In an effort to accelerate actionable solutions in clean energy, the Clean Energy and Sustainability Analytics Center at Montclair State University will hold its 5th annual Clean and Sustainable Energy Summit on May 2.
Montclair State officials said the forum will aim to provide informed participant-driven discussion on clean energy technology, policy and acceptance between industry experts, policymakers, academia, investors, technology startups, environmental groups and other stakeholders to encourage collaboration and project development.
The all-day event will feature five panel discussions and a luncheon keynote address from New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Christine Guhl-Sadovy.
This is an invitation-only event.
For more information, click here.
The panels include:
Session 1 (9:45-11 a.m.): Offshore Wind Economy: Transition and Deployment
Offshore wind is gaining momentum off the coasts of New Jersey and New York, reflected in recent approval of Leading Light Wind and Attentive Energy Two projects with a combined capacity of 3,742 megawatts.
This session will explore recent developments in area of OSW, learnings from industry’s early journey on OSW, stakeholder engagement to foster collaboration, balancing the development of OSW with all ecosystems involved in traditional ocean uses, grid interconnection, and workforce development.
Session 2 (11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.): Energy Security and Resilience for an Evolving Energy Grid
The security and resilience of our energy transmission network is vital to our way of life. The characteristics of how we generate and consume energy are changing rapidly. With greater reliance on energy-intensive technologies, challenges around fuel switching, evolving weather patterns, supply chain disruptions and increasing levels of distributed energy, there is a critical need to balance energy-sector aspirations against the reality of threats to today’s energy infrastructure.
This session explores pathways towards a more secure and resilient energy future, including interconnected issues of grid security and resilience, workforce needs, software and hardware vulnerability, technology modernization, data and digital transformation and operational excellence.
Session 3 (1:30-2:45 p.m.): Energy Efficiency Innovation for Equitable Decarbonization
New Jersey has a robust ecosystem for highly effective efficiency programs. The session will highlight the learnings from Triennium 1 EE framework, whereby utilities established EE and peak demand-reduction programs that reduced customer electricity and natural gas usage within their territories.
This panel will feature a discussion with utilities, state agencies and other stakeholders to accelerate current and future energy efficiency programs, lessons about how to improve these programs, and the need for creative, innovative and scalable technology, practices and solutions for equitable decarbonization.
Session 4 (3-4:15 p.m.): Geothermal Energy Development & Deployment
New Jersey has recently launched efforts to develop geothermal projects and integrate the energy source into the state’s renewables portfolio. Recent endeavors such as state agencies partnerships for pilot projects have revitalized the importance of geothermal in the energy mix, not just in electricity generation, but also in direct use of heat for district heating and industrial applications and geothermal heat pumps in residential and commercial buildings.
This panel session will discuss the role of geothermal energy in the state’s energy goals, emerging technologies, market challenges and opportunities, and environmental issues associated with this transition.
Session 5 (4:30-5:30 p.m.): Catalyzing Clean Technology Development
How are startups and investors looking at the landscape ahead for energy and sustainability? In this panel, speakers will share their thoughts on startup opportunities, experience, accelerating high-impact clean energy technology development and ultimately deploying those technologies into the private sector for use by consumers and businesses. The focus will be how can academic partnerships facilitate technology evolution and analytics needs.
