2023 Agenda
Interested in speaking? Please reach out to Jadon Guthrie (Production Lead) to learn more: jguthrie@solarmedia.co.uk
09:00 -
09:15
Presentation
Speaker
Co-author/Editor of Renewable Energy Finance: Powering the Future,
University of Washington
09:15 -
09:45
Keynote
Now the IRA has established a 10-year window for tax credit structures and incentives supporting renewable energy development, long term certainty has gripped the solar and storage market. What financial, developmental, and political opportunities does the decade ahead hold?
Our headline speaker explores the opportunities currently at our fingertips and the opportunities ahead we dare not miss.
Our headline speaker explores the opportunities currently at our fingertips and the opportunities ahead we dare not miss.
Speaker
09:45 -
10:30
Keynote Panel
- How are stakeholders optimizing tax credits and incentives at both the federal and state level?
- What types of transactions have closed since the IRA's passage and what are the trends going forward?
- How has appetite changed for solar, co-located storage and standalone storage?
- What technologies have become de-risked enough to be adopted at scale?
- How are developers complying with new wage and apprenticeship requirements to maximize new tax credit structures?
Speakers
Managing Director Group Head Utility, Power & Renewable Energy,
KeyBanc Capital Markets
10:30 -
10:50
Presentation
Speaker
11:20 -
11:40
Keynote
Over the course of 2023, the US expects to see more than half of new electric-generating capacity come from solar with 29.1GW forecasted to come from solar and 9.4GW from battery storage as modelled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This keynote address provides insight into how the sector can boost increased investment and deployment into solar and storage, and the work ongoing across the regulatory landscape to unlock projects:
- How are national and regional regulators approaching distributed energy storage, grid investments, grid modernization and payment models?
- How does the regulatory landscape differ from state to state and region to region?
- How are the economics of projects projected to change as rates, incentives and payment models continue to evolve?
Speaker
11:40 -
12:10
Live Q&A
This is your opportunity to have your all your financial questions answered about revenue stacking, credits and applications of the deductions coming out of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
This session offers a live Q&A where attendees are in control of the agenda by bringing their questions related to incentives, adders and credits available through the IRA. Questions will be taken on and around the following topics:
- ITC for storage
- PTC for solar
- Tax Credits for Manufacturers
- Additional Credits Available
- Transferability of Credits
- Direct Pay
- Revenue and Adder Stacking
- Energy Communities and Low-Income Communities
Speaker
12:10 -
12:30
Panel Discussion
Speaker
Stream 1 – Manufacturing, Procurement and Optimization
Stream 2 – The Future of Solar & Storage Finance and Investment
14:00 -
14:40
Room One
Panel Discussion
- How is the IRA changing the construction, manufacturing and procurement landscape?
- What investment opportunities does an emerging US manufacturing base offer the sector?
- How will onshoring domestic manufacturing impact the economics of projects ahead?
- How are developers and asset owners securing their equipment supply chains and meeting domestic content requirements?
Speakers
14:00 -
14:50
Room Two
Panel Discussion
- Where are the opportunities for lenders in this new IRA era? Will debt finance play a bigger or a smaller role?
- Will tax equity become a more prominent mechanism of connecting capital with projects in the years ahead?
- How has banking and interest rate instability impacted solar transaction financing and what do we expect going forward?
- Are investors allowing project level debt or just back leverage? And with tax equity’s role taking a larger portion of the capital stack change, does this alter the perspectives of investors?
- How much of a role do we expect transferability, direct pay and PTCs to play in financing the future of solar projects in the US?
- Are increases in cost of capital, equipment and energy affecting the returns lenders and investors are expecting?
- What can be done to bring down the cost of capital?
Moderator
Co-author/Editor of Renewable Energy Finance: Powering the Future,
University of Washington
Speakers
14:40 -
15:30
Room One
Panel Discussion
The panel begins with a presentation on the latest forecast for US energy prices for 2024 and beyond.
- How are others ensuring greater accuracy of their financial modelling when power projections are volatile?
- How should developers and investors approach negotiations when there is volatility in power price forecasts?
Speaker
14:50 -
15:30
Room Two
Panel Discussion
- How has investment and development of standalone storage shifted post-IRA?
- What are the risks ahead for standalone storage which stakeholders should prepare for going into 2024?
- How are stakeholders structuring project finance for standalone compared to co-located storage?
- Is the appetite for merchant risk evolving for financiers and lenders?
- How can developers reduce merchant risk for finance partners?
- What technologies have been de-risked enough that investors have confidence backing?
- How are leading developers maximizing returns from standalone storage?
Speakers
15:30 -
15:50
Room One
Presentation
Speaker
15:40 -
16:30
Room Two
Panel Discussion
- How has the IRA impacted the valuation of assets, projects and companies?
- How are inflationary pressures on capital and equipment affecting the M&A market?
- Are we seeing a shift in appetite from co-located to standalone storage post-IRA?
- How are leaders navigating fluctuating valuations across a deal life cycle?
Speakers
16:00 -
16:50
Room One
Panel Discussion
- Where are developers choosing to prospect projects post-IRA?
- Challenges and opportunities in locating projects in low income or "energy communities"
- Navigating the origination process in urban compared to rural locations
- Managing the risk in locating assets across greenfield, brownfield, landfills and superfund sites
Speakers
Acting Director - Portfolio Management Division,
Loan Programs Office - Department of Energy
16:30 -
17:20
Room Two
Panel Discussion
- How to asses your risk appetite for prospective and current battery storage owner
- How to incorporate merchant exposure into your asset portfolio
- Balancing algorithmic automation and market expertise
- What to look for from software and providers designed to optimize storage assets
Speakers
17:20 -
17:30
Presentation
Speaker
Co-author/Editor of Renewable Energy Finance: Powering the Future,
University of Washington
09:00 -
09:20
Keynote
Appetite for large-scale solar and energy storage continues to grow in the State of New York with another multi-gigawatt renewables tender on the cards over 2024. NYSERDA is announcing the launch of their “storage road map” that includes specific programs designed to support an additional 5 GW of residential, commercial and utility-scale within the State. NYSERDA leadership shares the direction of travel for renewables in New York State for 2024 and beyond.
Speaker
Vice President - Distributed Energy Resources Technologies,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
09:20 -
10:10
Panel Discussion
- Current progress on meeting net zero targets and decarbonization through clean energy
- The impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on market design across regional power markets
- Where are the growing opportunities for investors and developers in each power market?
- How to make storage assets more financeable at the market design level
- Is there a growing need for short duration ESS and LDES in wider grid resiliency?
- How to bridge the gap between requests for LDES and the capital available for LDES projects?
- Are capacity payments from grid operators on the horizon?
Moderator
Speakers
10:10 -
10:30
Presentation
Speaker
Stream 1 – Grids, Interconnection and Permitting
Stream 2 – Emerging Solar and Storage Markets
11:00 -
11:30
Room One
Presentation
This session will showcase the latest in interconnection research. What are trends can be seen? How long are interconnection queues in different power markets? What are the timelines you can expect for your pipeline projects?
Speaker
Policy Researcher and Project Lead - Interconnection Costs,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
11:00 -
11:40
Room Two
Panel Discussion
- How is the community energy sector evolving since the IRA?
- Where should those with limited time and resources focus their energy?
- How to manage risk specific to community solar projects?
- What are the most efficient ways to build a base of subscribers?
- How are developers extracting the most value from collocated storage assets on community solar projects?
- How are leading developers championing the interests of landowners and community stakeholders?
Moderator
Northeast Regional Director & Director of Policy,
Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA)
Speakers
11:30 -
12:00
Room One
Presentation
Speaker
11:40 -
12:20
Room Two
Panel Discussion
- What are the current and potential US markets for green hydrogen?
- Does the investment and debt market have greater confidence in green hydrogen compared to other LDES?
- What’s the current appetite from the debt market?
- What are is required from the market for green hydrogen to be scalable?
Speakers
12:00 -
13:00
Room One
Interactive Roundtable
This roundtable session offers you the chance to network and seek answers to your queries around permitting, interconnection, available participation models, state programs and emerging solar states across a range of power markets.
Each roundtable will be moderated by representatives from each regional power market.
If you are interested in sponsoring, please get in touch with our Head of Sales USA, Dan White: dwhite@solarmedia.co.uk.
Speakers
12:20 -
13:00
Room Two
Panel Discussion
- How are commercial and industrial developers optimizing federal and state incentives?
- How are leading C&I developers structuring project finances to maximize value?
- Is there commercial and industrial appetite for energy storage solutions?
- What are energy offtakers and utilities seeking from their long-term partnerships?
- How are developers and offtakers incorporating virtual power purchasing agreements into their solutions offering or energy procurement strategy?
Moderator
Speakers
Stream 1 – Grids, Interconnection and Permitting
Stream 2 – Emerging Solar and Storage Markets
14:30 -
15:30
Room One
Interactive Roundtable
This session will begin with quick-fire presentations from each investor on investment opportunities and partnerships they’re currently seeking.
The audience will then split into smaller roundtable discussion groups where investors and developers can discuss business 1-2-1. Each round table will be hosted by an investor and developers will move around the room.
Tickets only available to developers and investors.
If you are interested in sponsoring, please get in touch with our Head of Sales USA, Dan White: dwhite@solarmedia.co.uk.
Speakers
14:30 -
15:00
Room Two
Presentation
The need to find a scalable solution offering long-duration and alternatives to lithium-ion energy storage is growing on a daily basis. This session explores what is needed at a policy level, current use cases in the US and the increasing role LDES will feature in power markets.
Speaker
Chief Executive Officer,
Long Duration Energy Storage Council (LDES Council) & Chair of Global Renewables Alliance
15:00 -
15:45
Room Two
Presentation
This session will begin with quick-fire presentations from each LDES technology representative on what the investment opportunities, current markets and use cases.
The audience will then split into smaller roundtable discussion groups where delegates can discuss business 1-2-1. Each round table will be hosted by a LDES technology provider, investor and developer. Delegates will have opportunities to move around the room.
If you are interested in sponsoring, please get in touch with our Head of Sales USA, Dan White: dwhite@solarmedia.co.uk.
Moderator
Chief Executive Officer,
Long Duration Energy Storage Council (LDES Council) & Chair of Global Renewables Alliance
15:45 -
16:30
Panel Discussion
The outlook for solar and storage remains strong for the decade ahead, as an additional 358 GW of solar and 111 GW of battery storage capacity is forecasted to be deployed by 2030. Spurring this clean energy boom will be the billions (if not trillions) in private sector investment attracted to the US clean energy market by the IRA's $369 billon dollar package.
This session takes a magnifying glass to the outlook of capital for solar and storage ahead:
- What emerging states are investors entering or increasing investment exposure in for solar and storage?
- What technologies have now been sufficiently de-risked and are ready to be backed at scale?
- What asset classes do investors have the most appetite for going forward?
- What are the headwinds ahead to have on the radar heading into 2024?
