The Solar Powering Minnesota Conference program was packed with an energizing mix of large-group speakers, breakout sessions, and networking time.

See below for the full agenda and to download speaker presentations. Note: All presentations are for personal use only. They are copyright protected by their authors and should not be reproduced or used without the speaker’s consent.

8:00-9:00am – Registration, Breakfast & Sponsor Time

9:00-10:15am – Welcome & Plenary

• Welcome: Lissa Pawlisch, CERTs
• Kickoff: Commissioner Mike Rothman
• Keynote: Minh Le, Director, Solar Energy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy
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10:30-11:45am – Morning Breakout Sessions

Minnesota Solar Legislation: Updates from 2013
Minnesota Policy and Programs Track

• Moderator: Lissa Pawlisch, U of M Extension and Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
• Bill Grant, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
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• Lynn Hinkle, Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association
• Deb Sundin, Xcel Energy

On-Site Storage: Cost-Benefit Analysis
Minnesota Energy Studies Track

• Moderator: Lise Trudeau, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
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• Giovanni Damato, Strategen Consulting
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• Ben Kaun, Electric Power Research Institute

Commercial Financing Mechanisms
Project Finance Track

• Moderator: Eric Rehm, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
• Jeremy Kalin, Eutectics
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• Peter Klein, Saint Paul Port Authority
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• Bob Long, Larkin Hoffman
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Local Government Solar Development
Solar-Ready Communities Track

• Moderator: Diana McKeown, Great Plains Institute
• Pete Berger, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
• Todd Fink, Century College
  
• Lindsay Wimmer, University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
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11:45am-1:00pm – Lunch & Plenary

• Welcome: Nick Hylla, MREA
• Keynote: Karl Rábago, Principal, Rábago Energy LLC

1:00-2:15pm – Post-Lunch Breakout Sessions

State of Solar Development in Minnesota
Minnesota Policy and Programs Track

• Moderator: Laura Cina Burrington, Minnesota Renewable Energy Society
• Co-Moderator: Alison Groebner, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
• Kim Havey, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
• Lynn Hinkle, Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association
• Eric Jensen, Minnesota Renewable Energy Society
• Tina Koecher, Minnesota Power
• Stacy Miller, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
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Value of Solar Thermal in Minnesota
Minnesota Energy Studies Track

• Moderator: Brian Ross, CR Planning
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• Jason Edens, Rural Renewable Energy Alliance
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• Abby Finis, CR Planning
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• Stacy Miller, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
• Chad Skally, Live Green Apartments
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Emerging Financing Mechanisms
Project Finance Track

• Moderator: Sara Bergan, Stoel Rives LLP
• Matt Bertolatus, Geronimo Energy
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• Matthew Brown, Harcourt Brown & Carey
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• Joe Ritter, Seminole Financial Services, LLC
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Strategies for Spurring Local Market Development
Solar-Ready Communities Track

• Moderator: Joel Haskard, U of M Extension and Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
• Steve Hoffman, University of St. Thomas
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• Nick Hylla, Midwest Renewable Energy Association
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• Jack Kluempke, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
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2:30-3:45pm – Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Utility Panel: Minnesota Community Shared Solar Programs
Minnesota Policy and Programs Track

• Moderator: Erin Stojan Ruccolo, Fresh Energy
• Bob Jagusch, Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association
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• Craig Konz, Xcel Energy
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• Mark Rathbun, Great River Energy
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Energy Futures Study
Minnesota Energy Studies Track

• Moderator: Annie Levenson-Falk, Legislative Energy Commission
• Senator John Marty, Minnesota State Senate
• Eric Maurer, Rocky Mountain Institute
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• Rolf Nordstom, Great Plains Institute

Consumer Financing Mechanisms
Project Finance Track

• Moderator: Dustin Denison, Applied Energy Innovations
• Kim Havey, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
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• Rebecca Lundberg, Powerfully Green
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Permitting, Planning and Zoning Resources
Solar-Ready Communities Track

• Moderator: Abby Finis, CR Planning
• Stacy Miller, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
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• Devon Piernot, University of Minnesota MGIS Student
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• Brian Ross, CR Planning
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3:45-5:00pm – Networking Social & Sponsor Time

Minh Le, Director, Solar Energy Technologies Office, U.S. DOE

Minh Le is the Director of the Solar Energy Technologies Office within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), where he helps to manage and balance a roughly $1B multi-year portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment programs to achieve the goals of the SunShot Initiative. Prior to his current role at the DOE, Minh spent his career in the semiconductor and solar industry developing technologies and scaling new technologies to high volume manufacturing. Minh earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from MIT, where he held fellowships with DOE, the Department of Defense, and the Bose Foundation.

Karl Rábago, Principal, Rábago Energy LLC

Karl R. Rábago has some 20 years experience in electricity policy and regulation, energy markets development, and energy technology development and currently operates an energy consulting practice called Rábago Energy LLC. Karl’s past positions include Commissioner, Texas Public Utility Commission; Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Department of Energy; Vice President of Distributed Energy Services at Austin Energy; Director of Regulatory Affairs for the AES Corporation and AES Wind; Sustainability Leader with NatureWorks, LLC; and Managing Director & Principal, Rocky Mountain Institute.

Training opportunities were offered before and after the conference. See the options that were available below.

• Photovoltaics 101
  March 5, 2014 – Minneapolis, MN
• Solar PV Site Assessor Training
  March 6, 2014 – Minneapolis, MN
• IAEI Inspecting PV Systems
  March 6, 2014 – St. Paul, MN
• PV 405.02 Advancements in PV
  March 6, 2014 – St. Paul, MN
• PV 703.01 PV Program Development
  March 7-8, 2014 – St. Paul, MN
• PV 203.01 PV Sales and Finance
  March 8, 2014 – St. Paul, MN