Major Themes from NECA’s Renewable Energy Project Development Conference

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Project finance, permitting and new market opportunities were three main themes voiced by attendees at the The Northeast Energy and Commerce Association’s (NECA) March 1^st conference on successful renewable energy project development.

“Governor Patrick intends to put state government squarely behind clean energy, not only as an environmental imperative, but as an economic opportunity.”

About 250 industry representatives from emerging technology startups and venture capital firms to large utilities and policymakers gathered to hear a range of experts in panel discussions as well as Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles deliver the keynote address. Key breakout sessions included project finance issues, biofuels development, and opportunities for renewable developers in new markets in New England.

Said Secretary Bowles, “Governor Patrick intends to put state government squarely behind clean energy, not only as an environmental imperative, but as an economic opportunity.”

Electric industry restructuring, coupled with a high level of environmental awareness, has created a large demand for new renewable energy projects in the Northeast. Despite demand, project developers must still clear certain hurdles.

NECA Vice President for Policy, Mary Beth Gentleman, also co-chair of Foley Hoag’s Energy Technology & Renewables practice, added, “Many forces are pushing the use of renewable technologies, but New England has been slow to implement them. This conference was very instrumental in bringing together the right thought leaders and for pushing some of those issues to the forefront. Now we must focus on identifying, developing, and implementing feasible solutions.”

For more than two decades, NECA has created an open forum among electric power stakeholders to foster the development and maturation of competitive power markets. NECA promotes environmentally sound, reliable and cost-effective wholesale and retail markets for the production and delivery of electric power supply, as well as competing energy services and resource alternatives, including conservation, innovative demand-side and power delivery technologies, renewable energy and distributed generation.

The conference was chaired by Dennis Loria, President of Loria Emerging Energy Consulting. Premier sponsors included Conservation Services Group, Inc., WilmerHale; additional sponsors include Adler Pollock & Sheehan, P.C.; AMEC Earth & Environmental, Applied Technology & Management, Inc.; Brown, Olson & Gould, P.C.; BSC Group; CommonWealth Resource Management; Constellation NewEnergy; Day Pitney LLP; Epsilon Associates, Inc.; ESS Group, Inc.; Ferriter, Scobbo & Rodophele, P.C.; Foley Hoag LLP; GDS Associates, Inc.; Keegan Werlin LLP; La Capra Associates; Loria Emerging Energy Consulting; National Grid; New Energy Opportunities, Inc.; Nixon Peabody LLP; PPM Energy, Inc.; R.W. Beck, Inc.; Rath, Young and Pignatelli; Rich May, P.C.; Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC; Tetra Tech EC, Inc.; and TRC.