REBA Midwest Workshop - February 2020

Register to Attend

Please join REBA, Cargill, and Geronimo Energy for a free Buyers-only workshop on Thursday, February 27, 2020 in Minneapolis, MN.

The workshop brings together numerous buyer companies with operations or interest in the Midwest, and includes subject matter experts from REBA, Cargill, Clean Grid Alliance, and Geronimo Energy to provide education on key procurement issues.

There is no cost to attend the workshop!

Questions? Reach out to Kevin Haley, Director of Member Engagement, REBA: khaley@rebuyers.org

Agenda:

Morning	Coffee and networking (8:30 am CST) Welcome from David Reamer, President, Geronimo Energy Midwest market review Cargill's buyers story 101 Session: basics of renewables procurement (concurrent session) 201 Session: why transmission matters (concurrent session)
Lunch	Networking lunch hosted by Geronimo Energy Table conversations include: Working with your facilities team (hosted by Cummins) Understanding your GHG emissions (hosted by Target) Working with tax and finance (hosted by Best Buy) Policy issues in MISO and the Midwest (hosted by REBA)
Afternoon	Group Roundtable Discussions: benefits beyond clean power Community Relations: creating value amongst community stakeholders Shareholder Engagement: how to manage investors' expectations Supply Chain Management: greening your supply chain emissions Pollinators: why your project's ecological footprint matters
Adjourn	Closing remarks, wrap-up (3:00 pm CST)
Networking Reception	3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Thirty Bales 1106 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN 55343 Thirty Bales is a celebration of everything Midwestern cuisine has to offer. We're an upbeat neighborhood restaurant bringing together bright personalities, bold recipes, clean ingredients and craft spirits and playing with the flavors that make the Midwest a place unlike any other. If you're curious about our name, it comes from the legend of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. As the story goes, Babe had an appetite as big as Bunyan himself and is rumored to have eaten 30 bales of hay a day.

Facilitators

	Mark Porter Director of Supply Chain & International Collaboration, REBA Mark joined REBA following his work at Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center (BRC) initiative. Today, he leads REBA's supply chain engagement initiative and oversees REBA's international collaboration. He brings extensive facilitation expertise to this event and will help ensure all participants have a valuable experience at the workshop.
	Eric Hoegger Director of Global Renewable Energy, Cargill Eric oversees renewable energy procurement and management for Cargill, Inc. Eric has been closely involved in power origination for Cargill for over 22 years, and most recently directed the signing of a 50MW wind power VPPA in 2018. Eric will share his experience negotiating a closing Cargill's first VPPA and focus on his company's commitment to environmental performance as a key factor in their decision to pusue a large-scale renewables transaction.
	David Reamer President, Geronimo Energy David is the President of Geronimo Energy and has been involved with Geronimo since its inception in 2007 as both an investor and active Board Member and took an active executive role with the company in 2015. David provides a unique combination of executive management experience and entrepreneurial and investor success. For the past 25 years, he has been involved with multiple renewable energy and technology companies as a founder, CEO, board member, advisor and investor.
	Betsy Engelking Vice President, Policy & Strategy, Geronimo Energy Betsy Engelking joined Geronimo Energy as Vice President in January 2012 and currently leads the Company’s policy efforts. She has over 30 years of experience in the energy industry and has been closely involved with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), the National Wind Coordinating Committee (NWCC), and through an active role in state and national policy development. Previously, Betsy was Director of Resource Planning for Xcel Energy, where she developed and implemented long-range power supply plans, including compliance with Xcel’s wide-ranging renewable energy requirements. She has also held positions with Great River Energy and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. She joins the workshop to share her expertise on transmission planning and how corporate buyers can play a role in influencing increased transmission access for renewable energy projects.
	Beth Soholt Executive Director, Clean Grid Alliance (CGA) Beth Soholt is the Executive Director of the non-profit organization Clean Grid Alliance (CGA). CGA is the Midwest’s premier organization focused on driving the development of renewable energy by applying technical and public policy expertise, expanding renewable energy markets and building support for clean energy in the Midwest. Beth serves on the CGA board of directors and is responsible for setting strategic direction for the organization at the state and regional levels, fundraising, developing key relationships and guiding CGA staff in day-to-day work. She holds a seat on the MidContinent Independent System Operator (MISO) Advisory Committee representing the Environmental Sector. Beth holds a law degree from Hamline University Law School, St. Paul, Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa.
	Winston Vaughan Senior Manager, Renewable Energy, CERES Winston works with investors and companies to increase investment in and adoption of clean energy. Through his work, Winston enables investors and companies to use their leadership to advocate for clean energy solutions to electric utility providers and policymakers. Prior to Ceres, Winston worked to educate and mobilize public support to pass major state legislation to promote clean energy and tackle climate change, including California’s second Zero Emissions Vehicles regulations (ZEVII), “Million Solar Roofs Initiative” (SB 1) and “Global Warming Solutions Act" (AB 32).
	Julie Casabianca Sr. Associate, Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance Julie works with REBA to help companies accelerate the procurement of renewable energy for their own operations and in their supply chains. Previously, she was an energy consultant with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Southeast Asia, and has experience with USAID-funded clean energy projects.
	Kyle Oldre Rock County, Minnesota, Administrator Kyle is the director for the Rock County Administrator's Office which oversees preparation of the county budget; capital improvement plan; risk management and safety plan coordination; labor negotiations; data practices; and Emergency Management.