2018 NHA Waterpower Innovation Forum

July 24th - July 25th Albany, NY

Join the NHA Waterpower Innovation Council (WIC) on July 25th at the GE Research and Development Center for the first Waterpower Innovation Forum.  Taking place immediately after the NHA NE Regional Meeting, this forum will start with dinner and a panel discussion followed by a full day meeting.

The goal of the Forum is to bring all sectors of the waterpower industry together to brainstorm and discuss the key technical issues that are preventing the industry from moving forward. The attendees will include owner/operators, developers, researchers, manufacturers and service providers and consultants who want to see the waterpower industry reach its full potential.

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Schedule – A detailed agenda can be found here.

July 24 – 5:30 PM- 8:00 PM:

Dinner and Social Hour
The evening dinner will serve as a way to kick start our thinking and allow all to dream what the future possibilities for the hydropower industry could be. Our speaker for the evening will challenge us to “Think Big”. In order to advance the hydropower industry we need to do away with self-limiting thoughts and start an open dialog about what we see as our technical challenges and then work together to innovatively solve them.

Evening speaker: Dr. Kristina Johnson, Chancellor State University of New York

Dr. Kristina M. Johnson joined The State University of New York as its 13th chancellor in September 2017. Immediately prior to joining SUNY, Dr. Johnson was co-founder and CEO of Cube Hydro Partners, LLC, a clean-energy infrastructure company focused on building and operating hydropower plants in North America. She also previously served as Under Secretary of Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Dr. Johnson served as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Johns Hopkins University from 2007 to 2009, and as dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University from 1999 to 2007.

July 25 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM:

Welcome, Introductions, and Keynote Address

Keynote Speaker Wednesday morning: Dr. Danielle Merfeld, Chief Technology Officer GE Renewable Energy

Transforming the Future – This panel will be a lively discussion between GE’s top Scientists and Hydropower industry thought leaders as they discuss the DOE Hydropower Vision document. The group will discuss how the document can serve as a guide to transform and advance the hydropower industry.

Tour of GE Research Facilities – Walk in the footsteps of Thomas Edison as we discuss how to bring cutting edge technology and innovation to our industry. The tour will serve as a catalyst to our afternoon breakout sessions where we will discuss how to transform and advance the hydropower industry.

Hydropower Research Updates (DOE/EPRI/CEATI/HRF/NHA) – The panel will highlight hydro related activities and share the gaps that have been discovered. This will serve as a starting point for our next discussion and to provide the platform as to where the industry is and hopes to be going forward. We will also visit the results from the last Industry meeting in May, 2017

Lunch and social time onsite

Breakout/Working Group Sessions – Small breakout sessions will be established to explore the technical challenges in small hydro, MHK, pumped storage, and conventional hydropower. The goal will be to identify needs and recommendations to promote focused research in the highest priority areas.

Report Out – Each breakout group will have the opportunity to share what the group discussed. The goal of this time is to share with the entire gathering the key thoughts and ideas that need greater research and understanding to further transform the hydropower industry.

Forum Wrap-up

Registration Rates

NHA Member – $99
Standard – $175

Meeting Location

GE Facilities
1 Research Circle
Niskayuna, NY 12309

Sleeping Accommodations

Since the meeting is not at a hotel NHA did not reserve a block of rooms.  The hotels below are within 6 miles of the GE Campus and are recommendations for attendees:

Courtyard by Marriott

DoubleTree by Hilton

Hilton Garden Inn Albany Airport

Holiday Inn Express Latham

Cancellation Policy

You may transfer your registration at any time at no cost.  Cancellations received in writing by July 10th will be refunded less a $50 administrative fee.  Cancellations after this date cannot be refunded.

Questions

Please contact Francesca Blanco (Francesca@hydro.org) with questions. NHA will be holding similar Regional Meetings in other areas of the country throughout the year.  Please check www.hydro.org for details.

Meeting Conduct Policy

As a professional society, the National Hydropower Association is committed to providing an atmosphere that encourages the free expression and exchange of ideas. Consistent with this commitment, it is the policy of the NHA that all participants in NHA activities will enjoy a welcoming environment, free from unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. All participants in NHA activities also agree to comply with all rules and conditions of the activities, which are subject to change. This policy applies to all participants in NHA activities, including but not limited to event attendees, students, guests, staff, contractors, exhibitors, and participants in sessions, tours, and other social events of any NHA meeting or other activity.

All individuals must behave responsibly in NHA activities in which they participate. Threatening physical or verbal actions and disorderly or disruptive conduct will not be tolerated. Harassment, including verbal comments relating to gender, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other protected status, or sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, unauthorized or inappropriate photography or recording, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention, will not be tolerated. All individuals participating in NHA activities must comply with these standards of behavior.

Violations should be reported to the organizer of the activity. In NHA’s sole discretion, unacceptable behavior may result in removal or denial of access to meeting facilities or activities, and other penalties, without refund of any applicable registration fees or costs. In addition, violations may be reported to the individual’s employer. Repeat offenders may be banned from future NHA activities.

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