2016 PAST PROGRAM
Southern California Energy Water + Green Living Summit 2016 Program
Day 1 – Wednesday, October 26, 2016
5:00pm to 7:30pm – Welcome Reception Mixer @ The Living Desert
Day 2 – Thursday, October 27, 2016
7:30am – Registration & Networking (exhibit hall; virtual reality lounge open)
8:30am – Opening Remarks
- Scott White, President & CEO, Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau
8:35am – Welcome to Rancho Mirage
- Hon. Ted Weill, Mayor, City of Rancho Mirage
8:40am – Rooftop Solar and the Power Shift
David Herrlinger, Vice President, Hot Purple Energy
9:00am – The Case for Community Choice Aggregation
- Hon. Mark Landman, City of Cotati and Outgoing Chairman, Sonoma Clean Power
9:20am – Renewable Energy: Threading the Needle between Development & Conservation
The desert’s reliable sunlight and wind makes it a hotspot for renewable energy development, so how do we balance the need to reduce carbon emissions against concerns of conservationists seeking to protect threatened species?
- Karen Douglas, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
- Jerry Perez, State Director, Bureau of Land Management
- Shannon Eddy, Executive Director, Large Scale Solar Association
- Kim Delfino, State Director, Defenders of Wildlife
- Nancy Rader, Executive Director, CalWEA
Moderator: Sammy Roth, energy reporter, The Desert Sun
10:20am – Taking on the Water – Energy Nexus with Advanced Energy Storage
- Susan Kennedy, CEO, Advanced Microgrid Solutions
10:40am – Networking Break: Exhibit Hall + Virtual Reality Lounge
11:00am – The Salton Sea: Renewable Energy & Water Sustainability
Big changes are on the horizon for the Salton Sea. Find out what those changes mean for the environment, renewable energy initiatives and California's drought.
- Bruce Wilcox, Assistant Secretary, California Natural Resources Agency Water
- Hon. Salomón Ramírez, Chief Consul of Mexico to Southern California
- Mike Lynes, Director of Public Policy, Audubon California
- Luis Olmedo, Executive Director, Comite Civico Del Valle
Moderator: Phil Rosentrater, Deputy Director, Riverside County EDA and General Manager, Salton Sea Authority
11:45am – Lunch (Exhibit Hall and Virtual Reality Lounge Open)
12:30pm – Welcome Back
- Tom Kirk, Executive Director, Coachella Valley Association of Governments
12:35pm – Welcome by Presenting Sponsor
- Hon. Jeff Grubbe, Chairman, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
12:45pm – Building a Deliciously Green Company, One Scoop at a Time
- Jerry Greenfield, Co-Founder, Ben & Jerry’s
1:30am – Setting the Standard: How California will Lead the Charge against Climate Change
The champion of historic climate change legislation in California will talk about how we got here, and how achieving climate justice ultimately is a win for the economy and public health.
- Hon. Eduardo Garcia, Assemblymember, California 56th District
1:45am – Forging a Path to a Sustainable Region
A discussion on how we meet California’s ambitious new climate goals, create a clean-energy economy and encourage sustainability throughout the region.
- Hon. Eduardo Garcia, Assemblymember, California 56th District
- Kevin Kelley, General Manager, Imperial Irrigation District
- Dawn Wilson, Director of Environmental Policy & Sustainability, SoCal Edison
- SoCal Gas (speaker to be announced)
Moderator: Hank Plante, Emmy & Peabody winning journalist, and Desert Sun Editorial Board Member
1:45pm – Water in the West: Searching for Solutions as the Colorado River Dwindles
The Colorado River is severely over-allocated, and the water levels in Lake Mead have declined to record lows. Negotiations are underway to avert an even more severe shortage, while drought and climate change are adding to strains on water supplies across the West.
- Tina Anderholt Shields, Water Manager, Imperial Irrigation District
- Demetri Polyzos, Senior Engineer, Metropolitan Water District
- Jeanine Jones, Interstate Resources Manager and Deputy Drought Manager, California Department of Water Resources
Moderator: Ian James, Environmental Reporter, The Desert Sun
3:15pm – Conference Close
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