CLEAN ENERGY BUSINESS COUNCIL
2025 Conference Agenda
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP: October 7, 1PM - 4PM
Pre-registration required
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Communicating with the Public, Stakeholders, and Commissions for Permitting Success
This year’s Future Forward Conference is offering a unique opportunity for attendees to
add value and enhance their experience by participating in a Pre-Conference Workshop
focused on how to create the environment that can lead to getting a project permitted
and hands-on training on how to handle contentious hearings, public meetings, or
information sessions. Whether you are new to the industry or a seasoned veteran,
developer or consultant and looking for new ideas, this Workshop is geared for you.
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Conference agenda subject to change
Presenters: Program Chairs Dr. Christopher Ollson and Alan Claus Anderson joined by Frank Rizzo of Bantam Communications
DAY 1: October 8
Welcome and Keynote Speakers
7:30am - 10:00am
9:00am - 9:15am
9:15am - 10:15am
10:15am
Registration Opens
Welcome / Opening Remarks
Dorothy Barnett - Executive Director, Climate + Energy Project
Plenary Opening
Alan Claus Anderson - Energy Practice Group Chair, Polsinelli
Elizabeth Weise - Energy Reporter, USA Today
Break
Make your way to Emerald I or IV/V for the concurrent sessions
Concurrent Sessions
Large-scale Energy Systems
10:30am - 11:20am
11:30am - 12:20pm
12:30pm - 1:20pm
1:30pm - 2:20pm
2:30pm - 3:20pm
3:30pm - 4:20pm
Natural Gas Plants: The Dispatchable Energy
Jason Humphrey - Vice President of Development, Evergy
Dr. Christopher Ollson - Environmental Health Scientist, OEHM
Steve Samuel - Associate Vice President, Business Development Director, Black and Veatch
Moderator: David Streicker - Energy Lawyer, Polsinelli
Battery Storage: Satisfying Power
Demand Safely
Shawn Morris - Public Safety Consultant, Energy Safety Response Group
Adam Jakubowski - Senior Consultant, Energy Safety Response Group
Gabriel Weger - Section Manager Acoustics and Noise Control, Burns & McDonnell
Rafael Torres - Director of Storage Integration, NextEra
Moderator: Dr. Chris Ollson - Ollson Environmental Health Management
Lunch - Energy Policy Discussion
Senator Michael Fagg - Chair, Senate Committee on Utilities
Representative Leo Delperdang - Chair, House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications
Eric Stafford - Vice President of Government Affairs, Kansas Chamber of Commerce
Moderator: Alan Claus Anderson - Energy Practice Group Chair, Polsinelli
Energy Project Siting in Kansas and the Role of Property Rights
Dr. Claire Burch - Scientist, Olsson
Alan Claus Anderson - Energy Practice Group Chair, Polsinelli
Moderator: Josh Svaty - Gencur Svaty Public Affairs
Solar: Unique Challenges to Siting Large Solar Projects in Traditional Agricultural Areas
Peter Berthelsen - Conservation Blueprint
Leif Clark - Senior Manager of Community Engagement Strategy, EDF Power Solutions
Michael Cressner - Vice President of Development, Orion
Moderator: Dr. David Loomis​ - President,Strategic Economic Research
Bridging the Divide: Building Trust and Communicating on Wind & Solar Development During the Current Political Climate
Andrea Everett - Principal Research, Embold Research
Kara Titus - Director, Community Relations, Lightsource BP
Frank Rizzo - Executive Vice President of Strategy and Operations, Bantam
Energy Efficiency & Community Engagement
Healthy Homes, Affordability, and Energy Upgrades
Ryan Allenbrand - Children’s Mercy Hospital
Jess Travis - Climate + Energy Project
Moderator: Jacob Moore - Metropolitan Energy Center
Energy Burst Session (20 min)
Jeff Risley - Executive Director, Renewable Energy Farmers of America
Safeguarding Federal Grants & Bridging the Funding Gap
Rayan Makarem - Community Outreach Associate, Environmental Protection Network
Heather Navarro - Director, Midwest Climate Collaborative
Brady Watson - Senior Campaign Coordinator, Union of Concerned Scientists
Moderator: Lindsay Hamilton - Program Director, Climate + Energy Project
4:30pm - 5:30pm
Networking Reception
DAY 2: October 9
Breakfast & Welcome
7:30am
7:30am - 10:00am
Underwriter Breakfast with Chairs of the Kansas House and Senate Utilities Committee (Invitation Only)
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For more information, contact thomas@climateandenergy.org
Registration Opens
Concurrent Sessions
Large-scale Energy Systems
Energy Efficiency and Community Engagement
9:00am - 9:50am
Transmission: Critical Infrastructure: Economic Opportunity, Ratepayer Benefits, and Reliability
Brad Pnazek - Vice President, Transmission Business Development, Invenergy
Terry Harvill - Vice President, Transmission Regulatory, LS Power
Kara Wry - Natural and Cultural Resources Department Manager, Burns and McDonnell
Moderator: Andrew Schulte, Energy Lawyer, Polsinelli
EE101: An Introduction to Energy Efficiency in Kansas and the Greater Midwest Region
Brian File - Director, Products & Services, Evergy
Paige Kincaid - Program Director, Climate + Energy Project
Nick Moreno - Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities
Moderator: Clara Stein - Associate, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
10:00am - 10:50am
The Economic Impacts of Energy Projects in Communities
Dr. David Loomis - President, Strategic Economic Research
Michael MaRous - President, MaRous & Company
Thomas Becker - Assistant Researcher, Institute for Policy & Social Research University of Kansas
Moderator: Trish Voth - Partner, Foulston
Energy Burst Session (20 min)
Advanced HVAC & Refrigeration for a Smarter Future​
​Ryan Grobler - FridgeWize
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10:50am
11:00am - 11:50am
12:00pm - 12:50pm
1:00pm - 1:50pm
2:00pm - 2:50pm
Break - Visit with our Sponsors
Science and Policy Changes and their Impact on Wind Projects
Dr. Jonathan Rogers - Georgia Tech, Lockheed Martin Professor of Avionics Integration & President, Persimia
Chris Jorgensen - Lead Environmental Scientist, Olsson
Kimberly Svaty - Gencur Svaty Public Affairs
Moderator: Dr. Chris Ollson - Ollson Environmental Health Services
Lunch - Energy Policy Discussion
Alan Claus Anderson - Energy Practice Group Chair, Polsinelli
Andrew French - Chairperson, Kansas Corporation Commission
Paul Suskie - Executive Vice President, Regulatory Policy and General Counsel, Southwest Power Pool
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Data Centers and Large Load Customers: How Do They Affect the Need for More Energy in Kansas
Andrea Jones - Director of Origination, Data Infrastructure, Diode Ventures
Kara Lowe - CEO, Kansas City Tech Council
Moderator: Frank Caro - Energy Lawyer, Polsinelli
Energy Infrastructure Siting, Land Use, and Balancing Priorities
Tony Capizzo - Flint Hills Initiative Director, The Nature Conservancy
Brian Obermeyer - Great Plains Grasslands Strategy Director, The Nature Conservancy
Holly Fisher - Attorney, Capital Projects and Maintenance, ITC Holdings Corp.
Energy Burst Session (20 min)
Kansas Local Power
Energy Burst Session (20 min)
3:00pm - 3:50pm
Supporting Local Policy Makers and Landowners During Energy Project Decision Making
Jeff Risley - Executive Director, Renewable Energy Farmers of America
Charles Newcomb - Chief Technology Officer, Mana Group Consulting, Rural Energy Academy
Moderator: Dorothy Barnett - Executive Director, Climate + Energy Project​
4:00pm - 4:50pm
The Role of Local Advocates in Energy Project Siting Decisions
Ty Gorman - Sierra Club
Susan Adams - Greenlight America
Kerry Gooch - Kansans for An Affordable Future
Moderator: Allison Thomas - Program Director, Climate + Energy Project
End of 2025 Program