Schiavinato to Participate in Wilmington Coastal Energy Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Lisa Schiavinato, 919-515-1895, lcschiav@ncsu.edu
Rob Kaiser, Greater Wilmington Business Journal, 910-264-8955, rkaiser@wilmingtonbiz.com

Posted Friday, September 19, 2014

President Obama’s recent decision to open parts of the Atlantic to oil and gas exploration — along with advancements in the wind, nuclear, solar and biomass industries — has created numerous energy-related initiatives on North Carolina’s coast.

On Oct. 9, the inaugural Coastal Energy Summit will bring together local, state and national leaders in the energy industry to talk about the opportunities, risks and timelines for these initiatives.

Highlights include:

• A Keynote Lunch with North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.
• A Keynote Breakfast with American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard.
• A “Coastal Energy Exploration” discussion on offshore oil and gas exploration as well as coastal and offshore wind farms with panelists: Lisa Schiavinato, Co-Director, North Carolina Coastal Resources Law, Planning and Policy Center; Brian O’Hara, President and Founder, Southeastern Coastal Wind Coalition; Eddie Pharr, Vice President of Business Development, Spectrum Geo; Craig Poff, Director of Business Development, Iberdrola Renewables; and Andy Radford, Senior Policy Advisor for Offshore Issues, American Petroleum Institute.
• Perspective on current projects from executives at GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Enviva and Strata Solar.
• Displays by energy companies on current and upcoming projects.

“Numerous recent announcements — from oil exploration in the Atlantic to a $5 billion gas pipeline to new solar, wind and biomass projects — have highlighted the increase of energy-related initiatives in our region,” said Rob Kaiser, publisher of Greater Wilmington Business Journal, which is hosting the event.

“The Coastal Energy Summit will give the business community, local leaders and other attendees the opportunity to assess economic opportunities and environmental concerns by hearing directly from people involved with these projects and asking them questions,” Kaiser said.

The Oct. 9 summit will take place at the Wilmington Convention Center from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More information about the summit is at CoastalEnergySummit.com.

For more information, including registration, please contact Rob Kaiser at 910-264-8955 or rkaiser@wilmingtonbiz.com.

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North Carolina Sea Grant: Your link to research and resources for a healthier coast

NOTE TO EDITORS: Schiavinato is also North Carolina Sea Grant’s law, policy, and community development specialist.