Residence Inn Capital View, Arlington, VA
(Final as of 2/21/2025 – PDF version)
7:30a – 8:15a Registration, Breakfast Buffet and Networking Opportunity
8:15a – 8:20a Welcome and Opening Remarks
Mike Bergey, DWEA President
8:20a – 9:05a Keynote Address – Michael Barnard, globally renowned energy futurist, corporate advisor, and wind technology consumer advocate (virtual)
9:05a – 10:00a Leadership Panel: State of the Industry
Moderator: Charles Newcomb, Hoss Consulting
Participants:
10:05a – 10:20a Networking Break
10:20a – 11:20a U.S. DOE’s Distributed Wind Research & Initiatives Updates
Moderator: Ian Baring-Gould, Distributed Wind Program Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
11:20a – 12:00p Lightning Round – Platinum Sponsors Spotlight
Moderator: Padma Kasthurirangan, Buffalo Renewables
12:00p-1:20p Networking Lunch (included in registration)
1:20p – 2:00p DWEA Federal Policy Update
Moderator: Chris Diaz, Seminole Financial
This session will provide an overview of DWEA’s 2025 federal policy priorities by Lloyd Ritter and Matt Caswell with Green Capitol, DWEA’s Washington representatives, followed by a Q&A session. They will cover the impact of the new Administration and the Republican Congress on legislation and policies that are important to the Distributed Wind industry.
2:00p – 2:50p Federal Policy and Programs Update
Moderator: Paul Rowan, Windurance
2:50p-3:05p Networking Break
3:05p – 4:00p Updates on Tax Provisions in the IRA Legislation
Moderator: Steve Sherr, Foundation Windpower
Presentations and discussion by tax experts:
4:00p – 5:00p Accessing Agricultural Markets for Distributed Wind
Moderator: Dan Clunies, Harmony Energy
5:00p First Day Closing Comments – Mike Bergey, DWEA President
5:00p Adjourn
5:15 – 7:30p Monday Happy Hour – Networking Opportunity – cash bar
SOCCi Italian Restaurant, Renaissance Arlington Capital View (adjacent to Residence Inn)
7:00a – 8:00a Registration, Breakfast Buffet and Networking Opportunity
7:00a – 8:00a Windiversity: Women of DW & DWEA Racial Equity Meetup, Terrace Room
All Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy members and allies welcome
8:00a – 8:05a Welcome and Opening Remarks
Mike Bergey, DWEA President
8:05a – 9:25a Case Studies of Distributed Wind Projects
Moderator: Ryan Storke, Storke LLC
This session will feature case studies of noteworthy Distributed Wind projects covering different sizes and applications. Project details, including costs, performance, and economics will be presented.
9:25a – 10:15a Distributed Wind Market Issues
Moderator: Josh Groleau, Pecos Wind
10:15a -10:30a Networking Break
10:30a – 11:15p Distributed Wind Technical Innovations
Moderator: Chris Connor, Northern Power Systems
11:15a – 12:00p REpowering Schools Student Presentations
Moderator: Remy Pangle, REpowering Schools
As in 2024, on Tuesday REpowering Schools is hosting a parallel workshop for college engineering students and their faculty advisors participating in the FEDEX Hybrid System Design Challenge. This collegiate competition requires students to develop and apply an understanding of wind energy engineering. This conference session provides the teams an opportunity to present their projects. Posters from each participating school will be displayed at the Tuesday evening DW25 reception, where distributed wind companies may find candidates for internships or employment.
12:00 – 12:15p Windustry 2024 Community Wind Awards – presented by Lisa Daniels and Jim Duffy
12:15p Conference Closing Remarks – Mike Bergey, DWEA President
12:20p Adjourn
12:20-1:30p Networking Lunch and AgWind Strategy Session (included in registration)
1:30p – 5:00p U.S. DOE National Labs – Industry Discussions, Session Part 1
These discussions will be broken out into three sessions, each with two parallel breakout sessions and participants are welcome to more from one to the other at their leisure. There will be two short 10 minute breaks between sessions
1:30p – 2:20p – Industry Discussions Session 1
Breakout 1: REAP application review and discussion for Developers
A lack of clarity around REAP application requirements is resulting in delays in wind focused REAP applications. As REAP funding becomes more limited, it will be increasingly important to improve scores for DW proposals. This session will collect experiences with REAP applications, review the REAP technical proposal check list, and identify tools or other processes that could be developed to standardize the types of information that would streamline proposal development, submission and review processes.
Breakout 2: Turbine Monitorin Consortia
The lack of credible turbine performance data remains an issue in market credibility. Following the development of the DW Monitoring guide, PNNL and NREL staff will lead a discussion to identify the key requirements (structural, organizational, legal) to enable the development of an independent DW turbine monitoring process. The goal of the session will be to identify key concerns and a core group to develop a monitoring consortia concept for further consideration by the industry and DOE.
2:20p – 2:30p Break
2:30p – 3:20p – Industry Discussions Session 2
Breakout 1: Tool Review and Application Discussion
WETO has invested in decision-support tools as part of its effort to address project development roadblocks. Several of these tools are now ready for more widespread use, but their use is limited. This roundtable will allow DWEA conference participants to obtain a better understanding of the existing tools, followed by discussions of how laboratory staff can work with DWEA and developers to integrate these tools into the development process.
Breakout 2: DW Structural and Electrical Testing Needs
The lack of credible turbine performance data remains an issue in market credibility. Following the development of the DW Monitoring guide, PNNL and NREL staff will lead a discussion to identify the key requirements (structural, organizational, legal) to enable the development of an independent DW turbine monitoring process. The goal of the session will be to identify key concerns and a core group to develop a monitoring consortia concept for further consideration by the industry and DOE.
3:20p – 3:30p Break
3:30p – 4:20p – Industry Discussions Session 3
Breakout 1: Permitting, Siting, and WindSmart
Permitting and siting are becoming a more common issue with turbine installations. This session will discuss with turbine installers what work, or research, is needed to better address common siting concerns observed by industry. The role of WindSmart and identification of potential pilot communities to support deeper dives on developing supportive permitting models will also be discussed.
Breakout 2: Interconnection Solution
Interconnection requirements continue to be identified as a key barrier to expanded DW development. Considering this issue from several perspectives including utility requirements, research needs, interconnection standards, and consideration of potential innovative interconnection models which may reduce challenges, this session will allow discussion of ways to streamline interconnection bottlenecks and identify specific next steps to address these challenges.
4:30p – 6:30p DWEA Private Reception on Capitol Hill, Hosted by Lloyd Ritter
5:00p Adjourn
5:15 – 7:00p Networking Reception – cash bar – Lobby, Residence Inn
Featuring REpowering Schools student teams and their project posters.
7:00a – 7:30a Registration & Coffee
7:30a – 8:00a Policy Briefing & “Lobbying 101”
8:30a – 4:30p Congressional and Administration Meetings (in 30 min. blocks)
Small teams led by experienced DWEA representatives
5:30p – 7:30p Happy Hour – Networking Opportunity – cash bar
SOCCi Italian Restaurant, Renaissance Arlington Capital View (adjacent to Residence Inn)
