FY 2009 Basic Research Budget
The Committee will explore the importance of basic research to U.S. competitiveness. The hearing will examine research and development budgets at agencies in the Committee’s jurisdiction, particularly the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as interagency science programs addressing climate change, nanotechnology, and information technology.
Getting Royalties Right: Recent Recommendations for Improving the Federal Oil & Gas Royalty System
The Subcommittee will review recommendations from policy experts, the Government Accountability Office and the Inspector General’s office for improving the Federal oil and gas royalty system in light of the recent report to the Minerals Management Service’s Royalty Policy Committee entitled “Mineral Revenue Collection from Federal and Indian Lands and the Outer Continental Shelf.”
Witnesses
Panel 1
- Mr. Earl Devaney, Inspector General, Department of the Interior
- Mr. David Deal, Vice Chair, Royalty Policy Committee, Department of the Interior
- Mr. Frank Rusco, Acting Director, Natural Resources and Environment, General Accounting Office
- Hon. C. Stephen Allred, Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, Department of the Interior
- Mr. Randall Luthi, Director, Minerals Management Service
- Mr. Larry Finfer, Deputy Director, Office of Policy Analysis, Department of the Interior
- Ms. Linda Stiff, Acting Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service
- Mr. Dennis Roller, Royalty Audit Section Manager, Office of the State Auditor, North Dakota
FY 2009 DOE Energy & Conservation, Fossil Energy, Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Budget
- C.H. “Bud” Albright Jr., Under Secretary of Energy
- Alexander Karsner, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- James Slutz, Acting Principal Deputy, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy
- Kevin Kolevar, Director, Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
Ecological Dimensions of Biofuels
- sustainable development and use of biofuels;
- social, biogeographic, land use, and biodiversity considerations; and,
- ecological dimensions of alternatives for crop selection and production, harvest and transport of product to refinery, and refining of liquid fuels and other co-products.
A keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Jose Goldemberg, Co-President of the Global Energy Assessment (GEA) Council and Professor at the Universidade de Sao Paulo. Goldemberg recently served as Secretary for the Environment of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and was a lead author of the World Energy Assessment.
The conference will conclude with an evening social featuring additional poster presentations and opportunities for attendees to network with presenters and others working in this important field.
Full details, including an agenda, confirmed speakers, registration information, and sponsorship opportunities, are available at http://www.esa.org/biofuels.
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 am | “Environmental Impact of Biofuels Cropping Systems: Introduction”” | Bill Parton Colorado State University |
| 9:00 am | “Defining Sustainable Biofuels – or, “It isn’t Easy Being Green”” | John Sheehan LiveFuels, Inc. |
| 9:30 am | “Field to Fuel – Developing Sustainable Biorefineries” | Robin Jenkins Dupont Central Research and Development Experiment Station |
| 10:00 am | BREAK | |
| 10:30 am | “Biofuels and Water Quality in the Midwest: Corn vs. Switchgrass as Feedstocks” | Catherine Kling Iowa State University |
| 11:00 am | “The Biogeochemistry of Bioenergy Landscapes: Clean Water, Clean Air, & Climate Mitigation vs. Business as Usual” | Philip Robertson Michigan State University |
| 11:30 am | “Interactions between Biofuel Choices and Landscape Dynamics and Land use” | Virginia Dale Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
| 12:00 pm | Keynote Address (with lunch) “Environmental and Ecological Dimensions of Biofuels” | Jose Goldemberg Global Energy Assessment Council & Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brasil |
| 1:30 pm | “Biofuels and Biodiversity” | John Wiens The Nature Conservancy |
| 2:00 pm | “Production of Biofuels Feedstock on Agriculture Land and Grasslands” | Wally Wilhelm U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service |
| 2:30 pm | “Are Rangeland Biofuel Feedstocks Ecologically Sustainable?” | Linda Wallace University of Oklahoma |
| 3:00 pm | “Sustainable Biofuels and Bioproducts from our Forests” | Marilyn Buford U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service |
| 3:30 pm | BREAK | |
| 4:00 pm | “Municipal Solid Waste as Supplemental Feedstocks” | Donna Perla U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
| 4:30 pm | ” A Global-Scale Biofuels Program and its Environmental Consequences” | Jerry Melillo The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory |
| 5:00 pm | “The Rush to Biofuels and Ecological Perspectives in the Policy Process” | Otto Doering Purdue University |
| 5:30 pm | Poster Social & Reception |
FWS Chief Admits Administration Budget Cuts Indefensible
Ben Chandler (D-Ky.) I know that you all have talked some about the alarming loss of common birds in our country. Alarming it is. I almost can’t believe it. The numbers that I’ve seen are absolutely atrocious. And one thing that I’d like to explore with you real quick, the Audubon Society has stated that the cause of the dramatic decline of birds is the outright loss of habitat due to poor land use, the clear-cutting of forests, the draining of wetlands and sprawl. Now, in light of such a stinging indictment as that, how does the administration justify a 70 percent cut in land acquisition?Hall I don’t know.
The Audubon Society analysis found that many common U.S. birds species have collapsed in recent years, some by at least 80 percent. In addition, the Society has identified 218 U.S. bird species at risk “amid a convergence of environmental challenges, including habitat loss, invasive species and global warming”.
Former Deputy Interior Secretary Julie MacDonald interfered with the Endangered Species Act listings of several of those at-risk: the Greater Sage Grouse, Gunnison Sage Grouse, Southwestern bald eagle, Southwestern willow flycatcher, Sacramento splittail and the recovery plan of the Northern spotted owl
Climate Change: Competitiveness Concerns and Prospects for Engaging Developing Countries
See the January 31, 2008 white paper.
EPA Puts Off "Hard Decision" On CO2 Endangerment Finding, May Face New Lawsuit
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson seems unable to step foot on Capitol Hill to talk about his 2008 budget without getting a ton of questions about California’s waiver denial and EPA’s much-delayed response to Massachusetts v. EPA. Today’s NY Times carries an editorial explaining how the two are linked, citing and drawing out Georgetown Professor Lisa Heinzerling’s observation that EPA’s waiver denial may have inadvertently committed it to an endangerment finding)
The barrage of questions continued yesterday, courtesy of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and her Appropriations subcommittee. Hill Heat live-blogged the hearing and revealed that Johnson isn’t just personally overwhelmed by all the legal pressure and questioning—he’s explicitly citing it to justify his delayed reaction to the Supreme Court’s remand. To wit, Johnson repeated the claim—previously made when he announced to a House subcommittee that he’d be "taking a step back" from the enandgerment finding to weigh industry’s “concerns”—that his delay is partly justified by a series of petitions and appeals that California and environmental groups have filed in the last several months, seeking the regulation of CO2 emissions from ships, aircraft, off-road vehicles, and new coal-burning power plants under federal jurisdiction.
Each of these actions was largely motivated by EPA’s delay in making an endangerment ruling, and each covers areas that would be affected by such a determination. In other words, Johnson is claiming that in order to respond to legal maneuvers motivated by his hesitancy to act…he must delay action even longer. While this deflection doesn’t carry any legal consequences, another part of Johnson’s insistence that this decision requires an expansive amount of time—perhaps until the end of the Bush administration, as advised by the Heritage Foundation, which also takes credit for inspiring Johnson’s rationale—actually highlights the imminent possibility of yet another lawsuit against EPA.
At issue: Johnson flat-out refused to set a target date yesterday for completing the decision-making process, and would not answer whether any of his staff was even working on the enandgerment evaluation (as opposed to a "myriad of issues" that they are tackling). The latter answer led Senator Feinstein to argue, based on what she’d evidently been hearing from other sources, that no one other than Johnson himself is weighing the issue.
The legal coalition responsible for initiating Mass. v. EPA will likely beg to differ with this exhaustive process, having notified the Administrator last month that it was prepared to sue over unreasonable delay if Johnson didn’t provide a firm target date by February 27—last Wednesday. Stay tuned…
Freeing the Grid: Overcoming Barriers to Clean Energy Generation
With prices for oil and gas higher than ever, energy independence is at the forefront of almost everyone’s mind. When your constituents ask you how they can take charge of their energy future while decreasing their monthly electric bills, what do you tell them? In some states model interconnection and net metering laws help individuals and businesses become a part of the solution, but in too many parts of the country the opportunities for renewable energy investment and green job growth are held up by nothing more than senseless policy barriers.
Representatives Jay Inslee and Roscoe Bartlett invite you to attend a briefing by the authors of “Freeing the Grid,” a report that details America’s patchwork of policies that make some states leaders in the booming renewable energy industry, while other states are left behind. You will learn how good net-metering and interconnection policies can help America develop a world-class renewable energy market, strengthen our domestic economy, protect our climate and our environment, increase electric grid stability, and reduce our dependence on costly peak energy.
Our panel of experts will also address how federal legislation, like the Home Energy Generation Act (H.R. 729) can address the problems, remove discrepancies between state policies and invigorate renewable energy deployment in your state AND throughout America.
Panelists include:- James Rose, Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC)
- Chris Cook, SunEdison
- Adam Browning, The Vote Solar Alliance
We hope that you or a member of your staff can attend, and we look forward to seeing you there. For more information, contact Liz Mustin at elizabeth.mustin@mail.house.gov or 202-225-6311.
FY 2009 Environmental Protection Agency Budget
- Stephen L. Johnson, EPA Administrator
10:12 Johnson: As the administration sprints to the finish line, I believe this budget keeps it on the path to a cleaner future. With both demand and cost on the rise, innovators are pushing clean energy solutions. We estimate industry will explore thousands of oil and gas wells on tribal and national lands. The budget requests hundreds of new staff to assist our partners assess the projects.
The budget also attempts to address the serious challenge of global climate change.
The budget supports EPA’s collaborative work to protect our waterways. I’m proud of our response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
10:17 AM Feinstein The legal justification for your waiver rests heavily on the 1967 decision. In 1977 Congress amended the Clean Air Act, changing the language and intent of Section 209. The committee language stated that the intent was to provide California the broadest latitude possible. Your waiver justification document does not mention Congressional intent in 1977. Why?
Johnson I am bound by Section 209 and there are three very specific criteria. I only looked at one. Based on the record before me, again, affording California the broadest discretion, it does not mean that I am a rubber stamp. It is not a popularity contest.
10:49 Craig Sitting on EPW we get two bites at you. Today I won’t chew as hard.
Feinstein Even though that section allows other states to adopt California’s standards?
Johnson You raise a very good point. Section 209 and the law and the criteria does not allow me to consider what other states may or may not do. As I pointed out the more states that believe greenhouse gas emissions is a problem are making the very point that California is not unique. It is not exclusive. Rather it is a national problem requiring a national solution.
Feinstein According to the Washington Post, you overruled your legal and technical staff last October. Did a single one of your staff support a flat denial?
Johnson They presented me with a wide range of options, from approving to denying the waiver. They were all presented to me as legally defensible options. I appreciate the opportunity for their candid input, but the Clean Air Act gives me the responsibility alone.
Feinstein You are saying the technical and legal staff recommended approving the waiver. Is that correct?
Johnson They presented me with a wide range of options, from approving to denying the waiver. Generally it is my approach to ask for input, if they choose to give input, that’s fine. Routinely I seek input.
Feinstein We’ve been told that none of the staff was in favor of denying the waiver.
Johnson I received a range of options.
Feinstein I know that.
Johnson I respect the opportunity to receive candid opinions. My decision is not based on a popularity contest of opinions.
Feinstein You’re not answering the question, but there’s nothing I can do but interpret your non-answer.
10:26: Feinstein You’ve missed your 2007 deadline to make the health endangerment finding. Will you respect the direction of the highest court of the land?
Johnson I will commit to that we will make the decision. We are working on the implementation regulations. We have a number of court-ordered deadlines.
Feinstein When might we expect this?
Johnson I don’t have a date, but I assure you we will respond to Mass vs. EPA.
10:28 Allard I have some concerns about enforcement.
10:39 Leahy I’m going to divert for just a moment. I want to talk about mercury pollution. Your agency had the mercury rule. I said at the time I thought it was wrong. On February 8 the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, a very conservative court, agreed with my position and struck down your rule. If you had listened to my opinion you could have saved taxpayers significant fees. Does your agency plan to abide by the Clean Air Act, by the law?
Johnson Thank you for the question. Always follow the law, sir. The EPA and DOJ are currently evaluating the decision. We haven’t decided on a course of action. We also recognize because of the Clean Air Interstate Rule we have early reductions of mercury. We are disappointed the first regulation of mercury was struck down. We’re evaluating that now.
Leahy The court made their decision based on the arguments heard in the case. The AP reports officials have threatened states with disapproval for adopting more aggressive mercury regulations, despite what the EPA said in the court. If there was a misrepresentation by the government to the court that’s a serious matter. Have officials ever threatened states against instituting mercury regulations?
Johnson I don’t recall any firsthand knowledge. I don’t know if they have.
Leahy Will you go back and find out?
Johnson I’ll be happy to respond for the record.
Leahy I would like to know the answer. If the AP is correct, then the EPA gave misleading information to the courts. The courts, the Judiciary Committee would consider it a very serious matter. You adopted the Mercury Trading Rule in 2005 and committed to reducing mercury hot spots.
Johnson We haven’t decided yet.
10:50 Feinstein I believe very firmly your staff was in favor of the waiver unless you tell me otherwise. Did any other people in the administration weigh in on the waiver?
Johnson I received many opinions, the decision was my own.
Feinstein Did you discuss this with the White House?
Johnson I discuss major issues with the White House, I think that’s good government.
Feinstein I read the 48 pages. I find it not at all impressive. I think it is harmful to our state and the country. I’d like to go back to the remand. You have not given me a firm date. I find this unbelievable on what is called an Environmental Protection Agency, not an Administration Protection Agency.
Johnson I respectfully disagree that this is an easy decision. Justice Scalia set it up as a three-part test for me. If I find there is endangerment, I must regulate. If I find that there is not endangerment, I should not regulate. If there are other factors I need to consider them. The way the Clean Air Act operates, a decision in the regulation of mobile sources could have a significant impact on stationary sources. I know people are anxious for me to get on with business. Climate change is a serious issue. It’s one I’m carefully considering. Airlines, off-roads, marine, I could go on and on.
Feinstein How many personnel are working on the endangerment finding?
Johnson I don’t know exactly.
Feinstein We’ve been told noone is working on it. Is anyone working on it?
Johnson I know I am working on what are the next steps. It’s what I’m currently evaluating.
Feinstein How many of your staff are working on the endangerment finding?
Johnson I don’t know. I am currently evaluating what are the next steps to take in response to the Supreme Court, the Energy Act, the numerous petitions. I know we have staff working on a myriad issues. I know we have people working on major economies, reviewing McCain-Lieberman legislation, the Greenhouse Gas Registry. We have a lot of issues we’re working on.
Feinstein What I deduce is that none of your staff is working on it. I’ve got to believe you’re stonewalling.
Johnson I’m not stonewalling.
11:10 Feinstein Have you taken every Congressional earmark out of this budget?
Johnson I am told by our staff that the answer is yes.
11:30 Argument with Ted Stevens and Johnson over earmarks (and the definition of an earmark) and funding water and sewer facilities Alaskan villages.
11:37 Stevens I’m trying to seek re-election now. I don’t understand why it’s been reduced.
Stevens What did you ask the president for?
Johnson I support the president’s budget.
Stevens You going to answer my questions, sir?
Johnson brings in EPA water guy.
Stevens You can tell me what you requested OMB this year. What was that amount?
EPA water guy We requested the amount consistent with the 2004 request.
Stevens This is not a spending program, it’s a loan program.
Feinstein My staff says we never agreed to this.
Stevens This policy forces earmarks. It’s bureaucratic arrogance. Having served eight years in another administration, I don’t appreciate this. It sounds like your 04 was sacrosanct as far the government is concerned. It’s a crazy system. The Greenhouse Gas Registry. The White House proposed no money for this program. Sen. Klobuchar asked me about it. Why didn’t you put any money in this program?
Johnson We have $3.5 million this year. We expect by September of this year we will have a proposed regulation for the registry. I believe states are developing registries.
Stevens Is there any direction Congress would give you with regards to spending money you would follow?
Feinstein You’re right. I put in the $3.5 million. They need it for two years.
Johnson We are working on a draft regulation. I intend to make sure we obey our mandate.
Stevens Do you remember in the old days we dealt with this by bureau reclamation? We eliminated the job of the person who refused to follow our direction.
11:48 Feinstein There is no way for us to restore those cuts. I don’t even know if we want to pass this budget. Why run for the Senate? Why act as an appropriator? Why put our names on a budget that we know is going to fail to accomplish our purpose?
Stevens We’re better off on the 2008 budget. Did you ever think about that?
Johnson We believe this budget is a good budget. It balances the needs for moving forward at the same time we have to be good stewards of taxpayer money.
Stevens You should bring back the message that in all likelihood we’ll send the President a continuing resolution for 2009.
Feinstein The cuts go on and on and on. For the first time he said in so many words we’re not going to recognize any Congressional add. You’re saying the president conditions all funding. We don’t even need an Appropriations Committee!
11:51 Stevens He ought to read the Constitution. Arrogance. Pure arrogance.
Feinstein There is no jointness. We are to be a rubber stamp for the President’s request.
Stevens I don’t think the President even knows some of these items.
Feinstein Let me sum up by saying this is a very unhappy budget. The hearing is adjourned.
Washington International Renewable Energy Conference
The Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008) will bring together government, civil society and private business leaders to address the benefits and costs of a major and rapid scale-up in the global deployment of renewable energy technology.
WIREC Participants can expect to:- Acquire a better understanding of the benefits of large-scale renewable energy deployment on energy security, climate change, air quality and economic growth.
- Gain an appreciation of the multiple policy options and best practices that encourage and enable accelerated renewable energy up-take.
- Develop networks and find partners to explore and initiate renewable energy projects.
These three objectives will be woven into WIREC’s four cross-cutting and policy driven themes: Agriculture and Rural Development ; Technology/Research and Development ; and Market Adoption and Finance.
Monday, March 3, 2008
12:00 – 6:00 p.m. Registration and Pre-conference Meetings
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Registration
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
- Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Department of State of the United States
- Michael Eckhart, President, American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)
- Thomas Dorr, Chairman, Secretary’s Energy Council, Under Secretary for Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture
9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Opening Statements
Introductions: Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, United States Department of State
- Speaker: John D. Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State, United States Department of State The Challenge and Charge to the Attendees
- Speaker: Ed Schafer, Secretary, United States Department of Agriculture
- Speaker: Michael Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary, Germany Lessons from Bonn, 2004.
- Speaker: Zhang Xiaoqiang, Vice Chairman. National Development and Reform Commission of China Lessons from Beijing, 2005.
10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Networking Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:30 p.m. Ministerial Level Plenary Session: Defining the Issues
Introductions: Hermann Scheer, Germany, General Chairman World Council for Renewable Energy
Current Trends and Issues: Renewable Energy- Speaker: Samuel Bodman, Secretary, United States Department of Energy
- Speaker: Tony Hayward, CEO, BP
- Speaker: Mohamed El-Ashry, Chairman, REN21
- Speaker: Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director, International Energy Agency
- Speaker: Vinod Khosla, Founder and CEO, Khosla Ventures and Sun Microsystems.
12:30 – 2:15 p.m. Lunch: Ministers and Invitation Only
Host: Chuck Conner, Deputy Secretary, United States Department of Agriculture- Speaker: Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary, United States Department of Interior
- Speaker: Connie Hedegaard, Minister for Climate and Energy, Denmark
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. For the 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. period, two parallel sessions will be convened; 1) “Ministerial Session”, for Ministers only, and 2) “Stakeholder Session” for where stakeholders are identified as federal authorities not participating in the Ministerial session, local authorities not at the Federal level, private sector, and civil society. Each session will consider the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy. Brief remarks will be offered with the objective of stimulating a meaningful and interactive dialogue among the respective session participants.
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Concurrent Session I
Ministerial Session: The Economic and Environmental Benefits of Renewable Energy
- Co-Chair: Steve Johnson, Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency
- Co-Chair: Andris Piebalgs, Energy Commissioner, European Union
- Energy Security
- Climate Change
- Environment and Air Quality
- Economic Growth including Rural Development
A representative group of Ministers will each give 5 minutes of remarks and then the floor will be open.
Open Discussion2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Concurrent Session II
Stakeholder Session: The Economic and Environmental Benefits of Renewable Energy.
Chair: David Hales, President, College of the Atlantic
In this closed interactive session, the stakeholders will address the key benefits of rapid deployment of renewable energy technology including:- Energy Security
- Climate Change
- Environment and Air Quality
- Economic Growth including Rural Development
A representative individual will give 5 minutes of remarks.
- Speaker: Dieter Salomon, Lord Mayor, Freiburg, Germany
- Speaker: Corrado Clini, Chair, Global Bioenergy Partnership
- Speaker: Dan Reicher, Co-Chair of ACORE, and Director of Climate Change and Energy Initiatives, Google, Inc.
- Speaker: Lew Milford, President, Clean Energy Group (US)
- Speaker: Moekti H. Soejachmoen (Confirmed), Indonesia
- Speaker: Arthouros Zervos, President European Wind Energy Association, President European Renewable Energy Council
Open Discussion
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Networking Coffee Break
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Joint Ministerial-Stakeholder “Straight Talk” Session
Moderator: Hank Habicht, Vice Chairman of the Global Environment and Technology Foundation
The session will be kicked off by brief remarks by Andris Piebalgs, representing ministers and David Hales, President, College of the Atlantic representing stakeholders, who will share the results of the prior sessions. After their brief remarks the session will be open.
Open Discussion6:00 – 7:30 Optional Conference Activities Trade Show Reception Other
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The conference format for Wednesday is that there will be parallel and concurrent ministerial level sessions throughout the entire day. In the morning there will be two plenary sessions which will run concurrently 8:00 – 9:30 a.m., one plenary focuses on the Market Adoption and Finance focal theme (Plenary A) and the other plenary focuses on the Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Development focal theme (Plenary B). After the morning networking coffee break, there will be multiple concurrent ministerial level sessions (11:00 – 12:30 p.m.): three will focus on Market Adoption and Finance; four will focus on Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Development, and one session on state and local authorities©.
After lunch, the Research and Development focal theme will have a plenary session (2:30 – 4:00 p.m.). The Market Adoption and Finance focal theme will go directly into three concurrent ministerial level sessions for the afternoon. State and local authorities will hold a session.
Following the afternoon networking break (4:30 – 6:00 p.m.), the Research and Development focal theme (D) will hold four concurrent direct talk sessions, the Market Adoption and Finance focal theme will continue with three concurrent sessions, and the State and local authorities will hold one session.
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. Registration
Breakfast – Third Level8:00 – 9:30 a.m. Opening Plenary, Welcome and Remarks
Plenary A Market Adoption and Finance
Co-Moderator: Gregory Manuel, Special Advisor to the Secretary of State and International Energy Coordinator, United States Department of State
Co-Moderator: Alexander “Andy” Karsner (Confirmed), Assistant Secretary Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, United States Department of Energy
- Speaker: Maud Olofsson, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Energy, Sweden
- Speaker: Reuben Jeffery III, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, United States Department of State
- Speaker: Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota and Chair of the National Governors Association
- Speaker: Michael Liebreich, CEO, New Energy Finance Renewable Energy
Plenary B Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development
Moderator: Thomas Dorr, Chairman, Secretary’s Energy Council, Under Secretary for Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture- Speaker: Chuck Conner, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture
- Speaker: Marcos Jank, President and CEO, Brazilian Sugar Cane Industry Association (UNICA)
- Speaker: Andrzej Dycha, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Republic of Poland
- Speaker: Richard Tolman, CEO, National Corn Growers Association
- Speaker: Honorable Arthur Cua Yap, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Republic of the Philippines
TBD Conference Keynote: George W. Bush, President of the United States
11:00 – 12:30 p.m. Concurrent Ministerial Level Sessions: Market Adoption and Finance (3); Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (4); and State and local authorities.
11:00 – 12:30 p.m. Market Adoption and Finance Concurrent Sessions
A1. Grid-Connected Generation: Market Adoption and Deployment of New Technology Moderator: Connie Hedegaard, Minister for Climate and Energy, Denmark
Panelists:- Christine Wörlen, Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) – German Energy Agency
- Terry Hudgens, President and CEO, PPM Energy
- Ian Simm, Chief Executive Officer, Impax Group PLC.
- Lucien Bronicki, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Technology Officer, Ormat Technologies, Inc
Open DiscussionA2. Distributed and Off-Grid Generation: Market Adoption and Deployment of New Technology Moderator: Jeff Leonard, President and CEO, Global Environment Fund
Panelists:- Wu Guihui, Deputy Director General, Energy Bureau, National Development and Reform Commission, People’s Republic of China
- Linda Conlin, Vice Chair and First Vice President, Export Import Bank of the United States
- Gary Rieschel, Founder and Managing Director, Qiming Venture Partners
- Brian Sager, Vice President for Corporate Development, Nanosolar
Open DiscussionA3. Renewable Fuels: Market Adoption and Deployment of New Technology Moderator: Paolo Frankl, Head of Renewable Energy Unit, International Energy Agency
Panelists:- Guatam Bhandari, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley
- Kadri Nassiep, CEO, South African National Energy Research Institute
- Fernando Reinach, General Partner, Votorantim Ventures
- Steve Gatto, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Bioenergy International
- John Plaza, President/Founder, Imperium Renewables
Open Discussion11:00 – 12:30 p.m. Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Concurrent Ministerial Level Sessions
B1. Sustainability, Technology, and Development Moderator: Claudia McMurray, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science, United States Department of State
Panelists:- Juan Pablo Bonilla, Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initiative Coordinator, Inter-American Development Bank
- Prodipto Ghosh, Senior Advisor to Prime Minister of India and Distinguished Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute
- William D. Dar, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
- Rashmi S. Nair, Team Lead, Regulatory Product Characterization & Global Scientific Affairs, The Monsanto Company
- Manoel Vincente Bertone, Secretary for Production and Agro Energy, Ministry of Agriculture, Brazil
Open DiscussionB2. Rural and Economic Development Moderator: James R. Kunder, Deputy Administrator, United States Agency for International Development
Panelists:- Jamal Saghir, Director for Energy, Transport, and Water, World Bank
- Sarah Adams, CEO, GVEP International (Global Village Energy Partnership)
- Doug Faulkner, Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture
- Yasuo WATANABE, Deputy Director General, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan
Open DiscussionB3. Development of Biobased Products Industry (NON-Fuels) Moderator: Roger H. Conway, Director, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, United States Department of Agriculture
Panelists:- John Renieri, Vice President and General Manager, Bio-Based Materials – Energy & Specialties, DuPont
- Ibrahim Togola, Director, Mali Folkecenter / CURES Network, Citizens United for Renewable Energy and Sustainability, Mali.
- Boyd Rutherford, Chair, USDA Sustainable Operations Council, Assistant Secretary for Administration, United States Department of Agriculture
Open DiscussionB4. The Role of Forestry in Renewable Energy Moderator: Mark Rey, Vice Chairman, Secretary’s Energy Council and Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, United States Department of Agriculture
Panelists:- Donna Harman, President and CEO, American Forest & Paper Association
- Mauri Pekkarinen, Minister of the Economy, Finland
- Sundar Bajgain, Head Biogas Programs, Bangladesh
- Tom Richardson, Chief Executive Officer, Scion Group
Open Discussion11:00 – 12:30 p.m. State and Local Authorities Concurrent Ministerial Level Session
C1. Renewable Energy Policy & Financing Initiatives: Lessons Learned and Emerging Strategies The purpose of this session is to discuss state and local authorities and local authority driven initiatives to advance markets and projects. Co-Moderators: Virginia Sonntag-O’Brien, Coordinator, UNEP Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative – SEFI and Mihir Kumar Mohanty, Mayor of Bhubaneswar, India
Panelists:- Gunnhild Utkvitne, Director, Baltic Sea Solutions
- Mark Sinclair, Director, Clean Energy States Alliance (U.S.)
- Dieter Salomon, Lord Mayor, Freiburg, Germany
- Javier Garcia Monge, Energy and CDM Investment, Investment and Development Division”, Corfo, Chile
- Patrick J. D’Addario, President, Fiorello H. LaGuardia Foundation
Open Discussion12:30 – 2:30 p.m. Lunch: Ministers and Invitation Only
Host: Ed Schafer, Secretary, United States Department of AgricultureSpeaker: George E. Pataki, Former Governor of New York, Founder and Chairman of Pataki-Cahill Group
Speaker: Robert Mosbacher, Jr., President and CEO, U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)
12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Renewable Energy Luncheon Event for Parliamentarians By Invitation Only Northeast Curtain Room (LJ230) Jefferson Building Library of Congress
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Plenary Session Research and Development
Moderator: Peter Robertson, Vice Chairman, Chevron Corporation
- Speaker: Walter Kohn, Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry, 1998)
- Speaker: Ossur Skarphedinsson, Minister of Industry, Iceland
- Speaker: John Holdren, Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy, Harvard University and member of the National Academy of Sciences and Engineering
- Speaker: Li Junfeng, Secretary General, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association
- Speaker: Arthouros Zervos, President European Wind Energy Association, President European Renewable Energy Council
Open Discussion
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Market Adoption and Finance Concurrent Ministerial Level Sessions: These sessions focus on enabling renewable energy uptake in mature markets.
A4. Grid-Connected Generation in Mature Markets Moderator: Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Minister of National Infrastructure, Israel
Panelists:- Christopher Eckerberg, Vice President and Head of Public Affairs, Vattenfall
- John Cavalier, Vice Chairman, Credit Suisse Securities
- Pat Wood III, Principal, Wood3 Resources and Past Chairman of Advisory Board, Airtricity North America
Open DiscussionA5. Distributed and off-grid generation in Mature Markets Moderator: Wolfgang Palz, Chair, World Council for Renewable Energy
Panelists- Thomas Dinwoodie (Confirmed), CEO, SunPower’s PowerLight Subsidiary
- Mit Mehta, Principal, CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC
- Hannes Smárason, Chairman, Geysir Green Energy
- Peter Duprey, CEO, Acciona North America
Open DiscussionA6. Renewable Fuels in Mature Markets Moderator: Harry Duynhoven, Associate Minister of Energy and Minister of Transport Safety, New Zealand
Panelists- Paul Vikner, President and CEO, Mack Trucks
- Mark Fulton, Managing Director, Global Head of Strategic Planning and Climate Change Strategist, Deutche Bank
- Don Paul, Vice President – Special Projects, Chevron Corporation
- Mary Beth Stanek, Director of Environment, Energy, and Safety Policy, General Motors Corporation
Open Discussion2:30 – 4:00 p.m. State and Local Authorities Concurrent Ministerial Level Session
C2. Economic Development & Renewable Energy The purpose of this session is to explore various economic development tools state and local governments can employ to support key technology companies, the further commercialization of cutting-edge, employment generating renewable technologies, and the development of successful local and international markets for them.
Co-Moderators: Katie McGinty, Secretary, State of Pennsylvania: Energy Independence Strategy and Mrs. Aparajita Sarangi, Municipal Commissioner, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, India
Panelists:- Paul Tonko, President, NYSERDA, State of New York, Innovative Business Development
- Marta Bonifert, Executive Director, Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe
- Tom Delay, Chief Executive, UK Carbon Trust
- Stephen Kabuye, Mayor of Entebbe, Uganda
- Kaspars Gerhards, Minister of Economics, Latvia
Open Discussion4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Networking Coffee Break
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions: Market Adoption and Finance (3); Research and Development (4); and State and local authorities
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Market Adoption and Finance Concurrent Ministerial Level Sessions: These sessions focus on enabling renewable energy uptake in emerging markets.
A7. Grid-Connected Generation in Emerging Markets Moderator: David Bohigian, Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce
Panelists:- V. Subramanian, Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
- Noam Ben-Ozer, Managing Director, Focal Energy
- V.K. Garg, Chairman and Managing Director, Power Finance Corp
- Dana Younger, Senior Advisor for Renewable Energy and Sustainability, Infrastructure Department, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
- Jeffrey Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute, Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, and Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University
Open DiscussionA8. Distributed and off-grid generation in Emerging Markets Moderator: Mark Radka, Energy Programme Coordinator, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Panelists:- Amina Benkhadra, Minister of Energy, Mines, Water, and Environment. Morocco
- Leandro Alves, Head of Energy Division, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
- Christopher Flavin, President, Worldwatch Institute
- Anthony Orlando, President and CEO, Covanta Energy
- Angelo Reyes, Secretary, Department of Energy, Republic of the Philippines
Open Discussion
A9. Renewable Fuels in Emerging Markets Moderator: Hernan Martinez Torres, Minister, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Colombia
Panelists:- Yusof Basiron, CEO, Malaysian Palm Oil Council
- Nancy Floyd, Founder and Managing Partner, Nth Power
- José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo, President and CEO, Petrobras
- Anil Cabraal, Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank
- Glenn Prickett, Senior Vice President, Conservation International
Open Discussion4:30 – 6:00 p.m. State and Local Authorities Concurrent Ministerial Level Session
C3. Renewable Energy Collaboration Opportunities: Creating national and Sub-national Partnerships: Today, state decision-makers enact and implement the policies, programs, and plans that are key drivers of renewable energy technology market transformation within their borders. This panel will explore how national and sub-national entities can and are working together more effectively to leverage each sector’s particular strengths and resources to maximize renewable technology progress.
Moderator: Paul Suding, Head of Secretariat, REN21
Panelists:- Marianne Osterkorn – International Director, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership
- Kijune Kim, Chair of the Asia Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate, Renewable Energy Distributed Generation Task Force, South Korea
- Robert Meyers, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, United States Environmental Protection Agency
- Marty Sedler, Global Utilities Director, Intel Corporation
Open Discussion
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Concurrent Ministerial Level Sessions for Research and Development
D1. Bioenergy Feedstocks Moderator: Gale Buchanan, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, United States Department of Agriculture
Panelists:- Miles Drake, Senior Vice President, Research & Development, Weyerhaeuser Company
- Kepler Euclides Filho, Executive Director of EMBRAPA, Brazil
- Timothy Searchinger, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University
Open Discussion
D2. Bioenergy Conversion Processes Moderator: Ray Orbach, Under Secretary for Science, Office of Science, United States Department of Energy: Introduction to the topic
Panelists:- Jan-Eric Sundgren, Senior Vice President Environment and Public Affairs, Volvo Group
- James A. Dumesic, Professor of Engineering, University of Wisconsin
- Bruce E. Dale, Editor In Chief, Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining; Associate Director: Office of Biobased Technologies; and Professor: Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University
- David B. Sandalow, Senior Fellow Foreign Policy, The Brookings Institute Open Discussion
D3. Wind and Solar Moderator: Joachim Luther, Chairman of the International Science Panel on Renewable Energies (ISPRE)
Panelists:- Dan Arvizu, Director, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Nathan Lewis, George L. Argyros Professor of Chemistry, Cal Tech
- Arnold Goldman, Founder & Chairman of BrightSource Energy, Inc. and the Founder & Chairman of LUZ II, Ltd (Israel)
Open DiscussionD4. Ocean, Tidal, Geothermal, Hydro and Hydrogen
Panelists:- Liv Monica Stubholt, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Norway
- Kristjan Guy Burgess, Executive Director, Global Center, Iceland
- Jose Achache, Director, Group on Earth Observations Secretariat, Geneva, Switzerland
- Thorsteinn Sigfusson, Professor of Physics, University of Iceland, Iceland.
Open Discussion6:00 – 7:30 Optional Conference Activities Reception Third Level Other
Thursday, March 6, 20087:30 – 8:30 a.m. Registration
Breakfast in Pre-function Area8:30 – 10:00 a.m. Opening Plenary: Presentation of findings from focal theme discussions
Co – Moderator: Reno Harnish, Principal Deputy Assistant, Secretary of State, United States Department of State
Co – Moderator: Allan Johnson, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture
Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development – Thomas Dorr, Chairman, Secretary’s Energy Council, Under Secretary for Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture
Market Adoption and Finance – Gregory Manuel, Special Advisor to the Secretary of State and International Energy Coordinator, United States Department of State = Research and Development – Millie Dresselhaus, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), United States
Regional Findings – Buyelwa Sonjica, Minister, Ministry of Minerals and Energy, South Africa
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. Networking Coffee Break
10:30 – 12:00 p.m. Pledges and Commitments
James L. Connaughton, Chairman, White House Council on Environmental Quality
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Closing Remarks and Announcements
Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, United States Department of State
12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Lunch: Ministers and Invitation Only
Host: Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, United States Department of StateSpeaker: Graeme Wheeler, Managing Director, Operations, The World Bank Group