AGENDA

 



RITZ-CARLTON, MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA | 15-16 OCTOBER 2009
DAY ONE – October 15
08.30 – 08.40 CHAIRMAN'S INTRODUCTION
Jerry Butler, Chairman, Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum
08.40 – 9.00 PRIME MINISTER'S WELCOME ADDRESS
The Hon. Bruce Golding, Prime Minister, Jamaica
09.00 – 10.30 HARNESSING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY POTENTIAL OF THE CARIBBEAN
A high-level panel comprising leading energy experts will define opportunities and obstacles for increased production of renewable energy across the region. To include the preliminary findings of a major new study undertaken by the World Bank.

Confirmed Speakers:
Thomas Scheutzlich, Principal Advisor, CREDP-GTZ – St. Lucia
Christiaan Gischler, Energy Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank
Franz Gerner, Caribbean Task Team Leader & Senior Energy Economist, The World Bank – USA
Joseph Williams, Programme Manager, Energy, Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) – Guyana
Jerry Butler, Chairman, Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (Moderator)
Andrew Dowdy, Deputy Director, Regional Economic Policy, US Department of State - USA
10.30 – 11.00 COFFEE BREAK
11.00 – 12.30

FINANCING CARIBBEAN RENEWABLES
In a risk-averse, recessionary, global climate the challenge to finance the renewable energy sector in the Caribbean is significant. Yet financing options still exist. This panel will discuss and analyze:

• Analysing the success criteria of projects world-wide that have found financing in challenging markets
• Sources of long-term funding, private equity, regional commercial banks, international and regional bond and equity markets
• The viability of Private Public Sector Partnerships (PPPs) in the region
• Multilateral sources of financing: analysing the best and most efficient programs. Plus analysis of energy incentive schemes.
• Carbon credits – how to tip long-term renewable projects into profitability

Confirmed Speakers:
Richard Ashby, Chief Financial Officer, RES Americas – USA
• Dr. Zhihong Zhang, Coordinator, Climate Change Mitigation, Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Jamie Fergusson, Investment Officer, IFC – USA
Scott Gardner, Managing Director, US Renewables Group (USRG)
Natacha Marzolf, Senior Energy Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) – USA
Curtis Mohammed, CEO, Trinidad Bulk Traders Ltd. – Trinidad & Tobago
Paul Thurk, Partner, ARCH Venture Partners – USA

12.30 – 13.30 LUNCH
Energy Innovation Contest - GVEP International, GTZ, IDB and the Korean Government: Awards Ceremony. Hosted by:
Sarah Adams,
Chief Executive Officer, Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP International)
Pablo Rosenthal,
Senior Advisor in RE/EE for IDB and GTZ
13.30 – 14.45 THE REGULATORY SESSION: DEFINING INNOVATIVE ENERGY POLICY THAT DRIVES INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLES
A high level panel will present and debate real-world solutions to the Caribbean's regulatory bottle-neck and to the over-riding need to drive investment into the region.

• How to define long-term renewable energy objectives and strategy framed in policy
• How to implement long-term incentive and sanction schemes that work
• Structuring power purchase agreements (PPAs)
• Feed-in tariffs (FITs) vs. alternative support schemes

Confirmed Speakers
Mark Lambrides, Division Chief, Energy & Climate Change, Organization of American States (OAS) (Moderator) - USA
Vernon L. Lawrence, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Grenada Electricity Services; Chairman, CARILEC - Grenada
David Ehrhardt, Chief Executive Officer, Castalia Strategic Advisors – USA
Catherine York, Managing Director, Americas, SunEdison – USA
John Cahill, Former Chief of Staff to Governor George E. Pataki and Former Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation of New York State; Counsel, Chadbourne & Parke LLP; CEO, Pataki-Cahill Group
14.45 – 15.45 CASE-STUDY: HEMISPHERIC BIOFUELS COOPERATION
Brazil is a global leader in the production and use of sugarcane based ethanol or ethyl alcohol. What can the Caribbean learn from Brazil's long-term solution-based approach to the oil crisis which hit Brazil in the 1970s?

• The case-study will also study the implications for the Caribbean of the US/Brazil biofuels initiative, which includes cellulose-derived biofuels
• Consistent with the Summit of the America's call for a Hemispheric Energy and Climate Partnership, the US and Brazil are working closely with the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti and St. Kitts and Nevis to foster a biofuels industry.
• This panel will analyse the success of this initiative to date, and prospects for the future now the program has been expanded to include Jamaica, Guatemala and Honduras.

Confirmed Speakers:
Matthew McManus, Division Chief, Energy Producer Country Affairs, US Department of State - USA (Moderator)
His Excellency Alexandre Rubem Milito Gueiros, Brazilian Ambassador to Jamaica
Judy Siegel, President, Energy and Security Group (ESG)
Onil Abreu Tabar, Executive Officer of Alternative Sources and Rational Energy Use, National Energy Commission, Dominican Republic
• Dr. Gary Jackson, Manager, Renewable Energy, PCJ - Jamaica
15.45 – 16.15 COFFEE BREAK
   
PART 2: RENEWABLE ENERGIES

The last session of Day 1 and all of Day 2 will be organized by ENERGY TYPE. Each panel will present in detail on the latest global technologies and their applicability in the Caribbean. Each will also address key regulatory, financing and maintenance issues specific to the region.
   
16.15 – 17.30

I. BIOMASS
Topics to be covered will include:

• Analysis of latest global technologies and their applicability in the region
• Sources of biomass. Bagasse, jatropha, &c. Food production vs. biomass production?
• Is this an opportunity to reinvent the Caribbean's agriculture sector? Social, policy, and economic implications.

Confirmed Speakers:
Dr. Frederique Abreu, Hemispheric Coordinator of Agrienergy and Biofuels, Inter- American Institute for Cooperation – Costa Rica
Aubyn Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Strategies Ltd. – Jamaica
James Moss-Solomon, Chairman, Scientific Research Council – Jamaica
John Keppler, President & CEO, Intrinergy – USA
Cary J. Claiborne, President & CEO, New Generation Biofuels - USA

17.30 – 17.45 CLOSING KEYNOTE ADDRESS
JIGAR SHAH
CEO, The Carbon War Room; Former CEO, & Founder, SunEdison
17.45 – 18.00 CLOSING MINISTERIAL ADDRESS
HON. JAMES ROBERTSON
Minister of Energy & Mining, Government of Jamaica
18.00 – 19.30 GALA RECEPTION
Hosted by: WRB Enterprises
19.30 DAY ONE CLOSE
   
DAY TWO – October 16
   
08.00 – 08.05 CCAA WELCOME
Anton Edmunds, Executive Director & CEO, Caribbean-Central American Action (CCAA)
08.05 – 08.20 OPENING KEYNOTE ADDRESS
GOVERNOR GEORGE E. PATAKI
Former Governor of the State of New York; Counsel, Chadbourne & Parke LLP; Founder & Chairman, Pataki-Cahill Group
08.20 – 09.20 II. SOLAR
Topics to be covered will include:

• Analysis of latest global technologies and their applicability in the region
• PV vs. CSP for the Caribbean
• Storage issues; solar as an on-grid energy source
• Key regulatory and financing issues

Confirmed Speakers:
Dr. Indra Haraksingh, UWI; President, Caribbean Solar Energy Society (Moderator) – Trinidad & Tobago
Dr. Larry Kazmerski, Executive Director, Science & Technology Partnerships, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) - USA
Henk de Beijer, CEO, De Beijer RTB B.V., Adviser to Netherlands Government – Netherlands
Dr. Christian Holter, Chief Executive Officer, S.O.L.I.D. - Austria
• Asier Aya, PV Division Director, Abengoa Solar, Inc. - USA
09.20 –10.20 III. WIND
Topics to be covered will include:

• Analysis of success of regional wind farms to date
• Recent developments in large-scale wind turbines
• Performance, cost, and maintenance issues
• Onshore vs. offshore for the Caribbean
• Key financing and regulatory issues

Confirmed Speakers:
Nicole Spencer, Director, Energy Policy, Council of the Americas – USA (Moderator)
Henk Hutting, Chief Executive Officer, NuCapital – Netherlands
Pierre Pesnel, Global Head Business Development, Vergnet - France
Martinho António Carvalho Soares, Project Manager, Vestas
10.20 – 11.20

IV. GEOTHERMAL
Topics to be covered will include:

• Analysis of developments in Nevis, Saba, Dominica
• Putting in place the substantial financial resources needed to undertake exploration and extraction.
• Key regulatory and legal issues
• Analysis of latest global technologies and their applicability in the region

Confirmed Speakers:
Nigel Hosein, Executive Director, Caribbean Electric Utility Service Corporation (CARILEC) – St. Lucia (Moderator)
Hon. Carlisle Powell, Minister of Communication, Works, Public Utilities, and Posts, Nevis Island Administration – St. Kitts & Nevis
Hon. Charles Savarin, Minister for Public Utilities, Energy and Ports, Commonwealth of Dominica - Dominica
Dr. Kerry McDonald, Chief Executive Officer, West Indies Power – St. Kitts & Nevis
Robert Blenker, VP Renewable Energy, Chief Development Officer, WRB Enterprises – USA

11.20 – 11.40 COFFEE BREAK
11.40 – 12.40

V. WASTE TO ENERGY
Topics to be covered will include:

• Analysis of ongoing projects in US Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Jamaica
• How to successfully structure and execute a Waste-to-Energy RFP
• Latest in global technologies and their applicability in the region
• Traditional vs. new technologies. Is Plasma Arc Gasification ready for the Caribbean?
• Key financing and regulatory issues

Confirmed Speakers:
Glenn J. Berger, Partner, Energy & Infrastructure Projects, Skadden Arps – USA
Hugo Hodge Jr., Executive Director & CEO, Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority (VIWAPA) – Virgin Islands
Anton Edmunds, Executive Director & CEO, Caribbean-Central American Action (CCAA) – USA (Moderator)
Rod Bryden, President & CEO, Plasco Energy Group – Canada
Peter Chromec, VP, Energy from Waste, AE&E - Von Roll - USA

12.40 – 13.40

VI. HYDRO, TIDAL, OCEAN
Topics to be covered will include:

• Assessing ongoing hydro projects and successes in Dominica, Guyana & Cuba
• Off-shore check-list: key regulatory, transmission, environmental issues
• Latest ocean thermal, tidal, wave technologies and their applicability in the Caribbean

Confirmed Speakers:
Ray Robinson, P. Eng., Vice President, Integrated Operations, Emera Inc. – CANADA
Michael Murphy, Vice President, Director of Renewable Energy – Alternative Technologies, HDR/DTA - USA
Pierre Lacombe, Eng., Vice President, Energy, GENIVAR – Canada

  CONFERENCE CLOSE