AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Texas Renewable Energy Industries Alliance (TREIA) will take on the challenge of modernizing the power grid to significantly expand the use of clean energy in Texas at GridNEXT – the premier renewable energy conference in Texas – on Nov. 11-13, 2015, at the Westin Galleria in Houston.
GridNEXT: Advancing Clean Energy on the New Texas Grid will convene utility executives, industry thought leaders, technology innovators and energy policy-makers for two days of panel discussions, workshops and networking events.
Texas continues to be the leader in wind energy, is making good strides in energy storage, and is expected to increase solar capacity 50-fold over the next 15 years according to a new report released by ERCOT, the Independent System Operator of 90 percent of the Texas grid. At GridNEXT, key execs from ERCOT and utility leaders will join with leaders from solar, wind, storage, geothermal and other clean energy industries to define the challenges of utility business model innovation and define actionable strategies to maximize clean energy integration on the grid.
"Texas is an ideal learning environment for clean energy companies and utilities all over the country because our grid is independent and we've had such incredible success with wind integration," said Hala Ballouz, president of TREIA. "We look forward to bringing together all the stakeholders to debate, explore and to create an action plan for advancing our state's renewable energy leadership."
Keynoting the welcome event on Wednesday, Nov. 11 is Bryan Hannegan, PhD., associate director for energy systems integration at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Dr. Hannegan leads NREL's global initiative to optimize links between electricity, fuel, thermal, water, and communication networks in order to enable a more sustainable society.
Headlining the awards luncheon on Friday is John Hofmeister, founder of Citizens for Affordable Energy and former president of Shell Oil. A champion of sustainable environmental policies and energy security, Hofmeister is the author of Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy Insider.
Among the featured panels is a deep-dive discussion on innovative business models in the utility industry. A session on transmission will examine how to extend the 2,400-mile Competitive Renewable Energy Network to enable more wind and solar generation. A session on unbundling the grid will look at changes that Distributed Energy Resources will bring to the grid. Sessions on community solar, microgrids, wind development and geothermal are also planned.
For the full agenda and list of speakers, visit www.GridNEXT.org. For advance registration rates, sign up by Nov. 5. To register by phone, call 512/345-5446.
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SOURCE Texas Renewable Energy Industries Alliance
