Legal and Policy Issues Leading to the Commercialization of Hydrogen Technology

January 18, 2006

Program Information
If you are having any problems call CEEP-Deirdre Murphy at deirdre@ceepinc.org or (518) 432-6400 ext. 225 or Robyn Stewart at (518) 432-6400 ext. 221

Please e-mail questions to Casey Hopkins at ghopkins@velaw.com. You may start sending in questions before the program. The earlier we get the questions the more likely we are to be able to respond.

Host Firm List

The panel will offer far-reaching thoughts on the emerging and persistent legal, technology, and societal issues that will arise as opportunities or present barriers to the commercialization of hydrogen technology near term and over the longer term, including: the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and current thinking on energy policy or regulation related to commercialization; insurance and liability issues, financing issues, tax credits and other subsidies; safety and environmental issues; land use and societal concerns; private/public procurement, leasing and contractual issues; and the near term verses the longer term pathways to developing and projects. It will also present very practical approaches to contracting with federal and State governments to take hydrogen technology from the Research & Development stage, through demonstration and finalized commercial activity.

Please join our panel of experts, representing a hydrogen technology developer, the federal and Start organizations helping fund and develop hydrogen technology, and a policymaking perspective, for a lively discussion of hydrogen technology potential, opportunities and barriers. This program will explore the hydrogen technology development and the potential for short term commercialization of some types of technology, look at some of the issues relating to tradeoffs with other renewable and energy initiatives and resources, and talk about what will help advance hydrogen technology.

Expert National Panel:
Moderator:
Robert S. Faron, Esq., Project Performance Corporation, Energy Practice Leader (live in Washington, DC)

Speakers:
Peter Smith, President, New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), (live from the Albany School of Law**)
Charles Pratt, General Counsel, American Wind Power & Hydrogen LLC (live in NYC)
John Herrick, Chief Counsel, Golden Colorado Field Office, U.S. Department of Energy (live in Denver or Washington, DC)
Joseph Romm, Executive Director, Center for Energy and Climate Solutions (live in Washington, DC)

** Note the Albany Host location has been changed for this month's Teleconference session to the Governmental Law Center at the Albany Law School, 80 New Scotland Avenue, Albany NY, phone: (518) 445-2329.

Local Expert Speakers:
Houston: Timothy A. Wilkins, Bracewell & Giuliani
Los Angeles: Woodrow Clark, Milken Institute
Washington, DC: Debra Jacobson, Professorial Lecturer in Law, George Washington University Law School and DJ Consulting LLC

Learn about:

• Non-technical barriers to the introduction of hydrogen as a transportation fuel
• Trends in state programs and assistance in hydrogen technology implementation and links to transportation planning
• Development of projects in conjunction with Federal and states demonstration projects.
• Financing, leasing and other legal issues in near-term commercial opportunities using Hydrogen- Internal Combustion Vehicles
• Liability, permitting, zoning, building and fire codes and environmental concerns about hydrogen technology demonstration and commercialization
• Working with the federal government and its financial assistance regulations
• NY State initiatives for developing the Hydrogen highway
• The seven obstacles to creating a hydrogen economy

Presentation Materials

1. Speaker Biographies

2. Robert S. Faron, Energy Practice Leader, Project Performance Corporation,
Creating a Hydrogen Economy: "Interesting Times": Themes, Trends and Issues

3. John A. Herrick, Chief Counsel, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Golden, Colorado
Working with the Feds on Hydrogen Fuel Cell & Renewable Technologies

4. Peter R. Smith, President, NYSERDA
NYSERDA’s Activities to Commercialize the Hydrogen Economy

5. Charles M. Pratt, General Counsel, American Wind Power & Hydrogen LLC
Legal and Policy Issues Leading to the Commercialization of Hydrogen Technology

6. Joseph Romm, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Energy and Climate Solutions
The Seven Obstacles to Creating a Hydrogen Economy

7. Additional resource materials
Reference Materials; also found at http://www.abanet.org/environ/committees/renewableenergy/home.html

8. Houston, Texas: Timothy Wilkins, Partner, Bracewell & Giuliani, L.L. P. (Local Speaker)

9. Washington, DC: Debra Jacobson, DJ Consulting, LLC. (Local Speaker)

10. Los Angeles, CA: Woodrow W. Clark II, Senior Fellow, Milken Institute (Local Speaker)
The Hydrogen Economy: If, When and At What Costs
Hydrogen Energy Stations: Along the Roadside to the Hydrogen Economy
Financing the Hydrogen Highway

We invite you to join the committee; we welcome non-lawyers. E-mail bhaight@mfgll.com

We invite you to join in the Committee’s work on molding individual State RPS programs into an effective national driver for renewables development with a focus on finance, technology and the environment. For more information or to work on this, contact the Committee Chair, Roger Feldman at rogerfeldman@andrewskurth.com.

Supporting Partners:

Platinum
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