FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 9, 2014 

Contacts: Shelly Baron, 501-537-0190 or shelly@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org
Steve Patterson, 501-537-0190 or steve@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org

Senator and Gubernatorial Candidates to Address Gathering of Advanced Energy Business Leaders

Little Rock, AR – U.S. Senator Mark Pryor and gubernatorial candidates Asa Hutchinson and Mike Ross will each give remarks at intervals throughout the day during the 3rd Annual emPOWERing Arkansas Conference on October 17 at the Doubletree Hotel in Downtown Little Rock, the Advanced Energy Association (AAEA) announced this week.

An estimated crowd of 200 advanced energy leaders from across the state are expected for this year’s conference, which will be held just less than three weeks before the mid-term elections.  All major candidates for Governor and U.S. Senate were invited to speak to the group during the day. 

Pryor is scheduled to speak during the opening policy roundtable to begin at 9:30am.  The afternoon session at 1:30pm and will include Ross speaking before an economic impact briefing on Advanced Energy in Arkansas and Hutchinson speaking just after the briefing.  The respective gubernatorial candidates will address the advanced energy stakeholders regarding their energy and economic development strategies for the state.

“Arkansans, including our members and their guests, have important decisions to make when heading to the polls in November,” said Steve Patterson, AAEA executive director.  “Advanced energy companies are an important factor in Arkansas’s economic growth and we look forward to hearing from these candidates regarding their plans for our state’s energy future.” 

Current sponsors of “emPOWERing Arkansas” include:

Presenting Sponsor: Powers of AR and Advanced Energy Economy

Partner Sponsor:  Seal Energy Solutions and Viridian

Program Sponsors:  Energy Systems Group and Pinnacle Energy Services

Advanced Energy Supporters: CenterPoint Energy, CLEAResult, Entegrity Energy Partners, Harrison Energy Partners, Home Energy RX, Middleton, Inc., NextGen Illumination, Picasolar, Silicon Solar Solutions

Refreshments Sponsor: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Inc.

The day’s events begin with registration at 9:00 a.m. and continue through the day.  The Program Agenda for emPOWERing Arkansas is as follows:

9:30 a.m. – Remarks from Senator Mark Pryor
Policy Roundtable: AR Advanced Energy Companies Poised to Answer the Clean Power Challenge

  • A few weeks before Arkansans go to the polls, Senator Mark Pryor will address advanced energy stakeholders.  Pryor will make remarks regarding strategies for federal energy policy.
  • Moderated by Ken Smith, AAEA Policy Director, and Matt Stanberry, Vice President of Market Development for the Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), this discussion will focus on the latest array of advanced energy technologies in Arkansas that can factor into a state plan to implement EPA’s Clean Power Plan. 

12:00 p.m. – Lunch to name the winner of the first Ron Bel Advanced Energy Leadership Award and a program featuring three of the region’s experts on energy efficiency technology and investment trends. 

Joe Mowery, Managing Director at Stephens Inc. and a leading investment banker in the area of energy technology, will moderate a panel discussion with two of the country’s top energy efficiency company CEOs – Dr. Randy Hoff, CEO of Cenergistic of Dallas, TX and Glenn Garland, Chairman and CEO of CLEAResult. 

1:30 p.m. – Remarks from Gubernatorial Candidate Mike Ross 
Advanced Energy Economic Empact Briefing
Remarks from Gubernatorial Candidate Asa Hutchinson

  • A few weeks before Arkansans elect their new Governor, candidates Mike Ross and Asa Hutchinson will address advanced energy stakeholders.  Ross and Hutchinson will each make remarks regarding their respective energy and economic development strategies.
  • A briefing by Jim Metzger with HISTECON Associates on the results of the latest Advanced Energy Jobs Census conducted by the Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation (AAEF).

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

AAEA Members and Guests: For event information, registration, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit: http://arkansasadvancedenergy.com/index.cfm?objectid=FF71F3C0-9294-11E3-87080050569A5318

Members of the media: Please contact Shelly Baron at (501) 537-0190 or shelly@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org for information on media credentials.

Arkansas Advanced Energy Association is a business group dedicated to growing Arkansas’s economy by expanding our energy workforce and manufacturing base through the increased development, manufacture, and utilization of advanced energy technologies. www.arkansasadvancedenergy.com

The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation is the educational affiliate of the AAEA.  The Foundation promotes greater public understanding of advanced energy in Arkansas through research, public education programs and economic and workforce development. The Foundation is dedicated to informing the energy policy debate with well-researched, fact-based data on the advanced energy economy in Arkansas and by providing a public forum where state leaders can address Arkansas’s energy challenges for the future. www.arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org

Report Shows Global Economic Impacts of Advanced Energy
A report released in January 2013 by Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) shows that advanced energy was a $1.1 trillion global market in 2011, larger than pharmaceutical manufacturing worldwide. Read the full report here: http://arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org/files/dmfile/AEEIEconomicImpactofAdvancedEnergy-Final.pdf

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