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“Utility-Scale Solar – a Revolution in Progress.”

May 16, 2022 @ 7:00 pm 8:00 pm

Register here for in-person or online attendance.

Event Description:

Large solar panel electricity installations that can connect to the electric power grid are proliferating across America.  Plans to site these “utility-scale solar” installations in Appalachia, including on previously mined lands, have captured public attention.  What does this revolution in clean energy production mean for our society?  What can we expect as its revolutionary future unfolds?

To help answer these questions, on Monday, May 16, 2022, from 7:00-8:00 PM USET, the West Virginia Center on Climate Change (“WV3C”) will present a free, live, audience-interactive, “hybrid webinar” program – in-person in Morgantown, WV and online via Zoom.

The main speaker will be David Feldman, Senior Financial Analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (“NREL”).  His areas of research and expertise include renewable energy policy and project finance, corporate finance in the energy sector, and solar energy market analysis.  He holds an MBA from Yale School of Management and a BA from Amherst College. 

The in-person program will be hosted at the WVU Media Innovation Center, on the 4th Floor of the Evansdale Crossing Building, 62 Morrill Way, Morgantown WV 26506 (free parking after 5PM). Doors open at 6:30 PM USET, and the online program will go from 7:00 to 8:00 PM USET.  WVU’s COVID protocol is currently “masks optional.”

For more information and to register to attend this program, either online or in-person, click here, or email info@wvclimate.org.

David Feldman’s NREL publications include “Emerging Opportunities and Challenges in Financing Solar;” “The Role of Advancements in Solar Photovoltaic Efficiency, Reliability, and Costs;” “Financing U.S. Renewable Energy Projects Through Public Capital Vehicles;” ”Photovoltaic (PV) Pricing Trends: Historical, Recent, and Near-Term Projections;” “Winter 2021/2022 Solar Industry Update;” and “Towards Decarbonization: Establishing a Sustainable, Equitable, Diverse Workforce in the U.S. Photovoltaic Industry.”

The program’s discussion panel will include Daniel Chiotos, Sales and Market Development Director at Mountain View Solar in Berkeley Springs, WV.  Daniel holds a BS in Political Science and Government from Shepherd University and is a certified Building Performance Analyst and Energy Practitioner.

Also participating in the discussion panel will be Betsy Arlen, Director of Development and Real Estate for Sun Tribe Development, a provider of large-scale renewable energy solutions.  Betsy manages the company’s Brightfield Initiatives, including advancing solar on formerly mined lands in The Nature Conservancy’s Cumberland Forest in Southwest Virginia. She holds an M.A. in Geography and a B.A. in Geography from Wayne State University in Detroit. 

Register here for in-person and/or online attendance.

Thanks to the Appalachian Stewardship Foundation and the Dunn Foundation for making these programs possible!