Please join us at PARC the evening of June 1st for a stand-up dinner, followed by a lively panel discussion featuring three high-level solar executives and the senior advisor to the CA governor, who will address the viability of solar technologies in scaling up to meet the needs of utility-class renewable power generation.

The southwest U.S. is an enormous potential solar resource and several projects involving concentrated solar thermal or photovoltaic technologies have been approved by permitting agencies. The Governor of California has signed a goal of 33% renewable power generation by 2020. Solar thermal features proven technologies with minimal risk. The cost of PV technologies has declined significantly, making them viable at utility scale too. Nonetheless, major hurdles remain in this dynamic area.

What are the relative advantages of concentrated solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies?

What government policies are driving or hindering development?

What other challenges such as financing, storage & transmission constraints and environmental obstacles must be met?

Panelists:

Michael Picker - Senior Advisor on Renewable Energy to the Governor of CA
Howard Wenger – President, Utilities and Power Plants, SunPower Corp
Alice Harron - Senior Director of Development, Solar Millennium
Randy Wu - Managing Director, Development at First Solar
Ian Copeland - President of Bechtel Renewable Power

Moderator:

Hal LaFlash - Director of Emerging Clean Technologies, Pacific Gas & Electric