2020 AGENDA
Wednesday, September 9 – Day 1

9:00 - 9:15 AM

Welcome Remarks

9:15 – 10:00 AM

Election Scenarios for Climate and Energy Policy

Experts will debate the implications of possible election scenarios for climate, energy and COVID-19-relief policies, while considering their potential impact on the renewable investment landscape.

Speakers:

  • Gregory Wetstone, President & CEO, ACORE (Moderator)
  • Gina McCarthy, former EPA Administrator, President & CEO, NRDC
  • Carlos Curbelo, former U.S. Representative, co-founder of Vocero

10:00 AM

Networking Break: Access to Networking, On-Demand Panels and Breakout Q&A

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Keynote Remarks: Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

How to Finance Deals Amid COVID-19

COVID-19 has collapsed years of change into a series of months. Prominent investors will discuss the cost of capital, the ongoing movement toward new revenue regimes, and how to get business done in a remote environment.

Speakers:

  • Keith Martin, Co-Head of Projects, United States, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP (Moderator)
  • Mit Buchanan, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan
  • Bernardo Goarmon, Executive Vice President Finance, CFO, EDP Renewables North
  • Jordan Newman, Managing Director, Wells Fargo
  • Marshal Salant, Global Head of Alternative Energy Finance, Citi
  • Meghan Schultz, SVP, Finance & Capital Markets, Invenergy

 

12:00 – 1:30 PM

Networking Break: Access to Networking, On-Demand Panels and Breakout Q&A

During networking breaks, join us for Cut to the Chase Q&A sessions which feature live interactive Q&A with industry leaders. These conversations are off the record and will not be released as on-demand recordings.

12:15 PM Cut to the Chase Q&A on Tax Equity

    • Mit Buchanan, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan
    • Gaurav Raniwala, Managing Director, GE Financial Services
    • Gary Blitz, Co-CEO, M&A and Transaction Solutions, Aon

1:30 – 2:00 PM

Keynote Remarks: Neil Chatterjee, FERC Chairman

2:00 – 3:00 PM

The Role of Sustainable Finance in COVID-19 Recovery and Investing in the Carbon Economy Transition

The COVID-19 pandemic, rising unemployment levels and anti-racism protests have intensified the spotlight on companies’ sustainability, social and workforce practices. This panel will address how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) funds are being deployed to “build back better,” ESG performance during the pandemic, and the market impacts of this capital shift to a low carbon economy.

Speakers:

  • Jeff Eckel, Chairman and CEO, Hannon Armstrong (Moderator)
  • David Giordano, Managing Director, Global Head – Renewable Power, BlackRock
  • Robert Litterman, Founding Partner, Kepos Capital
  • Audrey Choi, Chief Sustainability Officer at Morgan Stanley and CEO at the Institute for Sustainable Investing
  • Alexandra Liftman, Global Environmental Executive, Bank of America

3:00 – 4:00 PM

Networking Break: Access to Networking, On-Demand Panels and Breakout Q&A

During networking breaks, join us for Cut to the Chase Q&A sessions which feature live interactive Q&A with industry leaders. These conversations are off the record and will not be released as on-demand recordings.

3:00 PM Deep Dive with BlackRock’s David Giordano, sponsored by BayWa r.e.

    • David Giordano, Managing Director, Global Head – Renewable Power, BlackRock
    • Jam Attari, CEO, BayWa r.e. Solar Projects

3:30 PM Cut to the Chase Q&A on Infrastructure Investment

    • Chris Gladbach, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP
    • Kevin Walsh, Senior Operating Partner, Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners

4:00 – 4:45 PM

Corporate Offtake Agreements: Designing Strategies for Risk Reduction

Offtake arrangements are shifting away from traditional structures and increasing in complexity as corporate buyers comprise an increasing share of demand for renewables. Panelists will discuss efforts to advance corporate purchasing strategies and de-risk projects during this time of uncertainty.

Speakers:

  • Ed Zaelke, Partner, Head of Global Energy Project Finance Group, McDermott Will & Emery LLP (Moderator)
  • Harry Singh, Vice President, Goldman Sachs
  • Rob Threlkeld, Global Manager – Sustainable Energy, Supply & Reliability, General Motors
  • Emily Williams, Vice President, Strategy and Sustainability, Edison Energy
  • Amanda Yang, Renewable Energy Manager, Facebook

4:45 – 5:30 PM

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Renewable Sector


Speakers:

  • Paula Glover, President & CEO, American Association of Blacks in Energy
  • Kristen Graf, Executive Director, WRISE
Thursday, September 10 - Day 2

9:00 – 9:45 AM

Global Markets: Transborder Investment in a Locked-Down World

Experts will address how to navigate the evolving equation for international investment in the U.S. and U.S. development abroad during this pandemic.

Speakers:

  • Himanshu Saxena, CEO, Starwood Energy Group (Moderator)
  • Mona Dajani, Global Co-Head Energy & Infrastructure, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
  • Chris Archer, Head of Energy Americas, Green Investment Group, Macquarie Capital
  • Gary Blitz, Co-CEO, M&A and Transaction Solutions, Aon

9:45 – 10:30 AM

Networking Break: Access to Networking, On-Demand Panels and Breakout Q&A

During networking breaks, join us for Cut to the Chase Q&A sessions which feature live interactive Q&A with industry leaders. These conversations are off the record and will not be released as on-demand recordings.

10:00 AM Cut to the Chase Q&A on OEMs

    • John McComas, VP, PM and Construction, Nordex
    • Ted Pruss, Head of North America Service Operations, Siemens Gamesa

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Governor Ralph Northam, Virginia (Pre-recorded)

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

C-Suite Perspectives on Business Certainty in 2021 and Beyond

Top renewable energy executives will offer their observations on the recent head- and tailwinds for securing project finance, finding offtakers, and planning for short- and long-term market outlooks during the pandemic amid policy uncertainty.

Speakers:

  • Gregory Wetstone, President & CEO, ACORE (Moderator)
  • Paul Gaynor, CEO, Longroad Energy
  • Laura Beane, Chief Renewables Officer, Engie North America
  • Jam Attari, CEO, BayWa r.e. Solar Projects
  • Vishal Kapadia, CFO, Ørsted

12:00 – 1:15 PM

Networking Break: Access to Networking, On-Demand Panels and Breakout Q&A

During networking breaks, join us for Cut to the Chase Q&A sessions which feature live interactive Q&A with industry leaders. These conversations are off the record and will not be released as on-demand recordings.

12:15 PM Cut to the Chase Q&A on Federal Policy

    • Bill Parsons, Chief Operating Officer, ACORE
    • Pat Reiten, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, Berkshire Hathaway
    • Stephanie Williams, Manager-Government Relations, Innergex Renewable Energy

1:15 – 1:45 PM

Keynote Remarks: Thomas Friedman, Pulitzer Prize winner, New York Times Columnist and Author

1:45 – 2:30 PM

Debt Finance: Monetizing Merchant Revenues

Lenders will discuss current opportunities to leverage debt for project finance, COVID-19’s impact on the availability of project bonds and bank loans, and the considerations involved in opening senior debt markets to monetize merchant project revenues.

Speakers:

  • Chris LeWand, Senior Managing Director, Corporate Finance, FTI Consulting (Moderator)
  • Josh Dale, Executive Director, Rabobank
  • Nuno Dias Andrade, Managing Director, Santander Bank N.A.
  • Andy Joynt, Senior Director & Head of Energy Project Finance (North America), Fitch Ratings
  • Edward Kayukov, Of Counsel, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

2:30 – 3:30 PM

Networking Break: Access to Networking, On-Demand Panels and Breakout Q&A

3:30 – 4:30 PM

Consolidation and the New Recession: How Will Companies Emerge from the Crisis?

How will the pandemic affect the ongoing sector trend toward consolidation? This panel will assess whether M&A deals are closing, their discount rates, and the key issues in valuations with reduced power demand.

Speakers:

  • Ja Kao, President & CEO, Onyx Renewable Partners (Moderator)
  • John Breckenridge, Senior Managing Director and Head of Clean Energy Infrastructure, Capital Dynamics
  • Nick Knapp, Managing Director, CohnReznick Capital
  • Jon Powers, Co-Founder & President, CleanCapital
  • Ray Wood, Managing Director, Co-Head of Global Natural Resources, Bank of America
 

4:30 – 4:35 PM

Closing Remarks

 

Speaker:

  • Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO, ACORE

Additional On-Demand Content

State of Play for Renewable Energy Presentation

  • Gregory Wetstone, President & CEO, ACORE

Power Talk: Power Pricing in Wholesale Markets

  • Thomas Rowland-Rees, Head of Research, North America, BloombergNEF

The Drive Toward Greater Alignment and Harmonization in ESG Investing

  • As investors increasingly emphasize Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors in their investment decisions, a growing number of public companies now voluntarily publish sustainability reports and other ESG disclosures. But the lack of a standardized ESG disclosure framework makes it difficult for investors to evaluate and compare companies’ adherence to ESG principles. Leading organizations in the ESG community will discuss new efforts to create common frameworks while adhering to TCFD’s recommendations on climate.
    • Susan Mac Cormac, Partner, Morrison & Foerster (Moderator)
    • Janine Guillot, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board
    • Tim Mohin, Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative
    • Bruno Sarda, President, CDP North America

Replay: COVID-19’s Impact on Renewable Finance in 2020-2023: New Report

  • The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) surveyed prominent renewable energy investors and developers about the expected near-term environment for renewable finance as we face the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This webinar highlights findings from the survey report, features the opinions of sector leaders about the health of the sector, and identifies the pathways toward achieving ACORE’s goal of $1 trillion in U.S. private sector investment in renewable energy and enabling grid technologies between 2018 and 2030.