The last day of an invitation-only, two-day working session to identify opportunities to accelerate renewable energy procurement.

See the REBA Summit page for more information and to request an invitation.

*Participants must be registered for an All-Access, Tutorial-Only or One-Day Tuesday pass.

This four-hour course will explain the fundamentals of how power markets work, the changes that have taken place in the past decade, and the revolutionary change that is about to occur.  We will cover:

Corporate buyers, state regulators and large utilities are increasingly taking a leadership role across the U.S. with significant renewable energy projects. In New York, ConEdison is leading a set of initiatives called Reforming the Energy Vision, or REV, to redefine the way customers participate in the electric power system. In California, Governor Jerry Brown, state legislators and the California Public Utilities Commission are pushing increases in renewable energy procurement. Alongside those state efforts, four leading NGOs have joined with the corporate world to create the Renewable Energy Buyer's Alliance (REBA), with the aim of expanding the renewable energy purchasing power of larger and midsize businesses. This session will explore the direction of the clean energy system from those various perspectives.

Senior executives from three very different U.S. utilities discuss their respective visions for the future of utilities — specifically, the energy transition issues they are dealing with locally and nationally, and what it will take for corporations and local governments to work collaboratively with utilities to advance a clean energy economy. The conversation will also include a focus on how innovations within the power sector — including technologies and business models — are spurring significant opportunities for all industry stakeholders.

Introduced at VERGE 2015, and highlighted recently in training by the International Society of Sustainability Professionals, the practice of using the land under and around U.S. solar arrays to benefit pollinators is on the cusp of becoming a standard practice — as it is in Europe. Benefitting pollinators at scale, and producing "Solar Honey," are new ways to increase support for large-scale solar.

A pitch competition that provides entrepreneurs in energy, buildings, transportation, supply chains, water, food, and cities the opportunity to present to the diverse VERGE community: executives from the world's largest companies, public officials from progressive cities, venture capitalists, and others.

For more information, please refer to our VERGE Accelerate page.

The list of companies committing to source 100 percent renewable energy as a means of reducing carbon emissions is growing rapidly, and in 2015, corporate buyers overtook electric utilities in procuring clean power. On the surface, this is an inspiring story, powerful and simple. But the process is anything but simple. The options are many, can be complex and can have varying levels of reported and real carbon reduction. This two-part workshop unpacks what it really means to  “procure” renewable energy as a strategy to help achieve the ultimate goal of reducing the grid's greenhouse gas emissions.

In this session (Part 1 of 2) you will learn from those in-the-trenches about essential aspects of renewable energy procurement including:

• A history of corporate renewable energy targets and procurement (who is involved, why and how)

• The basics of power generation, electricity grids and regulated versus deregulated markets

• The use of renewable energy certificates (RECs) and guarantees of origin (GO) as a mechanism for tracking renewable energy production, “ownership” and the right to make zero carbon claims (compared to carbon offsets)

The renowned earth systems scientist and executive director of the California Academy of Sciences presents an eye-opening talk on his vision for transforming behavior to accelerate sustainability at scale.

Two very different perspectives — an energy commissioner in Georgia (red state) and the head of the energy commission in California (blue state) discuss their lessons learned as their respective states (and local communities) transition to a cleaner energy future.

A pitch competition that provides entrepreneurs in energy, buildings, transportation, supply chains, water, food, and cities the opportunity to present to the diverse VERGE community: executives from the world's largest companies, public officials from progressive cities, venture capitalists, and others.

For more information, please refer to our VERGE Accelerate page.

Community leaders from around the U.S. share solutions that are promoting balanced growth and shared prosperity for low-wealth people and communities of color in their respective work across energy, transportation, land-use and economic inclusion.

It's far easier for corporates to buy electricity from solar and wind farms in deregulated markets than it was just two years ago, but negotiating power purchase agreements (PPAs) is not for the faint of heart. We'll cover the basics, such as how to evaluate contracts; consider subtle regional differences that could make a difference; and explore a fast-emerging model, aggregated deals that include more than one offtaker.

Traditionally entrenched electricity stakeholders are undergoing massive transitions. How are they working to transform the way our power grids function and collaborate with a market that is increasingly invested in distributed energy resources like onsite solar and storage? And how are utilities seeking to collaborate with technology innovators to accelerate a cleaner energy system for all? 

How does public policy determine clean economy business outcomes?  Why is it imperative for business leaders to leverage their market power to truly accelerate clean energy, climate and sustainability innovations at the policymaking level — especially under this challenging federal administration? A Congressman, Google’s head of energy policy and market development, and a former White House Chief Sustainability Officer turned renewable energy finance entrepreneur share their stories and insights on the way forward.

A conversation with Apple's visionary sustainability executive on the company's commitments on renewable energy, circular materials and other topics.