in the Biology Department and Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University. His research examines feedbacks between people and the biosphere, including studies of the global carbon and water cycles, biosphere and atmosphere interactions, and global change. He is currently Director of Duke's Center on Global Change and Duke's Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. In his quest for solutions to global warming, he also directs the new Department of Energy-funded National Institute for Climatic Change Research for the southeastern U.S. and co-directed the Climate Change Policy Partnership, working with energy and utility corporations to find practical strategies to combat climate change.
Josh Galperin
Galperin is a Policy Analyst and Research Attorney for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), where he focuses on high-risk energy choices with a primary focus on coal power issues in the Southeast. He works to advance coal retirements throughout the region using collaborative, administrative and adjudicative channels. Galperin studied law at the Vermont Law School where he graduated magna cum laude and was a Dean's Fellow and a member of the senior editorial board of the Vermont Law Review. Following law school, he earned a master's degree in environmental management from Yale, focusing on land-use law, policy and economics. He also has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Delaware. He speaks and blogs frequently about environmental, human health and legal issues surrounding coal retirement advocacy.
Bill Brown
Brown is a Professor of the Practice of Law at Duke University School of Law. He is the co-founder of Palmer Labs, LLC, and 8 Rivers Capital, LLC, companies that focus on financing and commercializing technologies related to energy, internet, biomedical devices, and the telecom and automotive industries. A distinguished lawyer with an extensive career in financial services, Brown has held leadership positions at Goldman Sachs & Co., AIG International, and Morgan Stanley. At Duke Law, his teaching focuses on entrepreneurship, business law, business planning, capital markets and corporate finance. He was instrumental in helping put together Duke's LLM program in Entrepreneurship and the Law.
Stan Meiburg
Meiburg is the deputy regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 in Atlanta, Georgia. Throughout his career, Meiburg has been involved all across the EPA, and on task forces promoting innovation within the agency. In 2003, he led a management review of the EPA's Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training, which significantly reframed the mission and operation of the office. He served from 2001 to 2010 as executive director of the EPA's Environmental Financial Advisory Board, and in 2004 led the EPA in establishing the Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Networks with 10 other Cabinet Departments and agencies. Prior to coming to Region 4 in 1996, Meiburg was deputy regional administrator in the EPA's Region 6 office in Dallas, Texas.
Session 3: The Success Stories
Moderator, Amy Morsch
Panelists:
Ken Smith
Smith is the policy director at the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association and a consultant to the Energy Foundation. Prior to starting his consulting business in 2010, he worked for National Audubon Society, Inc. as vice president, and as the first state director of Audubon Arkansas for 10 years. Before joining Audubon, he served as Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Bruce Babbitt in the U.S. Department of the Interior. As Assistant Secretary, Ken was responsible for developing policy and directing staff of the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service. In 1978, Smith established the first office of The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas as the Program Coordinator for the Arkansas Natural Heritage Program. He later worked as Chief of Research for the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. Smith has co-authored one book, written several scientific articles and presented papers addressing conservation issues, community development and the effects of climate change.
Mandy Mahoney
Mahoney is the vice president of The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), a nonprofit that brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to promote energy efficiency for a cleaner environment, a more prosperous economy, and a higher quality of life in the Southeastern United States. SEEA operates in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Virginia, West Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Prior to joining SEEA, Mahoney served as the director of sustainability for the City of Atlanta under mayors Reed and Franklin. She serves on the Board of Directors for Georgia Organics, the Atlanta Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, Green Chamber of the South, and the Caretta Environmental Leadership Award.
Michael Couick
Couick is the president and chief executive officer of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. (ECSC), representing the consumer interests of the 1.5 million South Carolinians who are consumer/owners of South Carolina’s 20 electric cooperatives. He served as general counsel for the South Carolina Senate Judiciary committee for 21 years before being elected by ECSC in 2005. The White House council on environmental equality, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Rural Utility Service have called upon Couick and the South Carolina cooperatives to participate in designing energy efficiency programs on an income-neutral basis. On the state level, Couick serves as a member of the General Assembly’s energy advisory council.
Session 4: The Way Forward
Moderator, Tim Profeta
Panelists:
Ivan Urlaub
Urlaub is the executive director of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association. He brings 13 years of state, U.S. and international experience in resolving policy, finance, communication and economic challenges to the economically sustainable provision and use of energy and water. He is one of the Southeast's top experts in legislative, regulatory and market-based solutions to realize our clean energy economic development potential. Urlaub has been instrumental in creating the core state policy and market drivers of North Carolina's clean energy economy, resulting in annual double-digit gains in clean energy industry growth, passage of more than 70 clean energy bills and the installation of more than 1,800 renewable energy systems statewide. He serves as a policy and strategic advisor to numerous governmental, nonprofit and economic development efforts across North Carolina and the Southeast.
Shawn Heath
Heath is the vice president of planning and business support for Duke Energy's regulated operations. His current focus is integration planning for the proposed merger between Duke Energy and Progress Energy. In prior roles at Duke Energy, he has served as vice president of outreach and advocacy, director of state energy policy, and manager of local government and business relations. He was actively involved in the development and implementation of North Carolina Senate Bill 3 and South Carolina Baseload Review Act. Upon the close of Duke Energy's merger with Progress Energy, Heath will lead the sustainability function for the combined company. Heath was employed by Arthur Andersen from 1994 to 2001, when he joined Duke Energy.
Jennifer Bumgarner
Bumgarner most recently served as the assistant secretary of energy, N.C. Department of Commerce. In this role, she developed and implemented policies focused on the growth and expansion of energy resources and jobs in the state. As of November 2011, she is now the southeast portfolio manager for the San Francisco-based Energy Foundation.
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