Renewable Energy Track

Session One: Bridging the Rural Efficiency Gap

September 19 | 10am to Noon

Rural households spend 33% more of their income on energy expenses than their urban and suburban counterparts. This “efficiency gap” puts rural regions at a disadvantage. Closing this gap would keep money circulating in the community and add both security and energy resiliency to the region. Hear from leaders in the industry who have developed practical tool kits to bridge the gap that can be adapted to your own rural community.

Speaker: Sarah Brock, Energy Program Manager, Vital Communities

Session Two: Charge It – Electric Vehicles are Here. Are We Ready?

September 19 | 2:00pm to 4:00pm | Moderator: Clay Mitchell, Natural Resources & the Environment, University of New Hampshire

Electric vehicles are 3 times more efficient than those that consume gasoline and the fun driving experience is rapidly increasing electric vehicles’ market share. An Upstart manufacturing company has launched an electric pickup truck with a 400-mile range, prompting major manufacturers to follow suit.  With every state receiving Volkswagen settlement funds, many are choosing to direct the money toward building out electric vehicle charging infrastructure. How do rural communities advocate to stay “current” with these technological advances and trends when charging stations will appear in urban areas first?

Speakers: Daniel Gatti, Senior Transportation Policy Analyst, Union of Concerned Scientists; Charlotte Ancel, Director of Strategic Development, Eversource Energy; Steve Walker, Founder and CEO, IMBY Energy; Clay Mitchell, Founding Partner, Revolution Energy

Session Three: Crazy Good – On our Way to 100%

September 20 | 9:00am to 11:00am

Ready For 100% communities are spreading across the country. Right here in Keene, NH, community leaders have passed a resolution to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% renewable energy for transportation and heating by 2050. Learn effective practices from communities who have successfully begun their transitions toward 100%, and start making a plan for your own rural community!

Speakers: Sean Hamilton, General Manager, Sterling Municipal Light Department; Patrick Roche, Assistant Director of Clean Energy, Metropolitan Area Planning Council; Kelly Lynch, Ready for 100 Senior Campaign Representative, Sierra Club

Session Four: Bridgeable Gaps: The Fuel for Rural Change

Colonial Theatre | September 20 | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Keynote Speaker: Art Markman, Executive Director of IC2 at the University of Texas at Austin

Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship Key Partners