Restructuring Roundtable: Smart Power and the Future of Electric Utilities and Transforming the Electric Grid with Storage and Electric Vehicles
2011-04-15 09:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Foley-Hoag – 13th floor Conference Room, 155 Seaport Blvd., Boston, MA, 02210, United States
Raab Assocates’ ongoing Electric Restructuring Roundtable series continues on Friday, April 15th with two timely topics on potential transformational change for utilities and electric power:

Smart Power and the Future of Electric Utilities
Transforming the Electric Grid with Storage and Electric Vehicles

Details for the session (from the session announcement):
Our keynote speaker is Dr. Peter Fox-Penner, author of a new and provocative book entitled Smart Power: Climate Change, the Smart Grid, and the Future of the Electric Utilities. Currently a principal at the Brattle Group, Peter worked in top-level positions in energy policy at U.S. DOE and the White House, and is also quite familiar with New England, having spent many years at Charles River Associates in Boston.
In keeping with our “Restructuring” focus, Peter’s new book envisions the need for a very different utility industry and regulatory structure if we are to succeed in transforming the electricity system to meet climate and other public policy objectives.
Next, following our customary networking break, we will hear from our panel on Transforming the Electric Grid with Storage and Electric Vehicles. On the electricity storage side, major advancements in technologies – from batteries to ice storage to flywheels – combined with regulatory changes in states (such as California’s setting utility targets for storage) and new FERC rules, make this a very timely topic. And on the electric vehicle side, 2011 is already a banner year, with the roll-out of all-electric vehicles (Nissan Leaf) and various electric/gas combination vehicles (such as Chevy Volt and the plug-in Prius). Down the road, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), will blur the line between storage and electric vehicles — while potentially revolutionizing the electric grid.
Panelists:

Ron Minsk, Sr. VP Policy, Securing America’s Future/Electrification Coalition
John O’Brien, Senior VP Gov’t/Regulatory Affairs, NRG Energy
Watson Collins, Mgr. of Business Development, Northeast Utilities
Judith Judson, VP Market Development, Beacon Power Corporation
Andy Chu, VP Marketing and Engineering, A123
Mike Jacobs, Director, Market Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Xtreme Power

Registration is not required for this session, but it’s best to be on time as the sessions are very well-attended.

BSAS Luncheon program - New Measures of Risk and Return: Why Investors are Integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Factors into the Investment Process
2011-09-27 12:15 - 14:00 | Hyatt Regency Boston, One Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA, 02111, United States
The high profile disasters and loss of shareholder value at BP and TEPCO have put it in the news, but examining and integrating environmental, social and governance factors into investment decision making is a growing trend.
Please join us for a Boston Security Analysts Society Luncheon Program on September 27th to learn more about New Measures of Risk and Return: Why Investors are Integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Factors into the Investment Process
Panelists:

Noel Friedman, CFA – Vice President ESG Business Development, MSCI
Michael Cantara, CFA – Institutional Portfolio Manager and Co-Chairperson of MFS Responsible Investment Committee, MFS Investment Management

Voluntary, regulatory and market-driven initiatives have vastly increased the quantity and quality of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) information available to investors and investment managers. Coupled with growing evidence from the experience of early adopters, the stage has been set for a much wider audience to consider the competitive advantages of ESG factor integration. Our panelists will provide a practitioner-oriented perspective on the how and why of integrating ESG factors into the mainstream investment process.
Register online here at the Boston Security Analysts Society web site.
Questions, please e-mail.or call Michael Greis at 781 559-4623.

Sustainable Investing 101 in Boston
2011-10-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Boston Public Library Copley Square, 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA, 02116, United States
Three of the pioneers and leaders in the field of Socially Responsible Investing are presenting “Green your Green: An introduction to investing responsibly”, an open session at the Boston Public Library on October 19th. Aimed at individuals wanting an introduction to this important investment topic, this session will feature Amy Domini, Timothy Smith and Robert Zevin speaking about the basic tenets of sustainable investing:

How to invest in line with your values without giving up performance
How your investments can lead to improvements in corporate behavior

Not a sales presentation, this session is a seminar and discussion among three professionals who have helped shape the field of responsible investing over the last 30 – 40 years:

Amy Domini, Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Domini Social Investments LLC and the creator of the one of the first sustainable mutual fund companies as well as the first SRI stock index
Robert Zevin, Chairman, Chief Investment Officer, & Portfolio Manager, Zevin Asset Management, ears ago and led the campaign for South African divestment in the 1980’s
Timothy Smith, Senior Vice President and Director of ESG Shareowner Engagement, Walden Asset Management, a leading voice in Shareholder Activism and former Executive Director of the Interfaith Centre on Corporate Responsibility.

This session is presented by BASIC, the Boston Area Sustainable Investment Consortium, a network of Boston-area sustainable investment professionals.
While the subject matter is targeted at individuals new to sustainable investing and may be very familiar to sustainable investing professionals, this is also a rare opportunity to enjoy hearing these pioneers together in a local and open setting.

SEC Climate Change Disclosure Guidelines Panel - New York
2011-11-29 18:00 - 20:00 | Unnamed Venue, 55 Lexington Ave. (enter 24th or 24th St.), New York
SEC requirements for disclosure of material climate change impacts became effective in the early part of 2010 upon the publication of clarifying guidance by the agency. Virtually all public companies will now be reporting based on their assessments of how climate change will affect their business and many questions remain as to what constitutes best practice in this emerging area of climate change risk disclosure.
Our December, 2010 panel at the Boston Security Analysts Society reviewed the guidelines and discussed opportunities presented for analysts and investment managers. The interest the panel generated suggested a wider audience for this topic. The upcoming annual filing season for many companies – the second since disclosure guidelines took effect – is an appropriate time to revisit the topic.
Please join us in New York on November 29th to learn what the disclosure requirements are (and aren’t), what good disclosure practices are and what you can learn from companies who practice them, what you can expect to see and what opportunities these guidelines offer for analysts and asset managers to shape more informative disclosure going forward.
This session is co-sponsored by the New York Society of Security Analysts and the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity.
Panelists:

Adam Kanzer, JD – Managing Director and General Counsel of Domini Social Investments and Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the Domini Funds.
Jim Coburn, JD – Senior Manager, Investment Programs, Ceres.
Karoline Barwinski – Research Associate, Assistant Vice President with the ESG Investment Program at ClearBridge Advisors.

Moderator: Michael Greis – Principal, Riverbend Advisors
The session will from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in Room 14-220 at the Zicklin Center at 55 Lexington Ave (enter on 24th or 25th street). Details and complimentary registration available here.

Restructuring Roundtable
2012-02-17 09:00 - 12:30 | Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02110, United States
Raab Assocates’ first Restructuring Roundtable of 2012 features two timely topics:
Implementing Bold State Energy-Related Environmental Regulations, Policies, and Programs in Massachusetts and Connecticut

Ken Kimmell, Commissioner, MA DEP
Jonathan Schrag, Deputy Commissioner of Energy, CT DEEP

The Future of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)

David Littell, Commissioner, Maine PUC (& Chair, RGGI, Inc.)
Paul Hibbard, Senior Vice President, Analysis Group
Derek Murrow, Director for Energy/Climate Policy, Environment Northeast
Steve Corneli, Senior VP for Sustainability Policy & Strategy, NRG Energy

Mass TLC Breakfast Seminar: Energy Management Technology - Poised for Takeoff?
2012-03-22 08:00 - 10:30 | Foley Hoag Emerging Enterprise Center, 1000 Winter St., Waltham, MA, United States
Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council’s March Energy breakfast looks at Energy Management and asks what role Massachusetts companies will play.
Confirmed Panelists:

Carlos Alonso-Niemeyer, Energy Efficiency Program Director, NSTAR
Howard Nunes, CEO, PepperDash

The Energy Management Technology market has a compelling ROI, proven technology and concrete examples of cost savings that have made a significant difference in the bottom lines of consumers.
Companies should be embracing Energy Management as a competitive edge, so why hasn’t the market taken off? Early adopters are transitioning to innovative platforms and realizing the benefits. But what will it take for the industry to move beyond them? Join the MassTLC Energy Cluster to hear Energy Management experts and providers address the following burning questions, and to see innovation first-hand:

Which companies have been adopting energy management strategies? Why are they the first movers, and how have energy management providers been innovating successfully to meet requirements?
Where are we on the adoption curve? What metrics will tell us? And who’s keeping track?
What are the drivers and inhibitors of the broader energy management market? What will it take for the market to become robust?
How can Massachusetts tech companies capitalize on this emerging market? Where are the sweet spots? North America? Asia? South America? Europe?

Agenda:
8:00am – 9:00am: Registration, networking and solution provider showcase
9:00am -10:30am: Panel discussion and Q&A
10:30am –11:00am: Solution provider showcase and networking

In addition to the panel we will offer a showcase of the latest Energy Management solutions from Massachusetts companies.
Registration – $80 for non-members

Restructuring Roundtable - Energy Efficiency in New England: Strengthening Core Programs While Tackling New Frontiers
2012-04-13 09:00 - 12:30 | Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
Core Programs Panel:

Commissioner Daniel Esty, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Tina Halfpenny, Director of Energy Efficiency, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
Jim Merriam, Director of Efficiency Vermont, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation

New Frontiers Panel:

Dr Eric Winkler, Project Manager for Demand Resources, ISO-New England
Greg Kats, Partner at Capital-E, and lead author of “Financing Energy Efficiency Models and Strategies: Pathways to Scaling Energy Efficiency Financing from $20 Billion to $150 Billion Annually”
Steve Cowell, Chairman and CEO of Conservation Services Group

The panelists’ presentations from this session are available on this page on the Raab Associates web site.

2nd Massachusetts Sustainable Communities Conference
2012-04-16 08:00 - 17:00 | UMass Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, United States
The second Massachusetts Sustainable Communities Conference will be held on Friday, April 20th at UMass Boston, with the Sustainable Campuses following on Saturday April 22nd. Experts and peers from around the Commonwealth – municipalities, campuses, government, businesses and non-profits gather to share information and best practices.

I will be participating on the afternoon panel “Local Sustainability Success Stories – the Headliners“.
Further conference and registration information is here. The detailed agenda is below.

8:00 – 9:00 am
Keynote Presentation – The Greening of Massachusetts
86 Green Communities have received state funding and green enterprises are growing. Unprecedented collaboration and novel partnerships are bearing fruit. What are some of the projects? partnerships? achievements? future plans? Hear from:
Jim Hunt Chief of Environment and Energy, City of Boston (Welcome & Introductions)
Meg Lusardi Director of the Green Communities Division at MassDOER
Geoff Chapin Founder and CEO of Next Step Living
9:15 – 10:15 am
What is Community Sustainability?
Common criteria for sustainability exist but each community from urban to rural is approaching the topic its own unique way. This session presents three different perspectives for measuring and implementing sustainability initiatives.
Kent Portney Author of ‘Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously’; Founder of ‘Our Green Cities’; Tufts University professor
Daniella Hirschfeld STAR Community Index Program Officer & Resilience Specialist
Wayne Feiden Director of Planning and Development, City of Northampton
Community and Campus Connections – Shared Footprints
Two universities have gone to extraordinary lengths to connect their campuses to surrounding communities. Hear from speakers whose individual and collective efforts are helping shape a new generation of conscientious citizens.
Tom Kelly ‘The Sustainable Learning Community’ Co-author; Chief Sustainability Officer, Univ. of New Hampshire
Nancy Wilson Dean ad interim of Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship & Public Service, Tufts University
Massachusetts Green Communities – A Tale of Three Cities
We’ve seen a significant shift towards greener communities, no matter how big or small. Hear what Worcester, our second largest city with 182,000; Lowell, the fourth largest city in Massachusetts with a population of 106,519; and the historic city of Salem with 41,240 residents are doing to make life greener.
Paul Marquis Energy and Sustainability Manager, City of Salem
John Odell Energy Efficiency and Conservation Manager, City of Worcester
Allegra Williams Neighborhood Planner, Department of Planning & Development, City of Lowell
Green Business Development Strategies in Communities
Economic prosperity, environmental health, and local jobs start with a vision. Forward thinking businesses help make it a reality. In Boston’s Innovation District and the MetroWest, movers and shakers are playing their part to green the economy.
Nolan Browne Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems
Arthur Robert MetroWest Region Director of MA Office of Business Development
10:30 – 11:30 am
Sustainable Community Success Stories
Municipal sustainability initiatives in energy, water, land use, food, transportation, and purchasing/materials management are inspiring and the successes worth sharing. Hear how the town of Easton with a population of 22,000, and Boston with a population 604,000 are both taking forward steps.
David Colton Easton Town Administrator
Brad Swing Director of Energy Policy, City of Boston
Meet the Facilities Directors Implementing Energy Solutions
Better, smarter buildings protect our environment, our health, our finances and our children. The role of the Facilities Director is gaining prominence as the quest for cost-cutting, green solutions gains prominence. Hear from two top facilities experts:
Ken Wertz President of MA Facilities Administrators Association; Director of Operations at Sharon Public Schools
Larry Schoff Former Technical Analyst for the US DOE EnergySmart Schools Program & USGBC LEED for Schools
Massachusetts Clean Energy Initiatives – Big Steps
Taking bold, forward strides, Massachusetts has leapt from 3 MW to 90 MW of installed solar in just five years. Massachusetts Clean Energy Center programs like Solarize Mass are popularizing renewables. The town of Harvard went from 13 to 75 installed residential solar systems in 2011-2012.
Elizabeth Kennedy Program Director, Renewable Energy Generation, Mass Clean Energy Center
Jim Elkind Principal at Elkind Associates; Town of Harvard Solarize Mass representative
Sustainable Food Systems – Our Local Markets
Farmers’ markets and urban farming have seen record growth, heralding a new era of health and environmental consciousness. In Massachusetts the local food message is finally coming home.
David Webber Farmers’ Market Coordinator at Massachusetts Department of Agriculture
Fred Yen Manager of Winchester Farmers’ Market
Lyndsay Rose Outreach Manager, Green City Growers
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Regional Initiatives from Coast to Valley
Cooperation among regional communities has risen in recent years, resulting in more collective power to share resources and knowledge. Learn about three regions working on sustainability: Cape Cod, the Southeastern Coast, and Pioneer Valley .
Susan Jennings Southeastern MA Sustainability Council Co-Chair; The Sustainability Initiative Director at UMass Dartmouth
Catherine Ratte Principal Planner and Manager at Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Megan Amsler Executive Director of Cape and Islands Self-Reliance
Education’s Role in Sustainability – Our Children are the Future
It’s never too early to inculcate good habits and equip youth with the knowledge and tools that can help change the world. Two teachers and their students describe empowering school programs and how they connect to the surrounding community.
Cate Arnold Boston Latin School Faculty & Student Advisor for YouthCAN
Karen DiFranza Founder of Hands to Earth: Educating for a Sustainable Future
Local Regulations and Resources – Problems and Solutions
As we add new sustainability elements to communities, fresh concerns arise. How do we manage the challenge of change and sustainable development? Hear from experts about problems and solutions at the local level.
Kurt Gaertner Director of Sustainable Development, State of Massachusetts
Steven Strong President of Solar Design Associates
Ted Carman President of Concord Square Planning and Development
Energy and Buildings
Where can you find a sustainable housing project with zero-net energy homes? Where can you find a local company that makes insulation? Right here in Massachusetts. Hear from two of the experts who make it all come together.
Neil Angus Environmental Planner for the Devens Enterprise Commission
Bill Hulstrunk Technical Manager at National Fiber
2:15 – 3:15 pm

Local Organizations that Engage People – The Ripple Effect
Meet three leaders from community organizations renowned for engaging the community. Hear about their work, the ripple effects and far-reaching solutions.
Rob Garrity Executive Director of Mass Climate Action Network (MCAN)
Audrey Schulman President of Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET)
Meredith Small Executive Director of Toxics Action Center (TAC)
College Student Projects in Communities – Learning While Doing
Student projects can elevate the sometimes theoretical learning process to real life learning experiences, connecting education to community and business interests. From research to action, students are important sustainability stakeholders.
Laura Goldin Chair, Environmental Studies, Brandeis University; Director of the Environmental Internship Program
Eric Olson Senior Lecturer at Brandeis University
Financing – A Practical Guide
Learn how others have organized the financing needed to renovate their downtowns or install solar arrays. Renovations and solar installations can change underutilized buildings and spaces to become attractive and profitable solutions.
Ted Carman President of Concord Square Planning and Development
Michelle Mulcahy Bids and Proposals Manager, RGS Energy
Local Sustainability Success Stories – The Headliners
Communities with environmental organizations see more success when more people are invested and the results are real. Hear success stories from three top local groups across the state.
Nancy Hazard Greening Greenfield Energy Committee member; previous director of NESEA & Tour de Sol
Joel Wool Green Dorchester Community Advocate; Clean Water Action Organizer
Michael Greis Green Needham Chair; Needham School Committee Member

Unlocking Energy Innovation: How America Can Build a Low Cost, Low-Carbon Energy System
2012-04-17 08:00 - 17:00 | Brown Rudnick, One Financial, Boston, MA, 02110, United States
The U.S. has always been in the forefront of innovation – from Thomas Edison to Steve Jobs. But the energy and environmental challenges of today exceed anything we have faced before: the threat of global climate change combined with the need to meet the growing demand for affordable and reliable energy. MIT Professor Richard Lester believes we need a new model of accelerated innovation to fundamentally transform our energy production, delivery and use on a global scale.
Presented by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Registration for Non-E2 or Non-NECEC Members

Electrification of Transportation - a BSAS panel discussion
2012-04-24 12:15 - 14:00 | Harvard Club of Boston, 1 Federal St., 38th floor, Boston, MA, United States
Electrification of automobile transportation in the United States presents an economic opportunity that is both large in scope and potentially hugely disruptive to multiple industries that are mainstays in most investors’ portfolios. We’ve put together this session as part of a larger effort to get mainstream investment managers and analysts more focused on how clean technology and sustainability could significantly change the investment landscape.

Will a transition be slowed by consumer concerns like range anxiety or accelerated by the changing lifestyles of a younger generation of consumers?
What might this transition look like?
How fast could it happen?
What would it mean for the way we analyze and value companies in the auto, energy, and utility industries?

Please join our panel for a discussion of the implications of this transition for investors.
Panelists:

Michael Granoff has been head of oil independence policies for Better Place since its founding in 2007. Granoff is the founder of Maniv Energy Capital, a New York-based investment group and the first investor in Better Place. Previous to Maniv Energy, Mr. Granoff founded Maniv Bioventures, a $20 million fund that invested in 10 earlystage life science companESG Business Development, MSCI

Ron Minsk is the Senior Vice President of Policy for the Electrification Coalition. The Coalition is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit group of business leaders from across the value chain of transportation committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale.

Itay Michaeli is a Vice President at Citi Investment Research & Analysis covering the U.S. Autos & Auto Parts. He joined the firm in 2001. As a dual Equity and Fixed Income analyst, Mr. Itay’s research encompasses the entire capital structure focusing on the equity, corporate bonds and CDS contracts of covered issuers.

Register online here at the Boston Security Analysts Society web site.
Questions, please e-mail or call Michael Greis at 781 559-4623.

NECEC Finance Series - Monetizing the Savings from Energy Efficiency Projects
2012-11-29 08:30 - 10:30 | Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Blvd., 13th floor, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
This New England Clean Energy Council Finance series breakfast will explore mechanisms and tactics to facilitate the financing of energy efficiency projects, including:

How “On-Bill” and property assessed clean energy (PACE) implementation creates financial opportunities
How to increase the comfort levels of lenders and financiers with unsecured payment streams
How modern insurance and warranty programs build trust among underwriters

Moderated by:

Peter Rothstein, President, New England Clean Energy Council
Stephen “Zam” Zamierowski, Director, Deloitte Services LP

Panelists:

Mark Barnett, Co-Chair, Energy Technologies & Renewables Group, Foley Hoag LLP
Angela Ferrante, Director of Alternative Energy Solutions, Energi
Martin Gitlin, Senior Advisor, Harcourt Brown & Carey Energy & Finance
Claire Broido Johnson, Chief of New Markets & Services, Next Step Living

Additional details, panelist bios and registration here.

BSAS Lunch: Global Listed Infrastructure - In a Class of its Own
2012-11-29 12:00 - 14:00 | Ritz-Carlton Boston Common, 10 Avery St., Boston, MA, 02210, United States
Boston Security Analysts Society lunch program on investing in global listed infrastructure as an asset class features Edward P. Keating, Senior Vice President, Lazard Asset Management LLC.
Asset allocation in today’s environment has become increasingly difficult in part due to three key issues:

uncertainty, and market volatility
threat of inflation
lack of sustainable yield

Global Listed Infrastructure is increasingly playing a role for investors as they try to tackle these issues. Characterized by stable revenues and profits, robust inflation protection and sustainable dividends, certain Global Listed Infrastructure investments are highly attractive investments for these uncertain times. Furthermore, a portfolio of such investments have shown compelling low correlation benefits to other major asset classes.
An interactive Q&A session will follow the presentation that will review topics including:

What is infrastructure, and why investors must be selective in their definition of the asset class?
Why invest in infrastructure, and what are the key risks associated?
Why are revenues/profitability so stable?
How does inflation protection work for Infrastructure assets, and how does it differ from other real assets?
How are investors allocating to Infrastructure?
How do investors access Infrastructure?>
Common mistakes made when allocating to Infrastructure

Additional details and registration here.

CBEY Webinar: Making the Business Case for Intelligent Efficiency
2012-12-04 14:00 - 15:00 | Webinar, United States
This webinar from the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale, looks at a systems-based approach to energy efficiency.
Dr. Neal Elliott and Ethan Rogers from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and Paul Hamilton from Schneider Electric will present their groundbreaking work pioneering the concept of taking a systems-based approach to dramatically scale energy efficiency. They will also discuss opportunities for intelligent efficiency as a competitive advantage for businesses, as well as in a regulated business environment.
For a preview, check out the ACEEE report “ A Defining Framework for Intelligent Efficiency.”
Details and registration here.

BASIC end-of-year gathering
2012-12-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Market, 21 Broad St., Boston, MA, United States
BASIC, the community of Boston-area Sustainable Investment Professionals, hosts its end of year social gathering at Market 21 Broad Street, Boston, on December 13th.

ACEEE Webinar: Highlights from the 2012 Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change (BECC) Conference
2013-01-10 15:00 - 16:00
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy hosts a webinar reviewing the highlights from the 2012 Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change (BECC) Conference on January 10th at 3:00 pm.
This webinar will discuss highlights from this year’s premier gathering of researchers and practitioners focusing on the application of social and behavioral insights to move America to a clean, independent, and thriving economy. We’ll discuss the take-home lessons, hottest research, selected case studies, and an overview of sessions on neuroscience, conservative thinking, and storytelling.
Hosted by Susan Mazur-Stommen, Director of Behavior and Human Dimensions, no registration is required, but participants are encouraged to sign in early, as space is limited.
To enter the webinar, click here. Enter as a “Guest”. Please provide your first and last name when prompted.
To hear the webinar: You will be connected to audio using your computer’s microphone and speakers. A headset is recommended.

NECEC: Update and Outlook on Tax & Financing Landscape for Clean Energy
2013-01-31 08:30 | Grant Thornton, 226 Causeway St., 6th floor, Boston, United States
The New England Clean Energy Council’s Policy Series continues with “Update and Outlook on Tax & Financing Landscape for Clean Energy” on Thursday morning, January 31st, 2012 from 8:30 am to 10:30 am.
The panel’s topics include:

The outlook for tax reform in 2013, and how it could affect the clean energy industry
A close look at public-private financing mechanisms
A discussion of the American Tax Relief Act of 2012 (a.k.a. “fiscal cliff tax deal”), and how it affects clean energy companies
The status of clean energy tax provisions, such as the Energy Production Tax Credit (Section 48) and the Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit (Section 45)
How Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) could inject low-cost capital into the clean energy industry

Panelists:

Dustin Stamper, Director, Washington National Tax Office, Grant Thornton
Jordan Collins, Director of Government Relations, ML Strategies
Craig Diamond, Executive Director, Connecticut Clean Energy Finance Center>

The panel will be moderated by Janet Gail Besser, Vice President, Policy & Government Affairs, New England Clean Energy Council.
The panel will be held at Grant Thornton’s office at 226 Causeway Street (6th floor), Boston. Registration is free for NECEC members and sponsors, $40 for others.
Registration and panelist bios here.

Restructuring Roundtable: Onward Energy Efficiency in New England
2013-02-15 09:00 - 12:30 | Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor , Boston, United States
New England states have been national leaders in energy efficiency for some time now – with four of our states in ACEEE’s Top 10 rankings (and Massachusetts overtaking California for the number 1 spot). Never a region to rest on its laurels, we continue to look for ways to improve the depth and effectiveness of our energy-efficiency efforts.
Join Raab Associates for the 133rd Electricity Restructuring Roundtable as the invited panelists explore several major new energy-efficiency related trends and developments in the region and discuss potential new energy- efficiency-related frontiers New England states are tackling, including:

Massachusetts’ new three-year utility energy efficiency programs budgets (approval by MA DPU required by end of January)
Connecticut’s new statewide Energy Plan which covers energy efficiency, renewables, natural gas, and other energy-related issues (release expected prior to the 2/15 Roundtable)
PACE Financing for EE Investments – Connecticut recently began one of first programs in the world, announced 1.24.13, and MA DOER just issued a report on PACE financing for Massachusetts customers
ISO New England’s 2013 Energy Efficiency Forecast for 2016-2022 (which shows huge dampening effect on energy and demand growth due to EE)
A preview of NEEP’s REED – the Regional Energy Efficiency Database – which will be released to the public February 19
Other efficiency related developments; building energy labeling, efficiency funds for oil heated structures, building codes, etc.

Leading the discussion of these developments will be:

Commissioner Mark Sylvia, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
Jessie Stratton, Policy Director/Acting Deputy for Energy, CT DEEP
Stephen Rourke, VP System Planning, ISO New England
Susan Coakley, Executive Director, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships

Registration is not required, but attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the room fills quickly (and no one ever seems to want to go into the overflow room, despite the comfortable chairs there). Information about the Restructuring Roundtable, and presentations from previous sessions, is available here on the Raab Associates web site.

Yale CBE: Energy Efficiency in the New Congress
2013-02-28 12:00 - 13:00
Rob Mosher, Director of Government Relations for the Alliance to Save Energy, will discuss the prospects of energy efficiency in the 113th Congress, including what new laws dealing with energy efficiency we are likely to see in the next couple years. The talk will address specific pieces of legislation that are currently in the pipeline, their chances of becoming law, and the obstacles and trends surrounding energy efficiency legislation.
Register here for the webinar on February 28th, 2013.
This webinar is one in a series – Blueprint for Efficiency – the fourth annual webinar series on energy efficiency presented by the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale. Webinars are also recorded and made available through Yale’s iTunesU channel.

Impact Investing Panel
2013-04-03 12:15 - 14:00 | Hyatt Regency Boston, One Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA, 02111, United States
Impact investments are investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate measurable social and environmental impact while also earning a financial return.
In 2012, $8 billion of committed impact investments were reported by nearly 100 firms responding to the third annual JP Morgan Survey of impact investors.
What does impact investing mean for institutional and high net worth investors? For investment managers and advisors? For organizations on the receiving end of impact investments?
Please join these outstanding leaders over lunch for a Boston Security Analysts Society Impact Investing panel on April 3rd in Boston:

Luther Ragin – Chief Executive Officer, Global Impact Investing Network
Matt Patsky – Chief Executive Officer, Trillium Asset Management
Kyle Johnson – Consultant, Cambridge Associates
Dan Fireside – Capital Coordinator, Equal Exchange

Panelists will explain key features of impact investments, discuss impact investing from those different perspectives, and address questions of importance to the broader investment community:

How does Impact Investing differ from Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), Environmental/Social/Governance (ESG) investing and other forms of “sustainable” investing?
Who is making impact investments and where are the investments being made?
How are the impacts and the payoffs measured?
What is impact investing’s role in an overall investment strategy?
Can impact investing be implemented in all asset classes? How does it fit into thinking about asset allocation?
How do you balance the traditional view of an investment with the perspective needed to achieve “impact”?

The BSAS Impact Investing panel will take place from 12:15 pm – 2:00 pm on Wednesday, April 3rd at the Hyatt Regency Boston

Restructuring Roundtable: RGGI Amendments: Implications for New England & the Nation
2013-04-26 09:00 - 12:15 | Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
Raab Associates 134th Electricity Restructuring Roundtable will consider the recent substantive amendments to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) including an agreement by our six New England states, along with New York, Delaware, and Maryland, to reduce the cap by approximately 45%.
The panel will review the various RGGI amendments and their rationales, and explore the implications for energy markets in New England and the nation as a whole. Panel members were all actively and directly involved in the RGGI negotiations, and are well-poised to help us understand the changes and their implications for our region and the nation:

Commissioner Ken Kimmell, MA DEP (RGGI Secretary)
Commissioner David Littell, Maine PUC (RGGI Vice-Chair)
John Quinn, Senior Manager, Environmental Strategy, Exelon>
Peter Shattuck, Director, Market Initiatives, Environment Northeast
Brian Jones, Senior Vice President, M.J. Bradley & Associates

Registration is not required, but attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the room fills quickly. Information about the Restructuring Roundtable, and presentations from previous sessions, is available here on the Raab Associates web site.

Sustainable Investing: Hype or Opportunity - Society of Quantitative Analysts Fuzzy Day 2013
2013-05-31 08:00 - 17:00 | NY SSA Conference Center, 1540 Broadway, 10th Floor (45th St/Times Sq) , New York, NY, 10063, United States
This marquis full-day program of the Society of Quantitative Analysts will be held on Friday, May 31st 2013 at the NY Society of Security Analysts conference center. The session will bring leading experts from U.S., Europe and Australia to present cutting-edge research in the field of socially responsible investing, and also to address possible skepticism with the field’s investment opportunities. The program will cover climate change risk, alternative energy, ESG investing, carbon emission pricing, ethical asset management, and more.
Details, a list of speakers and registration are available here on the SQA web site.

DoER Post-400 MW Solar Policy Development Stakeholder Meeting
2013-06-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Gardner Auditorium, Massachusetts State House, Boston, United States
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DoER) will hold a Stakeholder Meeting from 10:00am to noon on June 7, 2013 in the Gardner Auditorium in the State House in Boston. At the public meeting, DOER will present its proposed policy for the post-400 MW solar program. The policy will support Governor Patrick’s recent announcement of a new solar goal for the Commonwealth of 1600 MW installed by 2020.

Restructuring Roundtable: ISO-New England's Generation Retirement Study & 2020 Resource Options for New England
2013-06-14 09:00 - 12:30 | Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
ISO-New England’s recent analysis for its forthcoming report on generation retirement concludes that, due to a number of factors, 28 oil- and coal-fired generators in New England (representing 8,300 MW) are at risk of retirement by the end of the decade.
Raab Associates’ 135th New England Electric Restructuring Roundtable on June 14th will focus on understanding ISO’s analysis, and exploring the ramifications for New England of potentially losing over one quarter of its generation capacity in less than a decade. The panel will will also explore in detail what other resource options might be available to fill this potential reliability and resource adequacy gap – more gas-fired generators; on-shore and off-shore wind; hydro power from the North; solar and/or energy efficiency and demand response.
Panelists and their topics:

Stephen Rourke, VP System Planning, ISO-New England will present ISO’s analysis and conclusions.
Massachusetts DPU Commissioner David Cash will then provide a state’s perspective on both the challenges and potential solutions.
Peter Fuller, Director, Market & Regulatory Affairs at NRG Energy will discuss his company’s perspective as the holder of several fossil-fired generators in New England (as well as an increasingly diversified portfolio nationally).
Steve Molodetz, VP, Business Development, Hydro-Québec-U.S., will discuss the possibilities of importing substantial, primarily hydro-based resources, from Canada.
Paul Gaynor, CEO, First Wind, will discuss the role that renewables can play in meeting New England’s 2020 energy and capacity needs.
Herb Healy, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs, EnerNOC, Inc., will discuss the role that demand-side resources could potentially play.

Registration is not required, but attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the room fills quickly (and no one ever seems to want to go into the overflow room, despite the comfortable chairs there). Information about the Restructuring Roundtable, and presentations from previous sessions, is available here on the Raab Associates web site.

2016 Green Business Awards Breakfast
2016-05-19 07:30 - 09:30 | Newton Marriott Hotel, 2345 Commonwealth Ave., Newton, MA, United States
Join us as the Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce’s annual Green Business Breakfast returns to the outdoor pavilion along the picturesque banks of the Charles River at the Newton Marriott Hotel.
This year’s featured speaker will be Maryrose Sylvester, a GE executive who is part of the team relocating to Boston this year. Sylvester is president and CEO of Current powered by GE, a first-of-its kind energy company that integrates GE’s LED, solar, energy storage and electric vehicle businesses with its industrial strength Predix platform to deliver cost effective, efficient energy solutions.
The breakfast will once again honor area businesses for their innovative advances in reducing energy costs or the creation of green products or services.
“The Green Business Breakfast brings together local businesses, energy and environmental experts and policy makers to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to preserving and protecting our environment,” said Greg Reibman, president of the Newton-Needham Chamber.
Registration and additional details available here at the Chamber’s web site.
Tickets are $45 for Chamber members, $50 for non-Chamber members. Tables for 10 and corporate sponsorships are also available. Please contact Lise Elcock, lqelcock@nnchamber.com or 617-244-1864.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Day
2016-05-19 12:00 - 17:00
Sponsored by the Northeast Clean Energy Council, Massachusetts Clean Energy Day is an annual showcase of the growing vitality of the clean energy industry and the importance of consistent policy support as a means of catalyzing the state’s – and our region’s – economy.
Massachusetts Clean Energy Day takes place at the Massachusetts State House. The speaking program and a clean energy showcase at the Grand Staircase are open to the public. The speaking program includes brief remarks by legislative and executive agency leaders and the presentation of Clean Energy Champion awards. Clean Energy Council members are invited and encouraged to participate in small group meetings with legislators during the afternoon.
I encourage clean energy firms – and service providers to the industry – who are not already members of the NECEC to attend the public portion of the event and talk with members and NECEC leaders about the council and the impact members can have on furthering the clean energy agenda in Massachusetts and the other northeast states. (There are similar events in each of the state houses in the region.)
Registration for Massachusetts Clean Energy Day is available here.

BASIC Event: Divestment and Reinvesting in Massachusetts Companies
2016-09-19 17:30 - 19:30 | Old West Church, 131 Cambridge St., Boston, MA, United States
Over the past five years, Massachusetts has become the national incubator for social ventures, clean technologies, and innovative business solutions to climate change. The Climate Action Business Association has developed a new series of reports, Local Emerging Market Reports (LEMR) to offer a spotlight on further opportunities for leadership in the transition to a carbon free economy. The goal is to support local entrepreneurs, early adopters, investors, and others looking for market solutions to fuel the transition to a carbon free economy.
Join CABA and BASIC as we look at these reports from the perspective of sustainable and clean tech investors. Matt Patsky, CEO of Trillium Asset Management and David Miller, Executive Director of Clean Energy Venture Group will provide their perspective on the report and the future of sustainable investments in Massachusetts’ local economy.
Report authors Michael Green and Kate Galbo from CABA will moderate the conversation and discuss how the reports can be used to fuel local investments.
Register for this event here at Eventbrite.

Venture Exchanges in the US – has the time come?
2016-10-05 12:15 - 14:00 | Ritz-Carlton Boston Common, 10 Avery St., Boston, MA, 02210, United States
A Venture Exchange is a market for equity capital with less strict listing and regulatory rules to serve smaller and startup companies. The idea is that a lighter-regulatory touch would encourage more small, start-up companies to use the public markets to raise capital, in part to replace commercial banks who have reduced lending to these companies, in part in response to regulatory capital requirements.
A venture exchange in the US could make opportunities in new and emerging technologies and business models accessible to a larger pool of sustainable investors. The CFA Institute recently undertook a study and published a white paper on the opportunities and challenges such a venture market would face, as well as what such a market would need to offer investors, issuers, broker dealers and other parties in order for such a market to succeed.
As one of the country’s leading innovation hubs – especially in clean technology – Boston is an appropriate venue to examine venture exchanges. Please join us on Wednesday, October 5th as the Boston Security Analysts Society hosts a luncheon conversation on United States Venture Exchange: Has The Time Come?.
Our speakers will be:

Lead author Matt Orsagh, Director of Capital Markets Policy at the CFA Institute
Stanley Keller, Of Counsel at Locke Lord, with extensive experience in corporate and securities law and a participant in the working group for the study
Robert Peterman, Director, Global Business Development – Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, and TSX Private Markets

Registration and full bios for our speakers are available here at the BSAS web site. Copies of the white paper will be available at the event.

Using SASB Standards in Valuation: A Hands-On Workshop
2016-11-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Sheraton Boston, 39 Dalton St., Boston, MA, 02199, United States
The BSAS and SASB are very pleased to offer Using SASB Standards in Valuation: A Hands-On Workshop from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Wednesday, November 16th, the afternoon before our 4th annual full-day BSAS Sustainable Investing seminar on November 17th. Both events will take place at the Boston Sheraton hotel. You can register for both at the BSAS web site, and also get a discount on the workshop.
Please join Michael Kinstlick, Head of Standards Setting at SASB, for this hands-on workshop that will give attendees:

A deeper understanding of the uses of the SASB metrics
A comfort level incorporating SASB metrics into traditional DCF valuation models
The preparation necessary to consider deeper analytic approaches with the data as it becomes available

We hope to see you at both events!

Registration and Session Information

As Head of Standards Setting at SASB, Michael Kinstlick oversees research, analytics, consultation, and codification and maintenance of the SASB standards. Michael’s career spans functions and industries. He has worked predominantly in Finance, including almost a decade at quantitative equities firm AXA Rosenberg with roles in both core research and helping manage billions-of-dollars in Long/Short strategies. He has most recently served as the founding CEO of Coppersea Distilling, a field-to-glass farm distillery in NY’s Hudson Valley. He graduated cum laude in Economics and Philosophy from Columbia before graduate school at Northwestern (MS, Industrial Engineering) and UC Berkeley (MBA, Haas School of Business).

2016 BSAS Sustainable Investing seminar
2016-11-17 08:00 - 18:00
The 4th annual BSAS Sustainable Investing Seminar will take place on November 17th at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. We are pleased to again have an outstanding lineup of speakers and panelists joining us.

Additional seminar information and registration is here at the BSAS web site.
A PDF version of the agenda (without session notes)

7:30am – Registration Opens
7:45am – Continental Breakfast
8:45am – Welcome and Introductions

Michael Greis, CFA, Principal, Riverbend Advisors and Chair of the Seminar Committee

9:00am – Keynote Address

John Streur, President & CEO, Calvert Investments

9:45am – Products and Platforms

Anna Snider, CAIA, Head of Due Diligence, CIO Office, Merrill Lynch

10:30am – Break
11:00am – The Promise and Peril of Fund Ratings

Anna Snider, CAIA, Head of Due Diligence, CIO Office, Merrill Lynch – Moderator
Noel Friedman, CFA, Business Manager, ESG Research Products, MSCI
Jon Hale, CFA, Head of Sustainability Research, Morningstar, Inc.
Sarah Smith, Director of Institutional Relations at Sustainalytics

11:45am – A Fresh Perspective on Engagement

George Serafeim, Jakurski Family Associate Professor at Harvard Business School
Sr. Patricia Daly, OP, Executive Director, Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment
Moderated by Cheryl Smith, CFA, Managing Partner, Trillium Asset Management

1:15pm – Lunch
2:00pm – The Quants are Coming….The Quants are Here

Gareth Davies, Head of Responsible Investment, Columbia Threadneedle – Moderator
Andreas Feiner, Founding Partner and Head of ESG Research & Advisory, Arabesque Asset Management
Quyuen Tran, Equity Portfolio Specialist, Wellington Management
Laurent De Greef, Director, Global Head of Consultant Relations, Acadian Asset Management

3:00pm – Performance – Fixed Income Topics

Andreas G. F. Hoepner, PhD, Senior Academic Fellow, PRI and Associate Professor of Finance,
ICMA Centre, Henley Business School
Pernille Jessen, Head of Credit, Unipension Denmark

3:45pm – Break

4:15pm – Long Term Investing and Systemic Impacts – the Investor and Corporate perspectives

Steve Lydenberg, CFA, Partner, Strategic Vision, Domini Social Investments; Founder & CEO, The Investment Integration Project
Tim Youmans, Research Director, CECP’s Strategic Investor Initiative

5:00pm – Focusing Capital on the Long Term

Sarah Williamson, CFA, CEO, Focusing Capital on the Long Term

5:45 – 7:00 – Networking Reception

Moving the Market: the Inaugural SASB Symposium
2016-12-01 08:00 - 18:30 | Park Central Hotel, 870 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY, 10019, United States
SASB’s Inaugural Symposium on December 1st in New York City is the first convening to explore the unique intersection between sustainability, finance, accounting, and law. An outstanding group of speakers and panelists will explore practical questions about the materiality of sustainability information and its relevance to the capital markets. Attendees will come away with a robust high-level view and a deeper understanding of how sustainability factors drive value and how to use sustainability information to inform corporate strategies or investment decisions.
Register here.
Symposium Agenda
8-8:30
Breakfast and Networking
8:30-9
Opening Remarks from Jean Rogers, SASB CEO
9:00-10:00
Meeting the Needs of Today’s Investor:
Why the SEC is Looking at Disclosure Effectiveness
Keith Higgins, Director of the Division of Corporate Finance, SEC
Alan Beller, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb
John White, Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Mary Schapiro, Former Chair, SEC (Moderator)

10:00-10:15
Break & Networking
10:15-10:45
Q&A: Re-writing the Book on Valuation
Tim Koller, Partner, McKinsey
Jonathan Bailey, Associate Partner, McKinsey (Moderator)

10:45-11:45
The Next Wave of ESG Integration: Lessons from Institutional Investors
Ted Eliopoulos, CIO, CalPERS
Chris Ailman, CIO, CalSTRS
Kristi Mitchem, President & CEO, Wells Fargo Asset Management
Michelle Edkins, Managing Director, BlackRock
Janine Guillot, Director of Capital Markets Policy & Outreach, SASB (Moderator)

12:00 – 1:00
Lunch
12:15-12:30
Lunchtime speaker: The Future of SASB Standard Setting
Michael Kinstlick, Chief of the Standards Setting Organization, SASB
1:00 – 1:50
The Analyst Point of View on ESG
Bobby Lamy, Head of Practice Analysis, CFA Institute
Dan Hanson, Partner, Jarislowsky Fraser
Tom Lyons, Sr. Analyst Montgomery Fixed Income, Wells Capital Management
Jennifer Bender, Managing Director, Director of Research, SSGA
Bruno Bertocci, MD, UBS (Moderator)

2:00-2:50
The Corporate Perspective: Sustainability and Risk Management
Steven Walker, General Counsel, NACD
Tom Quaadman, SVP, US Chamber Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness
Elisse Walter, Former Chair, SEC (Moderator)

2:50-3:10
Coffee & Networking
3:10-4:00
The Future of the Profession: Emerging Questions for Accountants
Jeanette Franzel, Board Member, PCAOB
Jeff Thomson, CEO, IMA
Cindy Fornelli, CEO, the Center for Audit Quality (Moderator)

4-4:15
The End of Accounting
Baruch Lev, Professor, NYU Stern

4:15–5:00
Keynote Speaker: To Be Announced
5:00–6:30
Closing Reception
