With the amount of investment being realized now, one New Jersey offshore wind power project is eligible for up $19 million in state grants alone, the time is right now to make the strides necessary to push North America forward in the offshore wind energy sector.
Wind Energy Update are hosting the premier event of its kind in Toronto this October 21-22 with one aim only: provide all the information, gather all the right people, and highlight the investment opportunities to make sure that the offshore and Great Lakes regions around coastal North America are able to meet, and beat, their staggering wind energy generation potential.
The interest and support from various government offices has given a platform that includes Minister Donna Cansfield, the Minister of Natural Resources of the Ontario government.
The conference is being endorsed by the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative who will be providing speakers themselves to update the attendees on regulations and timelines, amongst other things.
Minister Donna Cansfield will be joined by over 25 speakers from operators, contractors and financial services organizations including AWS Truewind, Blue H Group, The Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel, Fogler, Rubinoff LLP, ESS Group, 3TIER Environmental Forecast Group and Dexia Crédit Local at the Offshore Wind Energy in Coastal North America & Great Lakes conference. As well as attendees from the likes of Gamesa, WeserWind GmbH Offshore Construction, Cal Dive International, Sgurr Energy, and many, many more.
Latest Conference Programme
DAY ONE – OCTOBER 21ST 2009
MARKET REALITY CHECK AND FINANCING OPTIONS
9.15am Keynote Address: The latest update on plans for offshore wind in Ontario
The Honourable Donna Cansfield, Minister of Natural Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Government
9.45 Panel Session: Where are we now? A comprehensive update on offshore wind farmdevelopment in North America
* Evaluate the impact of the US government stimulus package: what does this mean for offshore wind industry development in the next 12 months?
* Find out how wind conditions on inland lakes compare to wind conditions at sea – and what this means for your project siting going forward
* Assess the benefits of deep water vs. shallow water construction and review the long term implications of each opportunity on your business
* Market realities: understand how long it will be before large-scale installation begins and exactly what investors are looking for to release funds for development
Bruce Bailey, President, AWS Truewind, LLC – Robert Nicholson, Managing Director, Global Investment Banking, Energy Group, RBC Capital – David Nash, Legal Counsel, McMahan DeGulis LLP – Horia Hangan, Director, Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel
Moderator: John Kourtoff, President and Chief Administrative Officer, Trillium Power
10.30 From theory to practice: taking the next steps in North American offshore wind development
* Hear from the pioneers in offshore wind in Canada and get unique insight into the drivers for industry development
* Get expert opinion on the importance of cross industry collaboration to offshore wind going forward
* Understand what needs to be done to advance the market economics and create a sustainable and profitable business sector for years to come
* Real world data on the economic impact vs. environmental impact of the offshore wind industry
* Unique insight on offshore wind opportunities coming on line specifically in the Great Lakes region
John Kourtoff, President and Chief Administrative Officer, Trillium Power
11.00 – 11.30 NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK & EXHIBITION
11.30 How to best raise finance for your offshore wind power plant
* Learn how to secure finance for your offshore wind farm – even without the support of a large balance sheet – so that you’re certain to start your project from the strongest financial position
* Discover what the investor’s perspective is and match up your economic, legislative and technology scenarios with their expectations to secure the top investment possible
* Hear about the range of offshore options available to the North American market; find out which are most appealing to investors and where the risk is lowest
Robert Nicholson, Managing Director, Global Investment Banking, Energy Group, RBC Capital
12.00 Real world financing on a non-recourse basis: what are your options?
* A four point plan: understand the permitting and regulatory framework, the construction options, operations and maintenance considerations and how finance plays out in all these areas
* Discover how to take all of this into account for the successful financing of your wind farm
* Get the latest info on the current funding situation and what you need to do to access investment going forward – whatever stage you’re at in your wind farm development
* Expert knowledge on what needs to be done to source the right suppliers and other service providers to ensure your project stays on track and on budget
Jérôme Guillet, Head of Energy, Dexia Crédit Local
12.30 Reducing Risk and Project Life Cycle Costs of Offshore Wind Farms by Using Systemic Approaches
* Use lessons learned and apply best practices from previous offshore projects
* Mitigate risk and control cost by using systemic approaches throughout the project life cycle from the feasibility studies down to commissioning and operation
* Learn about available technology and expertise in North America while building on existing European experience
* Reduce your risks by using specific components from Offshore Project Certification services according to your needs
Dariush Faghani, Section Head, R&D, Helimax
1.00 Q&A Panel Session: Assessing strategies to secure finance for offshore wind energy
* Get a detailed overview of the wind energy market across the United States and Canada and where the best finance options lie
* Understand why improving the underlying financial security of your project will lead to greater investments and opportunities for you in the future
* Pose questions and engage in debate on the future of the wind energy industry and why financing will remain a key challenge as the industry evolves
Robert Nicholson, Managing Director, Global Investment Banking, Energy Group, RBC Capital – Jérôme Guillet, Head of Energy, Dexia Crédit Local – Eric Roblin, Partner, Securities Law Group, Fogler Rubinoff FLLP
Panel Moderator: Bruce Bailey, President, AWS Truewind
1.30 – 2.45 NETWORKING LUNCH & EXHIBITION
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN OFFSHORE WIND
2.45 Ongoing state planning and development initiatives: a state by state discussion
* Understand what benefits the leading states in the US and Canada hold for offshore wind energy industry and how you can take advantage
* Raise the questions on wind energy integration into state policy to those who make the decisions and understand how to work together to achieve the national targets
* Hear a complete analysis on the full picture of North America’s environmental, legislative, grid integration challenges and how each state is proposing to tackle the issues
With participation from:
Soji Adelaja, Director, Land Policy Institute, MSU Land Policy Institute
Tony Logan, Chief Legal Counsel & Wind policy Coordinator, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Panel Moderator: Victoria Pebbles, Program Director, Great Lakes Commission
3.30 How the Green Energy Act is impacting the development of offshore wind in Ontario
* Hear about the role the Green Energy Act is having on the prospect of offshore wind in Ontario
* Discover how and why Toronto Hydro, as Canada’s largest municipal utility, is poised to take advantage
* Understand the concerns surrounding the introduction of a brand new technology to an uninformed community
Joyce McLean, Director, Strategic Issues, Toronto Hydro Corporation
NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK & EXHIBITION
4.30 How deep can we go? And how quickly can we get there?
* Discover if cheap and simple deep-sea oil and gas technologies are suited & transferable to the offshore wind industry
* Assess how close deepwater turbines are to being operational… and see how to get the best cost strategies in place now to achieve maximum ROI
* Get expert advice on advanced underwater tripods & lattice type structures to get your project build to last with the best technology available
Ray Dackerman, General Manager, Blue H USA LLC
5.00 Great Lakes Wind Energy Center (Cuyahoga County): Reducing hurdles to accelerateoffshore wind development on Lake Erie
* A comprehensive summary of the feasibility study findings: hear why the project is technically and environmentally sound and the financial model is in progress
* Understand how public private partnerships are vital to project success and get real insight on who the key stakeholder groups need to be
* Discover why collaboration is key and how working with US regulators on both a federal and state level has significantly quickened the whole process
David Nash, Partner, McMahon DeGulis LLP
5.30 NETWORKING DRINKS & EXHIBITION
Day One | Day Two
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DAY TWO – OCTOBER 22ND 2009
OFFSHORE WIND RESOURCE ASSESSMENT & ASSET INSURANCE
9.30 How assessing offshore wind conditions differs to onshore… and why it matters to you
* See what importance a multidisciplinary plan of study has to you when carrying out the most accurate measurement of offshore wind forecasting
* Benefit from the latest forecasting models designed specifically for offshore weather prediction and to simulate sea coast boundary layer transition
* Get the knowledge and tools you need to carry out the best preliminary assessment of wind resource in marine areas
Bruce Bailey, President, AWS Truewind LLC
10.00 Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel assessment results
* Capitalize on the latest research and development results from the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel
* Learn how to translate the results to your plans using mathematical modelling and wind tunnel test analysis… and what this means for the development of your project moving ahead
* Discover how the test results will be used to determine the types of installation barges that will be required for the North America offshore wind energy industry and how you should plan accordingly
Horia Hangan, Director, Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel
10.30 Offshore Wind: The Benefits and Challenges of LiDAR Remote Sensing
* Understand the history of LiDAR technology, how it works, its evolution and where it stands in the wind industry today
* Hear a detailed discussion of the benefits and limitations of LiDAR technology for the offshore environment
* Understand the implications of LiDAR for project financing of an offshore wind farm
Gareth Brown, Renewable Energy Consultant, SgurrEnergy Ltd
11.00 – 11.30 NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK & EXHIBITION
11.30 Panel Session: Why wind resource assessment is crucial to offshore development
Moderated by: Jim McCaa, Director, 3TIER Advanced Applications
Horia Hangan, Director, Boundary Layer Wind TunnelJoyce McLean, Director, Strategies Issues, Toronto Hydro Corporation
Plus additional panelists to be confirmed…
12.15 Why insurance is a key consideration for offshore wind farm development
* Hear how insurance companies look for a cradle to grave approach for offshore wind energy… and why it makes real business sense for insurers to get involved in the project as early as possible
* Listen to real world experiences covering the insurance considerations in the quality control of parts from the point of manufacture to the point of operation
* Understand the kind of exposures an owner/developer needs to consider and how choosing the right insurance options can save them millions in uncovered claims
* Get guidance on best practice in covering all aspects of offshore wind farm risk and liability from a European leader in renewable energy insurance
Dan Johns, National Lead – Construction, Contracting and Renewable Energy Head Office, Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada
12.45 – 2.00 NETWORKING LUNCH & EXHIBITION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT & GRID CONNECTION
2.00 Minimizing the environmental impact of your wind farm on fish and fisheries
* Hear expert views on the fish and fisheries of Lake Erie and Ontario, the current environmental ecosystem of the Great Lakes and what impact an offshore wind farm could impose
* Listen to a case study on the latest GIS mapping available for Lake Erie, showing you the least sensitive sites to construction and the greatest wind resource that’s available to you
* Find the best site locations that minimize damage to substrata, fish spawning points and fishery disruption to give your plans the best chance of avoiding objections as you move forward
Geoff Yunker, Aquatic Ecosystem Biologist, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Lake Erie Management Unit
2.30 Environmental legislation: meeting – and beating – the requirements
* Get the insight on what’s needed from an environmental assessment standpoint to find –and secure – the optimal site for your offshore wind farm
* See how you can best obtain all the necessary planning permits and licences that you must have to construct and operate in the offshore environment
* Learn about the special environmental considerations that are going to aid both your submarine cable system planning and installation
* Discover why incorporating a strong focus on environment early in your planning will enable you to optimise your site development and power plan connection
Chris Rein, Senior Vice President, ESS Group
3.00 Get connected: find out what it takes to plug into the grid and get your power to the people
* Effectively and efficiently transmitting your power will maximize your farm’s revenues. Get foolproof guidance on what is needed to get connected fast
* Utilize tried and tested methods of energy distribution and forecasting to turn your project into a state of the art energy generation system
* Find out how to best work with utility companies, energy forecasters and your OEM to connect your turbines in the most effective and demand responsive manner
* Get insight on where – and how – to secure the best rates for your energy once it’s in production
Steven Kopitts, Managing Director, Douglas Westwood
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