Hi Betsey -

The World Future Council/Heinrick Boell Institute is hosting a
workshop on feed-in tariffs in DC on Sunday, March 2nd (see text of
notice, below) and the Washington International Renewable Energy
Conference continues through the rest of the week. Perhaps this is
the same conference that you mentioned in your email.

I'm participating in only the Sunday March 2nd workshop as the
primary drafter of the forthcoming MN feed-in tariff bill that should
be introduced within a few days.

Depending on when the panel is scheduled, I might have time to
participate in the PIELC, but don't have the budget to fly out to
Oregon.

If you want to talk, give me a call 612-462-3053 or my work email is
pblackburn@....

Paul Blackburn, Esq.
Executive Director
Community-Based Energy Development Initiative
612-462-3053
pblackburn@...


DRAFT Outline FIT strategy workshop

The World Future Council, in cooperation with the Worldwatch
Institute and the Heinrich Boell Foundation, is organizing a one-day
strategy workshop to discuss the need and potential for Feed-In
Tariffs (FITs) in the United States, possible strategies for
promoting FITs, and barriers to FITs that must be overcome on the
state and federal levels. The workshop will draw on European
experiences with Feed-In Tariffs and will explore the possibilities
and potential for FITs and for FIT-RPS hybrid systems in North
America, including job creation, economic growth and energy and
climate security.

The workshop will take place on Sunday, March 2nd, the day before the
start of the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference
(WIREC). The idea is to use the workshop as a launching pad for
people to spread the word about FITs throughout WIREC.

Key objectives:
• increase awareness and understanding of FITs, including their
significant potential to address climate change and create new jobs
• discuss the details of how to draft and implement feed-in
laws in the United States, and barriers to FITs that must be overcome
on the state and federal levels
• develop solutions for technical problems and political
strategies in terms of implementing FITs in the US
• build coalitions (especially with environmental groups) and
network
• strengthen and support legislators and others currently
working on, or interested in developing FIT bills, in the US and
Canada

Main target groups:
• policy makers from states (administrative and political)
• staff members of Congressmen and Senators
• environmental groups and other stakeholders

The workshop is planned to be for a maximum of 40 participants.

Venue:
The German Marshall Fund of the United States
1744 R Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
United States