The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will host its second annual N.C. Clean Tech Summit Feb. 19-20. The event highlights the latest innovations, trends and challenges and North Carolina’s central role in the growing clean technology industry.
Hosted by UNC’s Institute for the Environment and the Center for Sustainable Enterprise at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, the summit focuses on three themes:
- The military and renewable energy;
- Smart cities and sustainable communities; and
- The future of electricity in the Southeast
Highlights of the summit include:
- Keynote addresses by Bill Johnson, CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority, General (Ret.) Wesley K. Clark and Jesse Berst, founder and chair of the Smart Cities Council; and
- Remarks by UNC Chancellor Carol L. Folt and UNC System President Tom Ross; and
- “The Military as a Driver of Renewable Energy” panel discussion moderated by former N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Bill Ross and featuring Chad Harrell of Lend Lease, Gen. (Ret.) Ronald Keys of the CNA Military Advisory Board, Richard Kidd of U.S. Army Energy and Sustainability, Col. Jeffrey Sanborn of Fort Bragg and Britt Boughey of the Naval Research Office of Science and Technology at U.S. Navy; and
- “Adapting to a Changing Power Industry: A View from the Utilities” panel discussion with CEOs Thomas Fanning of Southern Company and Lynn Good of Duke Energy; and
- “Creating a Stronger Innovation Ecosystem” panel discussion featuring author Sarah Caldicott and Judith Cone, UNC Interim Vice Chancellor of Commercialization and Economic Development
The N.C. Clean Tech Summit provides a non-partisan forum where business leaders, policy makers, entrepreneurs, educators, researchers and students convene to advance the development of the clean technology sector in North Carolina.
It features special programs for students, including the opportunity to engage with clean-tech industry leaders, sessions on graduate study opportunities in clean tech and sustainability and careers in clean tech and renewable energy.
Registration is open at http://ie.unc.edu/cleantech. The fee is $250, with special rates for students, K-12 and community college teachers, and representatives from government or the non-governmental sector.
The event will be held at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill. For directions, see http://fridaycenter.unc.edu/directions/.
Sponsors of the 2015 N.C. Clean Tech Summit include ABB, Birdseye Renewable Energy, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Double Time Capital, Duke Energy, D Utility Dive, Fifth Third Bank, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Mottis, N.C. Clean Energy Business Alliance, N.C. Sustainable Energy Association, O2 Energies, Parker Poe, Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, ScottMadden Management Consultants, Southern Company, Strata Solar, UNC Center for Law, Environment, Adaptation and Resources (CLEAR), UNC Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative, UNC Sustainability Office and United Solar Initiative.
Published January 27, 2015.