Energize Virginia: A Citizens' Summit on Offshore Wind Power

Online registration has ended. Tickets will be $25 at the door. See you there!

Virginia has the chance to be the first state in our region to harness vast offshore wind resources. Developing a wind farm off our coast would bring Virginians clean power, up to 10,000 jobs, and stable energy prices. It will take a major display of people power in Virginia to spur the growth of a local offshore wind industry!

Join us to enjoy a day jam-packed with programming designed to inspire action and foster leadership in support of Virginia offshore wind. 

We're thrilled to announce that business leader Terry McAuliffe will address our crowd of clean energy supporters! An advocate for green jobs, McAuliffe will help paint a picture of the critical need for a transition to energy that's clean, made in the commonwealth, and affordable down the road, and the clear benefits for our economy and environment. See below for a full agenda!

Tickets include coffee and lunch.

Agenda

9:00 - 9:45am – Check-in & Coffee

9:45 - 10:00am – Get seated

10:00 - 10:20am – Welcome & Opening Remarks: Winds of Opportunity
Mike Tidwell, author and Chesapeake Climate Action Network Executive Director

10:20am - 10:45 – Keynote Speaker 1: Building Virginia's Green Economy
Terry McAuliffe, Chairman & Founder, GreenTech Automotive Corp. 

10:45 - 11:45am – Panel Discussion: The Power of Wind: Bringing Clean Energy & Good Jobs to the Commonwealth
Jackie Savitz, Oceana Senior Campaign Director
Vanessa Pierce, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Deputy Director
Randy Flood, Green Jobs Alliance Executive Director

11:45am - 12:00pm – Keynote Speaker 2: Virginia’s Windfall
Donald McEachin, Virginia State Senator

12:00 - 12:45pm – Lunch

12:45 - 1:45pm – First Breakout Session

1:45 - 2:00pm – Break

2:00 - 3:00pm – Second Breakout Session

During the afternoon breakout sessions, each attendee will go to Breakout Session 1 during one time period and choose between Breakout Session 2a or Breakout Session 2b for the other time period.

Breakout Session 1: OUR role in tapping Virginia’s offshore wind resource: Grassroots organizing in our communities
Keith Thirion, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Lead Virginia Organizer
Trieste Lockwood, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light 

Breakout Session 2a: Businesses’ role in tapping Virginia’s offshore wind resource: Taking the leap toward the technology of the future
Bob Mitchell, Atlantic Wind Connection CEO
Jerry Giles, Virginia Economic Development Partnership Managing Director of Technology, Energy & Corporate Services 
Beth Kemler, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Virginia State Director

Breakout Session 2b: The government’s role in tapping Virginia’s offshore wind resource: State & federal policies to advance clean power and good jobs
Bruce Buckheit, environmental consultant & retired Director of EPA's Air Enforcement Division
Chelsea Harnish, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Virginia Policy Coordinator
Joe Bouchard, retired U.S. Navy Captain & former Delegate 

3:05 - 3:30pm – Closing Remarks and Call to Action
Glen Besa, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Executive Director
Kirsten Collings, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Campaign Director

3:30 - 4:00pm – Take Action!
Build on the day’s momentum with a short march to the Capitol, where we’ll take inspiring photos to use throughout the campaign. Show Dominion and the General Assembly that people power is behind offshore wind, with one photo featuring us holding signs showing support and an aerial photo of the group forming the shape of a wind turbine.

4:00 - 6:30pm – After Party!
Join us at Capital Ale House to keep the day's discussions going and have some fun! We'll head to their game room for specials on American micro brews.

Still looking for more info? Check out photos from a similar citizens' offshore wind conference in Maryland to get an idea of how the day will look.