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 This conference was held from October 28 - 30, 2020

Agenda

CREF went virtual for 2020! What drove the agenda?

Against a backdrop of a global pandemic, the Caribbean is at a tipping point. With economies in flux across the globe, the region has been hit hard. The price of oil continues to roller coaster, the tourism sector has ground to a halt, and other industries have been gravely impacted as shutdowns have swept the region.

With priorities shifting, how do we stay on track to deliver clean and resilient electric grids across the Caribbean?

It started here. CREF 2020 went virtual, and we did things differently.

Day One: Situation Room – How have islands been impacted, what’s the economic outlook, and what are the implications for clean energy projects and programs across the Caribbean?

Day Two: Solutions & Opportunities – How do we “build back” new resilient, decarbonized economies? How do we keep clean energy front and center in that process? Where are the silver linings and which islands are leading the recovery?

Day Three: Getting It Done – We’ll need to be ambitious, and fiscal resources will be limited. How do we get it done? We’ll cover it all: Policy, regulation, financing, de-risking, supply chains, and construction.

Agenda format:

CREF Agenda Format

Want to see (in 90 seconds) what our most recent virtual event looked like? Here

Wednesday

October 28
Day 1: Situation Room
9:30-10:15

Day 1 Opening

Before sessions begin, browse the day’s schedule in the Reception area, explore the Pavilion, connect with other attendees in the Flash Networking room or through the People tab where you can schedule 1-to-1 video meetings.

10:15-10:45

CREF Virtual: Welcome & Orientation

  • Jerry C. Butler

    Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF)
    Chairman

  • Franz Drees-Gross

    World Bank
    Infrastructure Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Matthew Perks

    New Energy Events
    CEO

  • Therese Turner-Jones

    Inter-American Development Bank
    General Manager, Country Department Caribbean Group

10:45-12:00

Taking the Pulse: Does Clean Energy Matter Anymore?

Live Panel Discussion

Economies across the region are in existential crisis, investment in energy infrastructure has slowed to a trickle, and utilities are contending with a generational drop-off in demand and revenue. 

  • What does this mean for the clean energy transition across the Caribbean? Is the clarion call still relevant? If so, why? What is the outlook more broadly for the regional energy sector? How do we frame the case for clean energy as a foundation for revitalization and recovery?

  • Daniel Best

    Caribbean Development Bank
    Director, Projects Department

  • Allison Jean

    National Utilities Regulatory Commission
    Chief Executive Officer

  • Dr. Gary Jackson

    CCREEE
    Executive Director

  • Bruce Levy

    BMR Energy
    CEO

  • Jimmy Fletcher

    SOLARICON
    Managing Director Moderator

12:00-12:30

How can investment in clean energy technology help countries hit NDC targets?

Idea Exchange

Join one of our themed chat sessions. Designed to foster interaction and conversation, each room features two industry experts who want to hear from … you.

  • Neha Mukhi

    World Bank
    Sr. Specialist - Energy and Climate Change

  • Vintura Silva

    UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for the Caribbean
    Director

Marine Renewable Energy. Ready for roll-out or a bridge too far?

Idea Exchange

Join one of our themed chat sessions. Designed to foster interaction and conversation, each room features two industry experts who want to hear from ... you.

  • Dr. Mark Leybourne

    The World Bank
    Co-Lead, Offshore Wind Development Program

  • Veronica Prado

    Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
    Energy Specialist

  • Joseph Williams

    Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
    Head (ag.), Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Unit

12:00-12:30

Networking & Live Workshops

Pavilion

12:30-1:15

Clean Energy, Interrupted: Projects through Covid

Town Hall

How have projects in development been impacted by the current crisis? Which projects have made it across the finish line? What supply chain and workforce issues have they contended with? Was financing impacted? Are there O&M concerns moving forward?

  • John Caruso

    Manager, Project Management Services
    Masdar Clean Energy

  • Michael Orantes

    BMR Energy
    Director Business Development

  • Bryan Urban

    LECLANCHÉ
    Executive Vice President

  • Martin Vogt

    MPC Renewable Energies
    Managing Director

  • Emily Chessin

    Cadmus Group
    Senior Consultant Moderator

Ask the Capital Providers

Town Hall

How is Covid-19 impacting the flow of capital to regional projects? What risk mitigation products and strategies are available? Will capital from the counter-cyclical DFIs make up the shortfall? Is Blended Finance “real”? What is it and will it make a difference?  

  • Alexa Blain

    Deetken Impact
    Co-Founder and Managing Partner

  • Adam Carter

    CIBC FirstCaribbean
    Managing Director, Head - Investment Banking

  • Ewout van der Molen

    Manager Energy, Latin America & Caribbean
    FMO – The Dutch Development Finance Company

  • Elizabeth Robberechts

    Inter-American Development Bank
    Lead Investment Officer

  • Lara M. Rios

    Holland & Knight LLP
    Partner Moderator

1:15-2:15

Caribbean Corporate Leaders

Live Panel Discussion

Has Covid-19 impacted the way in which corporations think about energy supply for their businesses? Are utilities and governments doing enough to ensure the supply of low cost and reliable electricity to, in turn, ensure the long-term competitiveness of their businesses? Are Caribbean corporates more, or less, likely in today’s environment to move forward with investment in self-generation e.g. solar and storage solutions? Why haven’t more solar and storage businesses sprung up across the region? What needs to be done to foster a green workforce?

  • Ian Chinapoo

    Massy Group
    Executive Director, Executive Vice President & Group Chief Financial Officer

  • Daniel Diaz

    Sunwing Travel Group
    Executive Vice President

  • Dominic Hadeed

    Blue Waters Group
    Managing Director

  • Ralph (Bizzy) Williams

    Williams Industries
    Founder & Chairman

  • Ray Klien

    Republic Bank
    Head of Investment Banking Division Moderator

2:15-3:00

Dominican Republic

Island Market Spotlight

Hot off the presses: the DR’s energy sector is to be restructured and the role of CDEEE to be assumed by the Ministry of Energy and Mines. In a market which has been held up as much by institutional uncertainty as anything else, what are the implications, and will they result in the certainty that investors have been seeking?

  • Michelle Abreu Vargas

    OMG
    Director of the Regulatory, Energy and Infrastructure Department

  • Hector Baldivieso

    Inter-American Development Bank
    Senior Energy Specialist

  • Enrique de Ramón

    AES
    Business Development Director

  • Rafael Velazco Espaillat

    Dominican Republic
    Superintendent of Electricity

  • Carlos Grullón

    ASOFER
    President Moderator

Haiti

Island Market Spotlight

Haiti attracted the attention of investors last year with the release of a number of RFQs to operate regional grids. Natural gas providers have also been knocking on the door. Meanwhile, the multilaterals have been supporting government-led initiatives to encourage mini-grid development, and various financing mechanisms are on the table. Is investment in Haiti only for the very bold? Or is it ready to mainstream?

  • Nicolas Darius Allien

    Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Communications (MTPTC), Haiti
    Senior Energy Official

  • Evenson Calixte

    L’Autorité Nationale de Régulation du Secteur Énergétique (ANARSE)
    Director General

  • Dana Rysankova

    World Bank
    Global Lead for Energy Access Moderator

3:00-3:45

Caribbean Clean Energy: A Reality Check

WEBINAR REPLAY

Join us for a replay of last week’s CREF webinar with our Women in Energy | Caribbean panelists as they debate the future of the Caribbean energy transition and issue a call to action for industry leaders. Some of the panelists will be available during the replay to answer questions through the live chat.

  • Lorraine Akiba

    LHA Ventures
    President and CEO

  • Karina Chez

    Kaya Energy Group | ASOFER
    CEO | Executive Director

  • Ava Tomlin

    BMR Energy
    Regional Director, Jamaica

  • Dr. Malaika Masson

    Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
    Senior Regional Energy Specialist

  • Racquel Moses

    Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator
    CEO Moderator

3:45-4:30

Day 1 Networking

After the sessions end, CREF keeps going!

  • Our breakout area will be open for attendees to create their own discussion rooms and host private meetings
  • Expand your network in the Flash Networking room, where you can try 90-second, roulette-style pairings with other attendees. It’s the perfect way to get quick introductions and exchange contact information via your event profile
  • See someone specific in the attendees list who you want to connect with? Click on their name and request a video chat

Thursday

October 29
Day 2: Needs & Opportunities
9:15-10:00

Day 2 Opening

Before sessions begin, browse the day’s schedule in the Reception area, explore the Pavilion, connect with other attendees in the Flash Networking room or through the People tab where you can schedule 1-to-1 video meetings.

10:00-10:45

Recovery Part 1: Rebuilding a Green, Clean Economy

Live Panel Discussion

As an industry, we are preaching to the choir: let’s build back the regional economy, and build back clean. Gut-check: is that feasible, and how do we do it? How do we frame it in policy? What role should the private sector play? How do we channel multilateral funding? When oil and gas are cheap and easy, how do effectively make the case for clean? Should we be focusing as much, and perhaps more, on the Blue Economy as we should on the Green?

  • Dr. Justin Ram

    Justin Ram Advisory and GSEC Inc.
    CEO

  • Jigar Shah

    Generate Capital
    President and Co-Founder

  • David Gumbs

    Daavi Business Solutions | Rocky Mountain Institute
    Founder & CEO | Senior Consultant

  • Dr. Angus Friday

    The Atlantean BioSphere Program | The Blue Innovation Institute | The Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator
    Executive Chairman | Co-Chair | Advisor

  • Racquel Moses

    Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator
    CEO Moderator

10:45-11:30

Recovery Part 2: The Counter-Cyclical Capital Providers Respond

Live Panel Discussion

If development finance has played a critical role in regional development to date, its ability to mobilize against the economic cycle will mean that it has an out-sized role in recovery. Gathering leadership from the DFIs and bilaterals, this session will respond to some of the ideas outlined in “Rebuilding a Green, Clean Economy”, explore the partnership between development finance and regional leadership, and how that partnership can shape and define regional goals for clean and resilient grids.

 

  • Stephanie Gil

    The World Bank
    Practice Manager for Energy for Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Ambassador Virginia Palmer

    U.S. Department of State
    Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources

  • Rose Trigg

    UK Export Finance
    Regional Head, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Americas

  • Ariel Yépez

    Chief of the Energy Division
    Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

  • Robert Blenker

    WRB Energy
    CEO Moderator

11:30-12:00

The Caribbean Blended Finance for Resilience (CBFR)

Island Resiliency Action Challenge Case-Study

This session prepares for the Island Resiliency Action Challenge (IRAC) to be held on November 10. The Task Force established at CREF/IRAC 2019 is racing to develop an island resilience impact fund – the Caribbean Blended Finance for Resilience (CBFR) – that uses blended finance solutions to underwrite and expedite clean energy projects across the region. What do we need to get the fund over the finish line? As part of the process of launching the fund, the TF has reviewed 117 clean energy projects. What have we learned about the convergence of bankability and resilience?

  • Racquel Moses

    Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator
    CEO

  • Christopher Straughn

    Caribbean Development Bank
    Sustainable Energy Analyst

  • H.G. Chissell

    Advanced Energy Group LLC
    Founder and CEO Moderator

12:00-1:00

Jamaica

Island Market Spotlight

This is the first time that the new Minister of Energy and the incoming CEO of JPS have taken the stage together. The IRP is locked in, as is an ambitious clean energy target. A 500 MW RFP is on the way, as is (we hear) an island-wide EV network. We’ll ask our new energy sector leaders: Can Jamaica deliver?

 

  • Michel Gantois

    Jamaica Public Service Company
    President and CEO

  • Hon. Daryl Vaz

    Government of Jamaica
    Minister of Energy

  • Dr. Malaika Masson

    Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
    Senior Regional Energy Specialist

  • Senator Aubyn Hill

    Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation, Jamaica
    Minister Moderator

Cayman Islands: Procurement in a Pandemic

Island Market Spotlight

The Cayman Islands are pressing ahead with a national plan to diversify its energy matrix, and procure renewables. What does execution look like in a pandemic? How are government agencies, the regulator and the utility collaborating to make it happen? What opportunities are there for international investors and developers to engage?

  • Gregg Anderson

    UTILITY REGULATION AND COMPETITION OFFICE, CAYMAN ISLANDS
    Executive Director, Energy & Utilities

  • Sacha Tibbetts

    Caribbean Utilities Company (Cayman)
    Vice President, Customer Service & Technology

  • James Whittaker

    Cayman Renewable Energy Association
    President

  • Kristen Augustine

    Ministry of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure, Cayman Islands Government
    Energy Policy Coordinator Moderator

1:00-1:30

Utility Deep Dive. Making the case for renewables against the backdrop of falling demand.

Idea Exchange

Join one of our themed chat sessions. Designed to foster interaction and conversation, each room features two industry experts who want to hear from … you. 

  • Ricardo Case

    Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd (JPS)
    Director, Engineering Services

  • Lincoy Small

    Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd (JPS)
    Director, Systems Operations

Energy Storage. What’s the industry buzz on projects and trends?

Idea Exchange

Join one of our themed chat sessions. Designed to foster interaction and conversation, each room features two industry experts who want to hear from ... you. 

  • Michael Salomon

    Clean Horizon
    Managing Director

  • Chong Suk Song

    ESMAP, World Bank
    Energy Specialist

1:00-1:30

What’s impacting the bankability of renewable projects?

Idea Exchange

  • Ray Klien

    Republic Bank
    Head of Investment Banking Division

  • Alicia Taylor

    Infrastructure and Energy division, IDB Invest
    Investment Management Lead Officer

1:00-1:30

Networking & Live Workshops

Pavillion

1:30-2:30

Puerto Rico

Island Market Spotlight

Puerto Rico’s regulator, PREB, is showing its teeth. Recently it mandated that PREPA should procure 3.5 GW of solar and over 1 GW of battery storage by 2025. That, the change of leadership at PREPA, and the upcoming elections, makes for a heady mix of uncertainty – and opportunity. Now: time for your questions.

  • Hon. Eduardo Bhatia

    Puerto Rico
    Senate Minority Leader

  • Fernando Padilla

    PREPA
    Director of the Project Management Office

  • Angel Rivera

    PUERTO RICO ENERGY BUREAU (PREB)
    Associate Commissioner

  • Meghan Nutting

    Sunnova Energy Corporation
    Executive Vice President of Policy and Communications Moderator

Barbados

Island Market Spotlight

The Barbados National Energy Policy (BNEP) mandates an island that is 100% renewable and carbon neutral by 2030. What is the national roadmap? How aligned are the stakeholders? How is the pandemic re-shaping the vision and the implementation?

  • Hon. Kerrie D. Symmonds, M.P.

    Government of Barbados
    Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship

  • Dr. Marsha Atherley-Ikechi

    Fair Trading Commission, Barbados
    Director of Utility Regulation

  • Jo Edghill

    MEGAPOWER LTD.
    Co-Founder and Director

  • Veronica Prado

    Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
    Energy Specialist Moderator

2:30-3:15

Powering the Eastern Caribbean: Energy Transition & Resilient Systems

Live Panel Discussion

Challenges to the scaling up of clean energy investment in the Eastern Caribbean are in many respects similar to those facing the Caribbean as a whole. To attract private sector investment, we need solutions which address critical regulatory, financing, project scale, extreme weather and climate change issues, among others. Across this cluster of island jurisdictions, this discussion will examine a systemic approach to accelerate the clean energy transition that addresses the range of barriers and, specifically for the Eastern Caribbean, addresses their foreign reserves management and fiscal constraints.

  • Gov. Timothy Antoine

    Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
    Governor

  • H.E. Brian Challenger

    Ministry of Energy, Antigua and Barbuda
    Policy Adviser

  • Fidel Grant

    Dominica
    Minister of Blue and Green Economy, Agriculture, National Food Security

  • Hon. Stephenson King

    St. Lucia
    Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour

  • Neha Mukhi

    World Bank
    Sr. Specialist - Energy and Climate Change Moderator

3:15-4:30

Day 2 Networking

After the sessions end, CREF keeps going!

  • Our breakout area will be open for attendees to create their own discussion rooms and host private meetings
  • Expand your network in the Flash Networking room, where you can try 90-second, roulette-style pairings with other attendees. It’s the perfect way to get quick introductions and exchange contact information via your event profile
  • See someone specific in the attendees list who you want to connect with? Click on their name and request a video chat

Friday

October 30
Day 3: Getting it Done
9:30-10:30

Day 3 Opening

Before sessions begin, browse the day’s schedule in the Reception area, explore the Pavilion, connect with other attendees in the Flash Networking room or through the People tab where you can schedule 1-to-1 video meetings.

10:30-11:15

Leveraging Innovative Finance to Scale the Energy Transition

Live Panel Discussion

Scaling pilot and first deployment clean energy projects in the region will require innovative financial instruments that leverage guarantees and other financial backstops to crowd-in low cost equity and debt will be critical. This panel of leaders and ground-breakers will explore the use of guarantees and other innovative financial instruments to backstop clean energy investments at a time of economic contraction.

  • Sebastián Kind

    GREENMAP
    Chairman

  • Olga Calabozo Garrido

    Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, World Bank Group
    Head, Latin America & the Caribbean

  • Dr. Justin Ram

    Justin Ram Advisory and GSEC Inc.
    CEO

  • Michael Skelly

    Lazard
    Senior Advisor

  • Justin Locke

    Rocky Mountain Institute
    Senior Director Moderator

11:15-12:15

How Can Caribbean Utilities Survive – and Thrive?

Live Panel Discussion co-hosted by CARILEC

Challenges are coming thick and fast for the CEOs of Caribbean utilities. How to balance the need for investment against a drop in revenue driven by the pandemic? How to reconcile the mandate to create grids that are both clean and resilient, with balance sheet realities? To centralize or decentralize? To import or not to import? Ultimately, what decisions are our utility CEOs taking to ensure long-term viability and sustainability?

  • Ruth Forbes

    FortisTCI Limited
    President

  • Roger Blackman

    Barbados Light & Power Co Ltd
    Managing Director

  • Leroy Abraham

    BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS ELECTRICITY CORPORATION
    General Manager

  • Dr. Cletus Bertin

    CARILEC
    Executive Director Moderator

12:15-1:00

Blended Finance: Crowding in Private Capital?

Town Hall

When blended finance arrived on the scene it was heralded as a device which would, with the strategic use of concessional capital, crowd private capital into the project pipeline. Framed another way, it was the tool which would finance the gap. Has it? Where has it been successfully deployed and what can we learn? In a session which will focus on the perspective of private investors, we will ask the question, is blended finance doing what it was supposed to do? And how can it do more?

  • Dr. Gillian Marcelle

    Resilience Capital Ventures
    Managing Member

  • Eric Wenick

    WRB Serra
    Partner

  • Fernando Alvarado

    Deetken Impact Sustainable Energy
    CEO Moderator

Let’s be Honest About Thermal

Town Hall

As we set our sights on increasingly ambitious RE targets, the public-facing vision for a clean energy transition occasionally belies the ongoing procurement of thermal. Some voices call for a reality check. Solar and storage alone, they say, won’t cut it. Time for an honest discussion about thermal: do we need it, how much, and do we need to frame it in national energy targets?

  • Edmund Phillips

    Wartsila
    Business Development Manager

  • Filipe Pinto

    Eagle LNG Partners
    Vice President, Business Development

  • Murray Skeete

    WRB Energy
    Vice President of Engineering and Regulation

  • Christina Becker-Birck

    Cadmus
    Vice President Moderator

1:00-1:30

Where does green hydrogen fit into the Caribbean recovery?

Idea Exchange

Join one of our themed chat sessions. Designed to foster interaction and conversation, each room features two industry experts who want to hear from … you. 

  • Thibault Ménage

    HDF Energy
    Head of Caribbean Development

  • Fernando Sisternes

    World Bank
    Energy Specialist, Green Hydrogen Lead

What are the key findings of the 2020 CREF-Castalia Index?

Idea Exchange

Join one of our themed chat sessions. Designed to foster interaction and conversation, each room features two industry experts who want to hear from ... you. 

  • Matthew Perks

    New Energy Events
    CEO

  • Gianmarco Servetti

    Castalia Advisors
    Practice Leader, Sustainable Energy

1:00-1:30

Networking & Live Workshops

Pavilion

1:00-1:30

Financing the Next Generation of Resilient Infrastructure in the Caribbean

Idea Exchange

  • Daniel Best

    Caribbean Development Bank
    Director, Projects Department

  • Christiaan Gischler

    Inter-American Development Bank
    Co-Head, Latin American & Caribbean Extractives Group

1:30-2:15

Project Aggregation: Will it Mobilize Capital?

Live Panel Discussion

Energy efficiency projects have lagged. Can aggregation bring the scale that investors need? Meanwhile, Bahamas and Bermuda have paved the way for solar aggregation. What have we learned? Can we replicate it?

  • Aran McKittrick

    Department of Energy, Bermuda
    Research and Development Officer

  • Dr. Rhianna Neely

    Ministry of the Environment and Housing
    Senior Environmental Officer

  • Angella Rainford

    Soleco Energy
    Founder & CEO

  • Christopher Burgess

    Rocky Mountain Institute
    Director of Projects - Islands Energy Program Moderator

2:15-3:00

World-View: How are Island Grid Operators & Policy-Makers Making it Happen Through Covid-19?

Case-Study

How are islands around the globe contending with the challenges of COVID-19 as we think about the clean energy transition and economic revitalization? Which islands have identified opportunities to build back stronger, cleaner and more resilient? What are the opportunities, and how do we go about getting them done?

  • Rito Evora

    Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy of Cabo Verde
    National Director of Industry Trade and Energy

  • Scott Glenn

    Hawaii State Energy Office
    Chief Energy Officer

  • Jennifer DeCesaro

    US Department of Energy
    Director of Recovery and Resilience, Office of Electricity Moderator

3:00-3:20

It’s a Wrap: Takeaways & Next Steps

  • Jerry C. Butler

    Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF)
    Chairman

  • Tahseen Sayed

    World Bank
    Country Director for Caribbean countries

  • Dr. Marcelino Madrigal Martínez

    Inter-American Development Bank
    Principal Specialist, Electric Mobility Leader

3:20-4:00

Day 3 Networking

After the sessions end, CREF keeps going!

  • Our breakout area will be open for attendees to create their own discussion rooms and host private meetings
  • Expand your network in the Flash Networking room, where you can try 90-second, roulette-style pairings with other attendees. It’s the perfect way to get quick introductions and exchange contact information via your event profile
  • See someone specific in the attendees list who you want to connect with? Click on their name and request a video chat

4:00

Conference Close

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