2012 Statewide Wind Energy Symposium

The goal of the symposium is to inform stakeholders and other interested parties about the progress that wind power made in the region over the past few years and opportunities for the future. The Symposium will address timely issues pertaining to wind power development in Virginia and throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region, through a series of workshops and panel discussions.

This year the Symposium will be held June 20-22, 2012 on the East Campus of James Madison University.

REGISTER ONLINE NOW!

Download the Event Schedule (PDF)

*Check back often as we will update the schedule as speakers are confirmed. *

Keynote Speakers

Kris Ohleth
Kris Ohleth is the Director of Permitting for the Atlantic Wind Connection backbone transmission project. Her past positions include Policy Manager for Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Issues for Ocean Conservancy and the Director of Environmental Affairs for both Deepwater Wind and Bluewater Wind. Kris worked as a research technician and editor for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Woods Hole, MA and as a communication coordinator for The Nature Conservancy. She earned an undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island in Coastal and Ocean Policy. She is on the Board of the US Offshore Wind Collaborative, the New Jersey Environmental Lobby, and is the Chair of the New York/New Jersey Chapter of the Women of Wind Energy.

* More speakers to be announced! *

Exhibitors

Valley 25x25’
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
Jones & Bartlett Learning
Lotus Creative Innovations
Shenandoah Valley Workforce Investment Board
Sierra Club
Timmons Group
Virginia Clean Cities
Virginia Conservation Network

Workshops

*Box lunches will be available to all workshop participants.

Small Wind Site Assessment- June 20th 8am - 12pm
This workshop will focus on site and wind resource assessment principles to gain an understanding of where and how installation of small wind turbines would be optimum. The target audience is anyone who is interested in putting up a small wind turbine and/or small wind installers. Topics covered will include locating reliable wind data, best siting practices for installation, and identifying and overcoming obstacles to small wind turbine installation. *Maximum of 30 participants*

Wind 101- June 20th 8am - 12pm
This workshop will provide an introduction to the fundamentals of utility-scale wind power. The target audience is anyone who wants to learn the basics of the wind energy industry. Topics to be covered include an overview of the wind energy industry, a technology overview, economics and resource assessment overview, and a siting and transmission overview. *Maximum of 100 participants*

State Permitting- June 20th 8am - 12pm
This workshop will introduce decision-makers to a brief but comprehensive overview on basic wind energy concepts such as the differences between small, distributed, and utility scale wind energy. The primary goal of the workshop is to educate decision-makers on the resources they have available, at both JMU and the DEQ, to determine how wind energy can or cannot fit into their town/county’s plans. They will be presented with the tools necessary to help them answer the questions that arise when trying to determine the feasibility and practicality of working with future wind energy development in their jurisdictions. The tools that will be presented will include the Virginia Renewable Siting Scoring System (VRS3), Permit By Rule (PBR), and the model ordinance. *Maximum of 20 participants*

Small Wind Training and Testing Facility Tour - June 20th
This workshop will be an unveiling of the newly constructed training and testing facility at JMU. This facility will serve a range of purposes including training workforce individuals for small wind installations, providing a hands-on learning experience for all education levels, and engaging professionals that seek to enter the wind energy field. The facility will also offer turbine testing programs for performance verification, prototype testing, and research/improvements on existing technologies. An overview of equipment and capabilities will be discussed. **Invitation Only**

Optional Friday Events

WindWise Teacher Workshop – June 22, 2012 9am – 3pm
We will be offering a FREE teacher workshop for educators at the Virginia Center for Wind Energy’s Technology Drive lab space from 9a to 3p. Teachers will spend the day learning the basics of wind energy and getting an introduction to this comprehensive interdisciplinary wind energy curriculum that fosters critical thinking skills at both the middle and high school levels. Every lesson has an inquiry-based introduction and a hands-on activity to develop analytical skills. Contact Remy Pangle at panglerm@jmu.edu for more information or to register for this FREE workshop. *Maximum of 30 participants*

Mount Storm Wind Farm Tour – June 22, 2012 9am – 3pm
We are offering a wind farm tour of the NedPower Mount Storm facility in Grant County, West Virginia, operated by Dominion and Shell WindEnergy Inc. The wind farm has a total of 132 turbines along 12 miles of the Allegheny Front. The farm started construction in 2006 and was finished in 2008, capable of producing as much as 264 megawatts of power. This could provide power to at least 66,000 homes. The facility is the largest wind operation in Shell’s wind portfolio, and has an estimated 25-year lifespan.

This tour will cost $10 to cover administrative fees for the organization of the visit. Attendees have the option of riding the transportation provided or driving themselves to the facility. Tour availability is on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to sign up early! Payments can be made at Symposium sign-in. Contact Taylor Moellers at moelletm@jmu.edu for more information or to register for this tour. *Maximum of 40 participants*

**Take advantage of this gathering of wind industry professionals in the same place at the same time and schedule a meeting for your group or organization!! Contact Dr. Jonathan Miles to schedule a time and space- milesjj@jmu.edu.

Lodging Options

Each Hotel is 1.5 miles away from the ISAT building on the JMU campus, where the Symposium events will be held. If you chose to reserve a room at one of the above hotels, make sure you say that you are a ‘Wind Energy Symposium or Conference Attendee’ in order to get the listed price per night. The reserved rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you are planning to attend both days of the Symposium, be sure to book early!

Jameson Inn
1881 Evelyn Byrd Avenue
Harrisonburg, VA 22801-3487
(540) 442-1515
$77.00 per night

Courtyard-Marriott
1890 Evelyn Byrd Avenue
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
540-432-3031
$77.00 per night
Online Registration Code: “JWSJWSA” Kind Bed, “JWSJWSB” Two Queen Beds

Days Inn
1131 Forest Hill Rd
Harrisonburg VA 22801
(540) 433-9353
$49.00 per night