Wednesday, August 13

9:30am – 2pm

IBEW Local 400 Hall
3301 Highway 138, East Wall, NJ 07719

Jersey Renews is excited to present “Powering the Future: Turbines and the Grid,” a one day event on August 13th at the IBEW Local 400 Union Hall in Wall Township. At the conference we will hear from experts about the state of power generation in our state with a focus on needed grid upgrades and offshore wind. This event also presents an opportunity to bring together industry insiders, advocates, union members, and other interested parties to convene around our shared goals for producing more clean energy and creating good paying jobs in our state. We hope to see you there!

Agenda

9 a.m.: Registration/Coffee

9:30 a.m.: Morning Speakers:

Michael Ricca, Assistant Business Manager, IBEW Local 400
Dan Fatton, Director, Clean Energy, NJ Economic Development Authority
Doug O’Malley, Director, Environment New Jersey

10 a.m.: Panel 1: Preparing, Expanding, and Investing in the Electric Grid to Enable Clean Energy Deployment

We will be joined by transmission and grid experts who will cover the current situation our state finds itself in, and, most importantly, what we must do to make our state ready to deploy large scale clean energy projects including offshore wind. Like much of the infrastructure in our state, the grid is aging and not set up to efficiently and effectively connect and distribute the new clean energy supply we need to deal with our increasing energy demands. This panel will explore how this complex problem also creates significant opportunities to upgrade and modernize our grid in ways that create good-paying union jobs and prepare us for the future.

Moderator: Abby Watson, President, The Groundwire Group

• Evan Vaughan, Executive Director, MAREC Action
• Janice Fuller, Lobbyist, Princeton Public Affairs Group
• Suzanne Glatz, Principal Consultant, Glatz Energy Consulting LLC
• Joe DeLosa III, Manager, The Brattle Group

11 a.m.: Panel 2: Existing Offshore Wind Jobs on the East Coast and Prospects for New Jersey

Our second panel will be composed of unions, contractors, and general experts on the labor market for offshore wind. Offshore wind is not just a climate initiative, but also a major economic driver for our communities. Our panelists will overview already existing jobs in the clean energy and offshore wind industry in our region, as well as look forward to what our state can expect when projects are developed.

Moderator: Debra Coyle, Executive Director, NJ Work Environment Council

• Sam Salustro, Senior Vice President of Market and Policy Strategy, Oceantic
• Michael Hentrich, Project Manager – OSW, Riggs Distler
• Wyatt Earp, International Representative, Third District, IBEW
• Chris Sorenson, Council Representative, NYC District Council of Carpenters

12 p.m.: Lunch

12:30 p.m.: Video from New Jersey Senator Andy Kim

Lunch Fireside Chat: Preserving in an Uncertain Environment
Living in a changed world: Two top industry veterans dig into the grid and offshore wind’s most pressing challenges – and present ways forward for stakeholders.

• Kris Ohleth, Executive Director, Special Initiative on Offshore Wind
• Abby Watson, President, The Groundwire Group

1 p.m.: Panel 3: Developer Perspectives on How to Make Offshore Wind a Reality in New Jersey

For the final panel of the day, we will be hearing from offshore wind developers to get their perspective on what has worked and what should be changed to make projects easier to complete in the future. Exploring topics including state policies, procurement, permitting, and community engagement, our panelists will provide their unique insight into what actionable changes can be made to secure future success of the industry.

Moderator: Paulina O’Connor, Executive Director, NJ Offshore Wind Alliance

• Karen Imas, Senior External Affairs Manager, Attentive Energy
• Terence Kelly, Manager, External Affairs, Atlantic Shores
• John Dempsey, CEO, Bluepoint Wind

2 p.m. Closing:

Debra Coyle, Executive Director, NJ Work Environment Council

Thank you to our event sponsors

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Speakers