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Agenda

Day One: Tuesday 16 February 2010

8.30 Registration
9.00 Chair’s Opening Remarks
9.10 Opening Addresses

9.55 Keynote Presentation: Assessing the Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on the Geothermal Industry One Year On

  • To what extent has the ARRA succeeded in stimulating new exploration activity, new technology development and new market entrants?
  • What challenges have geothermal developers faced in accessing grants and loan guarantees, and what actions have been taken to overcome these challenges?
  • How is government support helping to position the US as a centre for geothermal expertise, so US companies can compete successfully for international opportunities?
  • Looking ahead: The outlook for new funding awards in 2010-2011

10.20 Priorities for 2010: Reviewing the Challenges Faced by Developers in 2009, and Plans for the Year Ahead

  • How have developers responded to the challenges in raising finance for exploration and development?
  • Is M&A / consolidation between players set to be a growing trend?
  • Growth projections for 2010: Where are the most progressive developers looking to invest?
  • How has the stimulus programme affected developers’ strategy?

11.05 Networking refreshment break

11.45 Identifying New Sources of Capital as the Credit Freeze Thaws

  • Analyzing recent trends in accessing funds through IPOs and private placements
  • Institutional investors, venture capital and private equity players’ perspective on the best opportunities in geothermal development: What features are they looking for?
  • The impact of the FIPP loan guarantee system on raising debt finance
  • New strategies for financing early stage and high risk projects 

12.30 The Strategies of Major Utilities for Geothermal Power

  • Evaluating the role of geothermal power in a utility’s renewable portfolio: What volume of geothermal power are utilities looking to purchase per year over the next 10 years?
  • What changes within the geothermal sector could lead to a greater uptake of / investment in geothermal energy by utilities?
  • How can PPAs be structured to help overcome some of the financing issues faced by geothermal developers?

1.15 The Impact of Current State and Regional Transmission Initiatives

  • Assessing the potential of alternative transmission corridors, and their impact on current and planned geothermal projects

1.35 Networking luncheon

2.45 Prospects for Enhanced Collaboration with the Oil and Gas Industry

  • Where does geothermal fit into the overall renewable energy strategies of oil majors?
  • To what extent are there commercial opportunities for oil and gas companies to exploit the synergies between hydrocarbon exploration and geothermal exploration?
  • Examining the potential to reduce exploration risk through the use of oil and gas drilling technologies
  • Opportunities for cost reduction through the transfer of technologies and project management skills

3.30 Case studies: Evaluating the Commercial Potential of Geothermal-Hydrocarbon Co-Production

  • Current policy incentives to stimulate geothermal-hydrocarbon co-production
  • New technical advances driving this technology forward

3.50 Networking refreshment break

4.10 Enhanced Geothermal Systems: Overcoming the Challenges of 2009

  • To what extent has public and investor confidence in EGS been affected by concerns over induced seismicity, and how has the industry responded?
  • How effective has the US stimulus programme been in promoting greater investment in EGS technologies?
  • Which new technical advances offer the greatest potential for commercial application?

4.55 The Impact of New Technologies on Future Geothermal Potential

  • Advances in low-temperature energy conversion technologies
  • C02-based geothermal power production

5.15 Advanced Solutions Emerging from the US National Laboratories

6.30 Networking cocktail reception

Day Two: Wednesday 17 February 2010

8.30 Registration
9.00 Chair’s Review of Day One and Introduction to Day Two

9.10 Accessing the Emerging Markets of Latin America

  • Identifying new opportunities for geothermal development across the Americas
  • Which countries offer a regulatory and incentive regime conducive to long-term commercial success?
  • Assessing political risk and instability when negotiating contracts
  • Addressing the environmental and social challenges of geothermal development

9.55 Raising Finance for Geothermal Development in New Markets

  • Recent project finance structures for geothermal developments in Latin America
  • Accessing finance from multilateral investment banks
  • The potential for registering projects under the Clean Development Mechanism

10.40 Networking refreshment break

11.20 Country Profiles

  • New exploration hotspots and future resource potential
  • Current permitting / concession processes and requirements
  • Government support, grants and incentives for geothermal development
  • Existing and planned transmission infrastructure
  • Project economics – PPA structures and electricity pricing
  • Local industry infrastructure, contractors and services
  • CHILE
  • ARGENTINA
  • PERU

12.50 Networking luncheon

2.00 Country Profiles

  • NICARAGUA
  • GUATEMALA
  • THE CARIBBEAN 

4.00 Close of conference