Renewable Energy Workshop

February 21, 2012

Due to low pre-registration, we regretfully are CANCELLING the 2012 Energy Conference. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Archived Presentations from 2011 Workshop

Feb. 17, 2011

Information about small-scale renewable energy technologies, local resources, and the project development process. It was co-sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and UNL Extension.

 Wind: John Richards, Nebraska Public Power District

John Richards is an engineer at Nebraska Public Power District, a position he has held since March 2007. Hired in June 2004 as an Industrial & Business Account Consultant, he currently works in the Renewable Energy Development Department.

Solar: Chris Cassidy, USDA Rural Development

Chris Cassidy is the National Business Renewable Energy Advisor for USDA National Office in Washington D.C. He formerly served as the Regional Renewable Energy Coordinator for Western and Pacific Region, the Director of Business and Cooperative Programs for USDA Rural Development, and was the USDA Renewable Energy Coordinator for Washington State.

Methane: Dave Dingman, Nebraska Energy Office, Lincoln: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Dave Dingman is the Energy Policy Advisor for the Nebraska Energy Office. Over the last decade, Dave has worked in the fields of renewable energy and international sustainable development with an emphasis on biogas production.

Geothermal: Steven Zach, NPPD, Columbus

Steve Zach is an Energy Efficiency Consultant at Nebraska Public Power District, a position he has held since March 2008. Hired in September 1998 as GeoEnergy Specialist, he currently works in the Energy Efficiency department, where he uses his knowledge of buildings and heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems in working with NPPD’s energy saving incentive programs.

Bio-energy: Doak Nickerson, Nebraska Forest Service, Chadron

Doak Nickerson is a Northwest District Forester at the Nebraska Forest Service, Chadron, NE. He is responsible for daily administration, management, and planning of all forestry programs for a 10-county district.

Micro-Hydro: Chris Cassidy, USDA Rural Development National Office, Washington, D.C.

Chris Cassidy is the National Business Renewable Energy Advisor for USDA National Office in Washington D.C. He served on the task forces that designed, implemented, and provided technical reviews for the Renewable Energy Sections of the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills. Cassidy has been actively engaged in business, agriculture, technology, and renewable energy development activities for three decades.
 

Micro-Hydro: Dennis Strauch, Pathfinder Irrigation District, Mitchell

Dennis Strauch, a native of Western Nebraska, has been the General Manager for the Pathfinder Irrigation District since 1990. With over 30 years of experience in irrigation system management, he oversees the operation of the largest irrigation district in Nebraska, serving over 865 irrigators with water for 103,000 acres.

Financing Renewable Energy Systems: Deb Yocum, Rural Development

Working within the Business Programs Division of USDA Rural Development, Deb serves as the Agency’s Rural Energy Coordinator for Nebraska. She oversees the state’s outreach and administration of the Title IX Energy programs authorized via the Farm Bill while promoting all USDA Rural Development business programs.

Financing: Tony Kaufman of Platte Valley Bank

Tony Kaufman is a Vice President at Platte Valley Bank in Scottsbluff where he is a commercial and agricultural lender. Tony was formerly employed by Kaufman Ranch. He also co-authored the text titled Livestock Production, Selection and Reasoning.

Grant Workshop: Marla Marx, USDA Rural Development, Scottsbluff

Marla Marx joined Rural Development in August 2008 and is an Area Specialist focusing on Business Programs. Her area of responsibility includes the 23 counties in the Panhandle and Southwestern corner of Nebraska.