Energy Conference Presenters

Energy Conference PowerPoints
Day 1 - January 30

Larry Flowers = National Technical Director, NREL
Wind Energy Update
Rural Small Business Owners & Ag Producers
Municipality & School Wind Projects

Richard Nelson = Director of Engineering Extension Programs, Kansas State University
Energy,Renewable Energy & Bioenergy - Issues & Benefits

Aron Cromwell = CEO, Cromwell Environmental
Solar's Role for Renewable Energy

Jim Ploger = Director, Kansas Energy Office
Progress of Renewable Energy in Kansas

Bruce Snead = Energy Specialist; Extension Energy Service, College of Engineering, Kansas State University
Energy Efficiency Panel on Methods and Opportunities for Savings:

Chet McLaughlin = Blue Skyways Collaborative
Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP)

Charles Kubert = Environmental Law and Policy Center
Clean Renewable Energy Bonds

Donna Funk = Kennedy and Coe, LLC
Tax Credits / Tax Deductions

Corey Mohn = Kansas Department of Commerce
State Programs

Day 2 - January 31

Gary Smith = Business & Community Programs Director, USDA Rural Development
9006 Renewable Energy / Energy Efficiency Program

Martin Fee = Business & Community Programs Specialist, USDA Rural Development
Basics of Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program

Rod Harms = President, Epic Homes of Kansas, Inc.
Energy Efficiency Success

Brandon Prough & Randy Snider = Area Specialists, USDA Rural Development
Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency Grants and Guaranteed Loans for Agricultural Producers
and Rural Small Businesses

Charles Newcomb = Regional Director, Entegrity Wind Systems
Self Scoring Your Application
Small Wind - Project Examples and Discussion

Roya Stanley = Senior Project Leader, NREL
Technical Report Components

Steve Tharman = Business & Community Programs Specialist, USDA Rural Development
Community Facilities Program Requirements & Overview
Application Process for Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency Programs

Eddie Moran = General Field Representative,
USDA Rural Development
Rural Utilities Financial Programs

Tim Rogers = Housing Program Director,
USDA Rural Development
USDA Rural Development Housing Programs

Ron Dickey = Director of Member Services, Bluestem Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Presentation on 'Why Build Green'

Russ Rudy = Facility Conservation Improvement Program Manager, Kansas Energy Office
Best Practices for Affordable Housing Rehabilitation

Greg Krissek = Director of Governmental Affairs;
ICM, Inc.
Cellulosic Ethanol, Technology and Agriculture: Key Points for Projects

Karissa Hagedorn = Business Programs Director, USDA Rural Development - Nebraska
How to Develop Project, Key Points, Case Study, etc. for Renewable Energy Project

Bob Courtney = Energy Manager, Olathe School District
Olathe School District Energy Program

Christine Reimler = Homeownership Manager, Kansas Housing Resource Corporation
Kansas Energy Efficiency Program

Related Links
NREL Web Site
Property Eligibility

Event Co-Sponsors

Blue Skyways Collaborative

New City Homes, LLC

Kansas Farm Bureau

USDA Energy Conference Held In Manhattan
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Programs Discussed

Over 250 Kansans from across the State attended the 4 th annual USDA Energy Conference held this week at Kansas State University in Manhattan.  The energy conference focused on a wide range of federal, state and non-profit programs that can provide financial assistance to agricultural producers, business owners, local governments, school districts and rural housing interests to develop renewable energy projects or enhance current energy systems.

“Renewable energy, consisting of bio-mass, wind and solar, represents the greatest potential for real, new economic development for rural Kansas in decades. Advancing both renewable energy and energy efficiency opportunities is vital for expanding the Sunflower State’s rural economy, which benefits all Kansans,” commented USDA Rural Development State Director Chuck Banks while delivering the Conference’s keynote address. “We cannot let this opportunity slip by.”

The two-day energy conference addressed the key points of the USDA’s Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Program (Section 9006), covering both the 2007 Program’s details and application process.  The Conference also provided the attendees information about other energy programs, along with presentations from national leaders in rural renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts.

Sponsors for the Conference included the Kansas Farm Bureau, Blue Skyways Collaborative, and New City Homes, LLC.

USDA, in cooperation with community leaders, will be scheduling regional workshops to assist interested parties to help them develop their energy project and funding assistance application.

Energy program information is available through USDA Rural Development can be obtained by contacting the Agency’s Topeka office at 785-271-2744.