On October 18-19, 2011, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices held a workshop for governors’ energy and economic advisors to discuss the latest best practices in states’ economic development in the clean energy sector. The workshop brought together teams from the governor’s office, energy offices, and economic development agencies from eleven states in the northeast and Midwest to hear about successful case studies, resources, and contacts regarding policies and programs that foster business growth and cost-savings in energy efficiency and renewable energy. The workshop was held in Providence, Rhode Island with support from the US Department of Energy. Participants included representatives from the following states: Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Technical experts who spoke at the event included representatives from the US Department of Commerce, US Department of Interior, National Renewable Energy Laboratories, and Alliance to Save Energy. Discussion topics including how to balance market certainty with protecting ratepayer costs, variety of jobs created by clean energy, identifying state assets for clean energy cluster strategies, offshore wind policy advancements, models for fostering supply and innovation, and how to sctructure a comprehensive strategy that integrates economic development in and clean energy policy goals. Additional regional workshops will also be held for the West on December 8-9, 2011 and for the Southeast on January 10-11, 2012.

PRESENTATIONS:

  • Welcome From Rhode Island
    • Keith Stokes, executive director, Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
  • Identifying Local Strengths & Building a Comprehensive Strategy
    • Mitchell Horowitz, vice president and managing director, Battelle Technology Partnership Practice
    • Eric Shreffler, sector director, Advanced Energy Storage, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
    • Andy Brydges, executive director, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
  • Fostering Supply & Innovation in Clean Energy Markets
  • Rhode Island’s Low-Cost & Long-Term Clean Energy Price Innovations
    • Kenneth Payne, executive director, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources
    • Julian Dash, director, Renewable Energy Fund, Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
  • Helping Clean Energy Businesses Grow
    • Tom Congdon, assistant secretary for Energy and the Environment, Office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
    • Eric Heineman, sustainability policy advisor, Office of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
    • Andrew Moyer, chief of staff at Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
  • Building Demand for Robust Clean Energy Markets
    • Tricia Caliguire, policy advisor, Energy and Environment, Office of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
    • Elizabeth Doris, senior energy analyst, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • Advancing Energy Efficiency to Lower Costs and Drive Demand
    • Mark Troppe, manager, Strategic Partnerships, NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Department of Commerce
    • Maria Ellingson, senior program manager, Alliance to Save Energy
  • Job Growth through Transmission Investments
    • James Hoecker, senior counsel & energy strategist, Husch Blackwell LLP
  • Finance Mechanisms for Clean Energy Investments
    • Matthew H. Brown, principal, Harcourt Brown & Carey: Energy & Finance
  • Building the Offshore Wind Energy Economy
    • Ned Farquhar, deputy assistant secretary for Land and Management, Department of Interior
  • Improving Supply Chain Competitiveness
    • Mark Troppe, manager, Strategic Partnerships, NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Department of Commerce
  • Federal-State Partnerships To Advance Clean Energy Deployment
    • Ned Farquhar, deputy assistant secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Department of Interior 
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