AWEA Blog - Siting Seminar key event in always-evolving industry segment

One commonality of the AWEA Seminar lineup is that the events provide the best opportunity on the calendar for members of various segments of the wind energy industry to gather and collaborate with one another.

The AWEA Wind Project Siting Seminar, which takes place March 10-11 in Austin, Texas will be no exception to that rule. Like the industry itself, with new models and approaches constantly emerging to address challenges and move the field forward, wind project siting advances at a rapid pace each year.

Dialoguing with peers and digging deep into the issues are the kinds of things that Seminar Co-chair Michael Speerschneider looks forward to most. Speerschneider, Chief Permitting & Public Policy Officer at Everpower Wind Holdings, Inc. and an AWEA Wind Project Siting Seminar veteran, has been working alongside Co-chair Christina Calabrese, Director of Environmental Affairs at EDP Renewables, and AWEA organizers to put together an event that comes at a time when the siting field is as active as ever.

“The great thing about the Siting Seminar is that it digs right into the details of siting issues, and you’ve got all the people there who do this stuff everyday,” said Speerschneider. “The conversation is really in-depth and helpful, whether it’s on a panel in a session or in the hallway between events.”

With siting involving multiple stakeholders, event organizers place a high value on a diverse speaker lineup. For example, chairing a session on the hot topic of monitoring, “To Be or Not to Be – What are the Probabilities,” is TJ Miller, former official at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Another session will focus on specifically non-wildlife siting issues, from sound and aviation to visual impacts and zoning.

Perhaps one indication of siting’s relevance: AWEA CEO Tom Kiernan will attend and provide keynote remarks. “As always, it will be a good mix of highlighting state-of-the-art methods for addressing ongoing challenges, looking at new methods of addressing those challenges, and getting a chance to tackle new issues that have cropped up,” said Speerschneider. “These gatherings are very important to keep us moving forward. That’s what they do for us, and that’s why I keep coming back.”

Register or get more information for the AWEA Wind Project Siting Seminar by clicking here.

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