11th Annual Green Infrastructure Conference
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You're invited to join Ballard Spahr for our annual half-day CLE program on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. Speakers will address a number of pressing topics related to the green infrastructure and energy landscapes.
Agenda and Topic Descriptions
Download the Agenda
Download the Panelist Profiles
12:00 PM: Registration, Lunch, and Networking
12:30 PM: Virtual guests log in
12:40 PM: Welcome Remarks
- William C. Rhodes, Partner, and Conference Co-Chair, Ballard Spahr LLP
12:45 PM Panel 1: The Future of Green Bond Financing
Session Description: The Inflation Reduction Act established the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund which grants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency $20 billion to establish a national green bank, and an additional $7 billion for state, local and tribal governments’ own clean power investments targeted at low-income and disadvantaged communities. How will green banks, such as Finance New Orleans, leverage this capital to invest in emissions reductions projects and other resilient, sustainable projects? What challenges lie ahead? What opportunities exist for investors seeking to fund projects with environmental and sustainability benefits?
Moderator: Holly Horsley, Partner, Ballard Spahr LLC
Panelists:
- Damon Burns, President and Chief Executive Officer, Finance New Orleans
- Eli Hopson, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, Coalition for Green Capital
- James McIntyre, Chief Strategy Officer, Inclusive Prosperity Capital
1:45 PM Keynote – The Limits of Climate Havens: Michael Gaughan, Executive Director, Vermont Bond Bank
A discussion of Vermont’s successes, limitations, and opportunities for climate resilience and adaptation following 1,000 years of major flood events in less than 15 years
2:15 PM: Refreshment Break
2:30 PM Panel 2: Insurance in a Green Infrastructure World
Session Description: Climate change is intensifying wildfires; storms; flooding duration, intensity, and frequency; as well as many other natural disasters. Climate-related risks present new and increasingly significant challenges for the insurance industry, leading to record insurance losses and increased premium costs. This panel will explore out-of-the box solutions to the insurance crisis including community-based solutions and nature-based solutions. The panel will also address the importance of natural disaster risk mitigation to reduce economic impact and recovery time, and the role the insurance industry can play in those efforts.
Moderator: Lorene (“Renie”) Boudreau, Partner, Ballard Spahr LLC
Panelists:
- Viv Bennett, Director of Protection and Conservation Strategies, The Nature Conservancy (virtual)
- Raghuveer Vinukollu, Head of Climate Insights and Advisory, Munich Re US
Download the Panel Presentation
Download Improving flood resilience through community insurance and nature-based mitigation
3:30 PM Panel 3: Demystifying C-PACE: How to successfully leverage C-PACE financing for green infrastructure improvements
Session Description: Due in large part to recently enacted regulations and corporate ESG goals, many are seeking tools to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements on commercial properties. This panel will explore C-PACE financings, including a discussion of what opportunities C-PACE presents and lessons learned on how to successfully add C-PACE financings to the capital stack.
Moderator: Katie Leesman, Of Counsel, Ballard Spahr LLP
Panelists:
- Lisa Shulock, Director of Commercial Programs, Philadelphia Energy Authority
- Molly Skilton, Vice President, Relationship Manager, Community Development Lending, Citizens Bank
- Shelah Wallace, Senior Director, Originations - DE, NJ and PA, Nuveen
Download the Panel Presentation
Download C-PACE 101
Download the C-PACE primer for mortgage lenders
Download the C-PACE product term sheet
Download C-PACE eligible projects
4:30 PM Closing Remarks
- Sandra Thiam, Environmental Law Institute, Vice President of Research & Policy
4:35 PM: Cocktail Reception in Philadelphia
Location
Ballard Spahr
1735 Market Street, 48th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
*a post conference reception will be held in Philadelphia from 4:30-6:00 PM ET
CLE Credits: This program is approved for 3.5 CLE credits in CA, NV, NY, & PA; 4.2 NJ. MN CLE Credit is pending. Uniform Certificates of Attendance will be provided for the purpose of seeking credit in other jurisdictions.
For more information, contact Nikki Benner at bennern@ballardspahr.com