Farm Energy Conference
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
9 AM – 4:30 PM
Legislative Office Building, Hartford
9:00 Registration and Agriculture Energy Trade Show
9:30 Welcome – Dean Gregory Weidemann, University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
9:35 Energy Findings from the Governor’s Council on Agricultural Development – Commissioner Steven Reviczky, Department of Agriculture
10:00 Survive and Thrive: Energy Opportunities for Connecticut Farms-Commissioner Daniel Esty, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
10:30 Break
10:45 Keynote: Balancing the Technology and Economics of Farm Energy Needs – Richard Peterson Peterson is President of Northeast Agriculture Technology Corp., which focuses on agricultural energy applications, alternative energy systems, and technology applications for agriculture. He worked for 33 years at New York State Electric and Gas Corporation as an agricultural engineer in electric marketing and as Manager of Agricultural Energy Services. He has supported research and development activities for the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry in New York for more than 20 years.
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Transportation Opportunities with Biofuels – Richard Parnas, Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut. Parnas leads the UConn Biodiesel Consortium, a small scale production facility that converts UConn waste vegetable oil produced by Dining Services to biodiesel fuel for use in the UConn bus fleet.
2:00 Energy Needs and Agricultural Structures-Thomas Manning, Project Engineer, Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, New Jersey Agricultural Experimentation, Rutgers University. Manning has worked on innovative energy projects for 30 years, with an emphasis on alternative energy and conservation. He also has extensive experience in the design of greenhouses and other facilities for housing plants and animals.
3:00 Energy Programs and Incentives for Connecticut Farms – Department of Energy and Environmental Protection personnel will focus on opportunities in energy reduction, innovation, and business opportunities for Connecticut farms.
4:00 Additional Q & A, Wrap up, Opportunities for Innovative Ag/Energy Policies
4:30 Adjourn
Please RSVP by Friday, November 1st to Stacey Stearns at 860-486-9228 or stacey.stearns@uconn.edu