Ballard Spahr's 7th Annual Green Infrastructure Conference

Please join us for our annual half-day CLE program, co-sponsored by the Environmental Law Institute, on Tuesday, November 13, 2018. Speakers and panelists will address a number of hot topics related to the green infrastructure and energy landscapes. The conference agenda is included below.

12:30 PM: Registration and Lunch

1:00 PM: Your Green Building is a Competitive Advantage
This presentation will provide an overview of foundational knowledge and tools for attorneys and their clients to act on the value of green building throughout their real estate portfolios. Through examples of leading companies that have identified significant economic and reputational advantages within their buildings, attendees will understand new green building trends and related business opportunities; anticipate and prepare for upcoming green building laws and regulations; and identify leasing and finance tools to expand their investment in green buildings.

• Cliff Majersik, Executive Director, Institute for Market Transformation

1:20 PM: Transitioning to a Greener Grid
New innovations and technologies are moving the energy industry in an exciting direction. These advances are affecting energy storage, distributed energy integration, electric vehicle infrastructure and smart grid customer applications. This panel will discuss these transformative upgrades and what to expect once they are implemented.

• Glenn R. George, Ph.D., Partner, Bates White Economic Consulting
• Patrick Gillard, Partner, Ballard Spahr
• Darin Lowder, Partner, Ballard Spahr
• David Livingston, Deputy Director of Climate and Advanced Energy, Atlantic Council
• Alan Westenskow, Director of Business Development, Proterra

2:35 PM: Refreshment Break

2:50 PM: 21st Century Sustainability in the Original Sustainable Enterprise
Public transit systems are a crucial piece of environmental sustainability in the 21st century. This panel includes leaders in the freight, passenger, and commuter rail industries who will discuss initiatives that are lowering energy consumption, reducing congestion in major urban areas, and supporting rail- and transit-oriented communities.

• David L. Winstead, Of Counsel, Ballard Spahr 
• Jonathan Broder, Vice President – Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer, Conrail
• Erik Johanson, Director of Innovation, SEPTA
• Beth Termini, Senior Director of Environment and Sustainability, Amtrak

4:05 PM: Lessons from Climate Change on Effective Public Engagement
There is growing realization among climate communicators of the need for evidence-based public engagement, informed by social science research. Effective communication requires understanding our audiences, identifying powerful levers for action, making our messages personal and relevant to our audiences, and development of simple clear messages repeated often by a variety of trusted voices. I will share the lessons learnt from climate communication research and the general principles that can be applied to public engagement on green infrastructure.

• John Cook, Research Assistant Professor at the Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University

Closing Remarks: James McElfish, Senior Attorney and Director of the Sustainable Use of Land Program, Environmental Law Institute

4:50 PM: Cocktail Reception in Philadelphia

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The program will be held live in Philadelphia and via simulcast in Ballard Spahr's New York, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Phoenix, and Minneapolis offices. Lunch will be provided in all locations. In Philadelphia, the program will be followed by a cocktail reception.