Renewable Energy Conference

This June, the School of Management will host the 2018 Renewable Energy Conference, the premier renewable energy conference on the East Coast.

Organized in partnership with the Hudson Renewable Energy Institute and the Business Council of New York, the event runs from June 26-27 and is being billed as “a leadership forum on energy policy.”

The energy landscape is in flux. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s REV (Reforming the Energy Vision) initiative is overhauling current regulations on utility companies in order to spur the use of more efficient and “green” energy sources. The policy changes are expected to have repercussions on the bulk electric market as well as on the development and pricing of renewable sources of supply.

The conference begins on Tuesday evening with a welcome reception in Marist’s Cornell Boathouse. On Wednesday, five morning [renew] workshops will be held, leading up to a midday luncheon; the afternoon session features two panel discussions on “renewables of the future, and transmission and renewables,” said Maribeth Riley, director of conference development for the Business Council of New York. (The complete agenda was being finalized at press time.)

The luncheon keynote speaker, Dr. John E. Kelly III, is senior vice president, cognitive solutions and research, at IBM. A member of the National Academy of Engineers, Kelly’s current position is focused on some of the company’s most strategic parts of the technology market, such as IBM Watson and Cloud Platform.

What can businesspeople hope to gain by attending the conference? The opportunity to “take the pulse” of the industry, Riley said. “We’ll be reviewing the state’s energy policy, and looking at what the future holds for renewables. I think all aspects of business are affected by energy. And to be able to talk to the experts who have knowledge and influence on these policies is a great thing.”