Financing Wind Power: The Future of Energy

The Phoenician
Scottsdale, AZ
May 7 - 9, 2008

Who should attend  |  Why you should attend  |  Speakers Agenda  |  Instructional Information  |  Hotel Info Accreditation  |   Registration Info   |  Group Discounts Brochure   |   Sponsors  |  Cancellation Information

Sponsors:

Who Should Attend

• Developers who are currently working in the wind energy industry as well as developers in other fields - such as conventional energy projects, real estate development, and community revitalization projects - who are thinking about applying their expertise in bringing together debt and equity sources of financing in the development of other projects to develop wind projects
• Investors and lenders who want to learn about the current state of the wind finance industry and who see the opportunity and potential of this alternative energy source
• Government agencies looking for practical and cost-effective ways to encourage wind and other renewable sources of energy as well as looking to understand what pieces of the financial puzzle can be met by the private sector and which pieces require governmental encouragement
• Energy and tax accountants, lawyers, environmental consultants and other professional advisors who need to know the current trends in wind project finance or who want to enhance their practice in the wind energy industry
• Wind industry service providers, including turbine and component manufacturers, construction companies, wind resource consultants, and asset managers who want to meet wind energy developers and transaction participants
• Venture capitalists and company financiers seeking opportunities from among the next wave of wind and renewable energy entrepreneurs

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Why You Should Attend

There are tremendous opportunities presenting themselves in the wind energy field. Although less than one percent of the nation's electricity is currently supplied by wind power, experts have concluded that with today's technology there is-theoretically- enough wind power potential in the United States to supply all of the Nation's electricity, and sufficient wind for commercial power production can be found in at least 46 states. The Bush administration has also stated that wind energy can provide as much as 20 percent of the Nation's energy needs. Given America's focus on the environment and its quest for alternative energy sources, legislative and administrative proposals are pending that could make this a reality.

This three-day conference will focus on:

• current debt and tax credit equity structures for wind financing, providing a solid understanding of how deals come together;
• up-to-date information on pending legislation and current federal and state policies for wind energy;
• techniques for minimizing permitting, zoning, environmental, and other regulatory roadblocks;
• best practices for financing, warranties, and debt and tax structuring, including addressing investor concerns;
• special issues and tactics for locally owned, locally beneficial community wind projects; and
• methods for raising capital to fuel wind energy companies.

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The Speakers

Ric E. Abel
Managing Director
Prudential Capital Group
Dallas, TX

Anntonette Z. Alberti, JD
Vice President, Commercial Program Development
Tetra Tech EC, Inc.
Saratoga Springs, NY

Stuart Ashton
Director
Private Finance Group
NY Life Investment Management LLC
New York, NY

Richard M. Cogen, Esq. * [ bio ]
Partner
Nixon Peabody LLP
Albany, NY

Lisa Daniels
Executive Director and Founder
Windustry
Minneapolis, MN

Daniel E. DuBois
Director
Business Development
Acciona Energy North America Corporation
Wynantskill, NY

Dennis J. Duffy
Vice President Regulatory Affairs
Cape Wind Associates LLC/EMI
Boston, MA

James F. Duffy, Esq. * [ bio ]
Partner
Nixon Peabody LLP
Boston, MA

John M. Eber
Managing Director
Energy Investments
JPMorgan Capital Corporation
Chicago, IL

Matt Ferguson
Principal
Reznick Group P.C.
Vienna, VA

Paul J. Gaynor
President and CEO
UPC Wind Management, LLC
Newton, MA

Travis Gibbs, Esq. [ bio ]
Partner
Nixon Peabody LLP
Los Angeles, CA

Michael J. Goldman, Esq. * [ bio ]
Associate
Nixon Peabody LLP
Washington, DC

Jessica A. Graf, Esq. * [ bio ]
Associate
Nixon Peabody LLP
Boston, MA

Clifford M. Kenwood
President
Rebirth Capital, LLC
New Orleans, LA

Ruth E. Leistensnider, Esq.* [ bio ]
Partner
Nixon Peabody LLP
Albany, NY

Forrest David Milder, Esq. * [ bio ]
Partner
Nixon Peabody LLP
Boston, MA

Matthew S. Moses, Esq. [ bio ]
Partner
Nixon Peabody LLP
Rochester NY

Peter V. Murphy
Director
Standard & Poor's
New York, NY

Bob Percopo
Executive Vice President
Project Finance Advisory
AIG Global Marine & Energy
New York, NY

Daniel J. Smith
Partner
Novogradac & Company LLP
Dover, OH

Andrew Stern
President
New England Windpower, LLC
Cambridge, MA

Stephen B. Tracy
Partner
Novogradac & Company LLP
San Francisco, CA

Alan Watt
State Business Programs Specialist, Rural Development
USDA Business and Cooperatives Program
Phoenix, AZ

Eric White
Director of Engineering
AWS Truewind, LLC
Albany, NY

Elizabeth W. Whittle [ bio ]
Partner
Nixon Peabody LLP
Washington, DC

*Planning Committee

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Agenda

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

2:00 - 5:00 PM
Registration

3:00
Optional Pre-Conference Session: Wind Basics

For those without a strong background in the wind industry, this session will provide a succinct introduction to how wind fits into the energy situation in the United States. It will also provide a basic overview of the process of developing and financing a wind energy project, including the principal obstacles and structuring issues. Sessions on Thursday and Friday will reference this basic knowledge.

• Energy in the United States -- Why wind?
• Siting a wind project
• Environmental concerns
• The Production Tax Credit (PTC)
• Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS)
• Equity, debt, and turbine finance

6:00 - 8:00 PM
Opening Reception for All Participants, Speakers and Sponsors

Thursday, May 8, 2008

7:30 AM
Registration and Complimentary Continental Breakfast

8:30 AM
Welcome and Introductions

8:45 AM
Legislative Update and Policy Panel

Washington, D.C. insiders will provide an up-to-the minute status report on pending legislation, including Production Tax Credit (PTC) extension prospects and any other hot federal issues

• Legislative changes in Congress in 2007
• Prospects for long-term extension of the PTC
• Federal and state renewable portfolio standards

9:30 AM
Siting, Real Estate, Environmental, and Regulatory Issues for Wind Projects: Wind Resource Evaluation, Zoning, Real Estate, and Environmental Permitting

• Wind resource evaluations
• Local zoning and planning approval process, including Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) objections
• Easements, ground leases and other title issues
• Environmental impact review
• Environmental approvals

10:30 AM
Coffee Break

10:45 AM
Siting, Real Estate, Environmental, and Regulatory Issues for Wind Projects: Wildlife, Energy Regulatory, and Other Issues

• Birds, bats and other wildlife issues
• FAA and radar concerns
• Grid interconnection agreements
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and state equivalent reviews
• Transmission issues
• Power purchase agreements versus merchant plants
• Special issues for off-shore projects

12:00 PM
Complimentary Networking Lunch

1:30 PM
Debt Panel

A panel of seasoned lenders explains what is happening in today's ever-changing debt marketplace.

• Turbine financing
• Construction financing
• Permanent financing
• Current market pricing and terms
• What the future holds
• Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs)

2:30 PM
Equity Finance

This panel of institutional investors and professionals will share their knowledge of what is happening in today's equity markets for wind projects, including the latest trends in deal structuring.

• How investors evaluate project risks
• Risk sharing between developers, investors and lenders

3:30 PM
Coffee Break

3:45 PM
Tax and Accounting Issues

This panel of expert tax and accounting professionals will delve into the tax structuring issues currently affecting the markets for equity investments, as well as the latest in Internal Revenue Service hot buttons.

• Partnership allocations and flip structures
• Tax investor exit strategies
• The profit motive question

5:45 - 7:30 PM
Networking Cocktail Reception for All Speakers, Participants, and Sponsors

Friday, May 9, 2008

8:00 AM
Registration and Complimentary Continental Breakfast

8:30 AM
Opening Remarks

8:45 AM
Putting It All Together: Case Studies and Practical Lessons Learned from Successful Wind Energy Transactions

This final panel of successful wind developers and investors will share lessons learned from successful wind projects and how they can be applied to today's wind developments.

9:30 AM
Community Wind

This panel will address those issues of particular concern to developers of and investors in smaller community-scale wind projects, as well as creative ways to surmount barriers to community-scale wind development.

• Why community wind?
• Public policy to promote community wind
• The Small Turbine Investment Tax Credit
• Real world success stories for community wind

10:30 AM
Coffee Break

10:45 AM
New Markets Tax Credits and State Tax Credits for Wind

This panel will discuss innovative strategies for combining Production Tax Credits with New Markets Tax Credits and/or State Tax Credits to build and revitalize communities.

• New Markets Tax Credits Basics (NMTC) Basics
• Using New Markets Tax Credits for Wind
• State Tax Credits (STCs) for Wind
• The interplay between New Markets Tax Credits and Production Tax Credits and/or State Tax Credits

12:00
Conclusion of the Program

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Registration Information

The registration fee includes all applicable sessions, refreshments, lunches, receptions, and reference and/or course materials unless otherwise noted. Payment must be received by April 27, 2008, to ensure your registration . IPED accepts Visa, MasterCard, and payment by check. Government purchase orders and American Express are not accepted. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy.
$895 General Fee
$695 Non-profit/Government/Education Organization
(Proof of tax exempt status must accompany registration.)
Early Registration: Save $100 if registered by April 7, 2008!

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Group discounts

For 3-5 registrants, deduct $50 per person from the applicable rate. For 6 or more registrants, deduct $100 per person from the applicable rate. To receive this discount, you must register all individuals in one transaction. This discount CANNOT be combined with any other offer, including the Early Registration Offer.

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Cancellation Information

Registrations made on-line must be cancelled on-line . Registrations made via fax or mail must be cancelled in writing via mail, fax or e-mail to the IPED office. Mailing address: IPED, Inc., 401 Ninth Street, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20004. Fax: 202-585-8748. E-mail: info@ipedinc.net.

• Cancellations requested on/before April 26, 2008, are eligible for a refund minus a $225 administrative fee.
• Cancellations requested on/after April 27, 2008, will forfeit the entire registration fee.

Fees, dates, and cancellation policy subject to change. In rare instances when a conference is rescheduled or cancelled, IPED will fully refund the registration fee, but is not responsible for other costs incurred, such as nonrefundable airline tickets.

Questions? Please contact IPED, Inc. at 202-331-9230 or info@ipedinc.net.

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Instructional Information

All sessions will be presented by on-site speakers and will include individual presentations, panel discussions, question-and-answer opportunities, and/or workshops. When applicable, reference and/or course material will be provided for each registrant. No formal prerequisites or advanced preparations are required, but attendance at the Optional Pre-Conference Session: Wind Basics on Wednesday, May 7 is highly recommended for those new to the wind industry. Special Needs: Any person with a disability who believes he/she may need reasonable accommodations to participate should contact IPED no later than 4 weeks prior to the conference start date. Recommended Dress: Business Casual.

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Conference Site and Hotel Information

The Phoenician
6000 East Camelback Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251
800-888-8234
www.thephoenician.com

IPED has secured a block of rooms at a rate of $295 per night through April 7, 2008. Reservations made after April 7-or after the room block has been filled -will be taken on a space available basis and higher rates may apply. To make your reservation, please contact the hotel directly and ask for the IPED Room Rate.

About The Phoenician*
The Phoenician is nestled on 250 acres at the base of Camelback Mountain just nine miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Blue skies, warm sunny days and the rich colors of the great American Southwest compliment the lavish resort decor as does the exceptional service you would expect from a fine private club. A recipient of the AAA Travel Guide Five Diamond Award, The Phoenician offers a 22,000 square foot Centre for Well-Being Spa; a 27-hole championship golf course, clubhouse, and pro shop; tennis garden featuring 12 secluded courts; nine heated pools and 165-foot water slide; nine restaurants and lounges; and daily guest activity programs. The Phoenician is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide as part of The Luxury Collection. *Source: www.thephoenician.com

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Accreditation

IPED will seek approval for continuing legal education credits on an as needed basis. Please indicate on your registration form if you need these credits. State bar associations have the final authority on the acceptance of individual courses and IPED will do everything it can to ensure these requirements are met when seeking approval.

IPED is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE Credits. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37219-2417, www.nasba.org.

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