"Our country is pursuing a new energy vision, and transitioning to a new energy economy. This new policy landscape - and in particular, a focus on renewable energy - has made electric transmission policy one of the most important areas of emphasis at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)," said Aileen Roder, Senior Legal Advisor with FERC and a key speaker during the upcoming Midwest Wind Summit & Expo being held in Brookings, SD October 4-6, 2010.

The need for stronger, long-term state and federal policy, especially a Renewable Energy Standard (RES), is a must for the future success of the American wind industry. This year, installed kilowatts have stalled, falling significantly lower than the previous two years. Summit keynote speaker Michael Butler and CEO of Cascadia Capital cites the reasons for the decline as constraints in the financing, transmission and power pricing markets.

An RES plays several key roles including the guarantee of a renewable energy market and it will also devise a plan on who will pay to upgrade the transmission grid. These key elements are also crucial to help proposed projects obtain financing.

"For the bank market to consider construction and term financing of wind projects, there are a host of items that must be analyzed to form a conclusion regarding the project's ability to service its debt and provide adequate collateral. Planning early to meet banks' due diligence requirements will save time, money, and improve one's chances for raising debt financing," said Matt Brill, VP of CoBank and also a Midwest Wind Summit & Expo presenter.

Brill notes that federal and state support can make a big difference in a bank's ability to provide financing and programs such as the Treasury's 1603 ITC Grant, or the Oregon Department of Energy's long-term financing program for renewables can result in favorable project contracts. However, he notes that no matter what a project must be structured properly.

Bill Weimer, a partner with Faegre & Benson, along with his team, have been helping companies to effectively structure their wind projects and contracts for many years. "The U.S. appears to be poised to set energy policy that will help resolve the uncertainty currently preventing the U.S. wind industry from realizing its full potential. The attorneys of Faegre & Benson stand ready to help the wind industry capitalize on these upcoming opportunities through representation of companies in the areas of financing, corporate structuring, permitting, land acquisition, and contract negotiation."

Wiemer will be discussing how to properly structure deals during the conference as well as in a FREE Webinar, "A Legal Discussion on Wind Energy: Looking Past the Wind Industry's Hurdles and Focusing on Completing Projects," on September 24, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.CST.

So what is the key to success for wind energy in the Midwest? According to Summit speaker Terry Grove, Director at CapX2010, "Robust transmission is key to the upper Midwest energy future. Looking beyond the projects that Capx2020 is successfully developing now, we are active in planning to meet new needs and stand ready to build the next phase of transmission development."

This is just a sampling of the in-depth discussions that will take place during the Midwest Wind Summit & Expo on October 4-6, 2010 in Brookings, S.D. To see a full list of the speakers and to register, visit Midwest Wind Summit & Expo. Registration is still open but space is limited.

The 2010 Midwest Wind Summit & Expo Sponsors and participating companies and organizations to date include: Faegre & Benson, Iberdrola, NextEra Energy, ITC Grid Development, Mortenson, CapX2020, Xcel Energy, South Dakota State University, University of Minnesota Wind Center, Aevenia, Tetra Tech, National Farmers Union, Geronimo Wind, Outland Energy, OwnEnergy, Northwestern Energy, Northern Plains Power, Barr Engineering, South Dakota Office of Economic Development, RePower America, Rural Learning Center, Grasslands Renewable Energy, Wind Today, Dorsey & Whitney, and many more.

You can follow developments of the conference on Twitter at @windsummit. For more information about the conference and to register, visit our website at ngs, S.D. To see a full list of the speakers and to register, visit Midwest Wind Summit & Expo.

TSG Marketing

TSG Marketing

TSG Marketing is an international marketing and event management company serving markets for alternative energy, agriculture, biotechnology, bioenergy, green products and finance. Actively serving clients in the US and Latin American markets in product development, investors syposiums, conferences and tradeshows.

More from TSG Marketing