Leaders of Renewable Energy Sector Convene for Fourth Annual REFF-West Conference

SAN FRANCISCO, September 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

The top financiers of renewable energy in the U.S. will once again be gathering at the fourth annual Renewable Energy Finance Forum (REFF)-West, on Sept. 26-27, 2011 at The Four Seasons in San Francisco. 

The two-day event will convene more than 400 senior financiers, investors, clean energy executives and policy makers from across the U.S. to discuss opportunities for venture capital, private equity and project finance in clean energy companies.

"Perhaps more than ever, REFF-West is this year's most important renewable energy finance event," said ACORE President Admiral Dennis McGinn. "With several of the federal incentive programs expiring at the end of the year, we need to engage leadership to create the next wave of financial mechanisms to support the development of the American renewable energy industry."

The conference will feature representatives from top investment institutions, including Morgan Stanley and Vantage Point Capital Partners, who will speak on clean energy financing in a recession-hit market. The conference will also feature Google executive Rick Needham, Project Director of Green Business Operations & Strategy Finance, who will speak to Google's vision for the deployment of utility-scale renewable energy projects. Needham will focus on Google's attention to new technologies, wide investment portfolio and energy policies to back innovation.

Colonel Bob Charette, Director of Expeditionary Energy, United States Marine Corps, will speak on the U.S. military's use of renewable energies, particularly as it relates to the U.S. Marine Corps' use of solar energy to save energy and save lives.

New for 2011:

For the first time, REFF-West will address the challenges facing smaller-scale projects, zooming in on the $9 -$25 million range in two new sessions:

Emerging Commercial Technologies: As the West Coast continues to grow as a hub of innovative renewable energy technologies, this session will explore funding challenges with bringing new technologies to the market. This session is co-chaired by Stephan Dolezalek, Group Leader CleanTech, Vantage Point Capital Partners and Adam Umanoff, Partner, Akin Gump. Speakers include John Woolard, President and CEO, BrightSource Energy; F. William Capp, President & CEO, Beacon Power; Paul Gaynor, Chief Executive Officer, FirstWind; Mike Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Infinia Corporation; and Rob Bothwell, Executive Managing Director, Beecher Carlson.

Financing Smaller Deals: This session will spotlight deals in the $9-$25 million range and offer  practical advice on moving smaller-scale projects forward. The session is chaired by Ed Feo, Managing Director, USRG

Renewable Finance. Speakers include Chris Diaz, Senior Vice President, Seminole Financial Services; Richard Kauffman, Chairman of the Board, Levi Strauss; Dick Rai, Manager, PNC Energy Capital; Dan Adler, President, California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF); and Ray Henger, Chief Financial Officer, Own Energy.

In addition, REFF-West will cover challenges facing large-scale deals and projects with up-to-the-minute commentary from leading developers, financiers and lawmakers:

Putting Renewable Energy In Context: This session explores the role of renewable energy as part of the broader energy mix and identifies key drivers for development at scale. The session is chaired by Ira Ehrenpreis, General Partner, Technology Partners. Speakers include Neil Auerbach, Founder & Managing Partner, Hudson Clean Energy Partners; Matt Cheney, Chief Executive Officer, CleanPath Ventures LLC; and Jonathan Silver, Executive Director, Loan Guarantee Program, U.S. Department of Energy.

The View from Wall Street: A panel of top energy investment bankers will debate how the financial landscape has changed over the last year and what may happen in the future. Chaired by John Cavalier of Hudson Clean Energy Partners, speakers for this session include Kevin Genieser, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley; Raymond Wood, Co-Head Global Alternative Energy, Credit Suisse; Sandip Sen, Global Head - Alternative Energy, Citigroup Global Markets; and Amy Corinne Smith, Managing Director, Head Global Cleantech Investment Banking, Jefferies & Company Inc.

Alternative Sources of Financing: In another first for REFF-West, this session will focus on alternative sources of financing for renewable energy projects. The session is chaired by Ted Brandt, Principal-CEO, Marathon Capital, LLP. Speakers include Lenny Hochschild, Managing Director, Evolution Markets Inc.; Mahboob Hossain, Investment Officer, CalSTRS; and Francisco DeVries, President, Renewable Funding.  

About REFF-West:

REFF-West is the largest west-coast renewable energy finance conference focused on national energy issues and opportunities. It is hosted by ACORE, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, dedicated to raising the profile of renewable energy, and Euromoney Energy Events, a London-based wholly owned subsidiary of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC and organizer of conferences to address topical issues in the energy sector. For more information on confirmed speakers, pricing information, a complete program and more please visit http://www.reffwest.com.

Media Contact:
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SOURCE ACORE