Open for Business: Idaho’s Energy and Mineral Industry
Idaho Department of Commerce Director Tom Kealey talks with Megan Ronk, Director of Economic Development and Innovation at Idaho Power, Kirt Marlow, SVP of Nuclear Solutions at Hi Tec Solutions, and Daniel Kunz, of Daniel Kunz & Associates, LLC on how Idaho’s pro-business climate and natural resources are attracting innovation and investment in energy and mining. 

Energy Without Borders: Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming’s Path Forward
Executive Director of the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium Christi Gilchrist hosts Emy Lesofski, Director of the Utah Office of Energy Development, John Jenks, Director of Energy Market Development for the Wyoming Energy Authority, and Cally Younger, in a discussion about collaboration in the intermountain west for a brighter energy future. 

Keynote Lunch – Lunch provided
Remarks from Lt. Governor Scott Bedke and Dr. John Wagner, Director of the Idaho National Laboratory.

Idaho’s Strategic Role in Western Energy Expansion
Ed Lodge, President of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, sits down with Kris Raper, Vice President of Strategic Engagement and External Affairs at the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, Ryan Roy, Chief Operating Officer at Western Power Pool, and Will Hart, Executive Director of the Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association in a panel that explores Idaho’s growing influence in shaping the west’s energy future as well as key topics like load growth, reliability, and resiliency. 

Networking Break and Refreshments

From Earth to Energy
Join Claudio Berti, Director of the Idaho Geological Survey, as he leads a discussion with special guests including Alli Stice, Strategic Communications with the Idaho Mining Association and Roy Mink, former Director of the Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office on how Idaho’s below-ground resources can drive innovation in mineral production and geothermal energy and how strategic investment and policy support can position Idaho as a national leader in critical mineral production and energy development. 

Protecting Idaho’s Energy System
Adjutant and Commanding General of the Idaho National Guard Timothy J. Donnellan, Director of the Special Activities Office at the Idaho National Laboratory Robert Smith, Bureau Chief at the Idaho Office of Emergency Management Ben Roeber, and Chief Information Security and Operations Officer for the Idaho Office of Information Technology Services Jerred Edgar sit down with District 14 Representative Ted Hill to discuss what it takes to keep Idaho’s energy system secure, resilient, and ready for the future. 

Preparing the Next Generation: Workforce and Education
Idaho’s energy future depends on a strong, skilled, and homegrown workforce. Executive Director of the Workforce Development Council Wendi Secrist talks with Kathy Araujo, Director of the Energy Policy Institute at Boise State University, Hope Morrow, Workforce and Economic Development Manager for the Idaho National Laboratory, and District 32 Representative Wendy Horman to discuss workforce pipelines, university partnerships, and public-private consortia strategies to drive job creation. 

5:00pm to 7:00pm – Reception
Sponsored by the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium