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Clean Currents is the new kid on the waterpower event block. The conference/tradeshow is created, produced, and owned by the National Hydropower Association (NHA)—and backed by industry leaders—to address needs you shared with us.
Clean Currents is an industry-wide event for conventional hydropower, pumped storage, small hydro, and marine energy in North America. NHA will reinvest the proceeds from the conference + tradeshow back into the waterpower industry—the financial success of Clean Currents 2021 will power NHA’s efforts to elevate all forms of waterpower in the clean energy future.
“With Clean Currents, we have a two-fold goal. One, bring all of the players in the waterpower industry together to meet and learn,” explained Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO, NHA. “Second, we wanted to create an event that gives back to the industry that it serves. The proceeds from Clean Currents help increase NHA’s ability to champion waterpower in all of its forms.”
From all across North America, asset owners, suppliers, and other waterpower professionals have signed up to participate in the event. And, the Clean Currents conference is designed to facilitate connections: NHA has made it a priority to ensure that the supplier community has access to the industry’s decision-makers. Top CEOs and other executives will be at the Clean Currents event to do business.
“We’ve taken great care to make this conference inclusive,” said Woolf. “The thought we put into it is being reflected in those who have already agreed to participate—and the excitement we’re generating.”
Billions of dollars will be invested in waterpower over the next five to ten years, and some asset owners will be presenting those investment plans at Clean Currents. Among those discussing billion-dollar investments are Southern Company, which owns the event’s Host Utility, Georgia Power. Leaders of the extensive modernization program will be in Atlanta to discuss their investment plans and progress.
“This exciting new conference allows us to champion the broader work of the industry and further support NHA,” said Jay Anders, P.E., COO, Rye Development.
Of course, the health and safety of our industry friends and colleagues is paramount. We plan to have an excellent in-person meeting in Atlanta this October. We will follow the rules and guidelines of the Georgia World Congress Center, which, at this time, requires masks for all indoor gatherings. We are monitoring the situation closely and will post new information on the Clean Currents website. We also have relaxed rollover or refund policies in place to address the current situation.
Learn more and register at cleancurrents.org.
What Makes the Event Unique
Along with hydropower/waterpower asset owners, manufacturers, product suppliers, and service providers—including many of the industry’s most prominent names—are investing in Clean Currents 2021—and by extension, the waterpower industry.
“The industry is showing up to support us and itself,” said Francesca Blanco, Director of Meetings & Events, NHA. “We’ve worked hard to create an event where everyone feels welcome, and everyone wins.”
In addition to copious networking opportunities, the educational component of Clean Currents 2021 is something the team at NHA is particularly proud of.
“The whole educational concept was to address the needs of those who would attend,” Woolf said. “What better way to plan the content of the conference than to go out and ask you what you wanted? So, that’s what we did, and the program is a direct result of those conversations.”
NHA staff sought the guidance, input, and counsel of NHA member companies, the industry at large, and those that influence, regulate, and affect the industry. Volunteers from these groups generously gave their time to help us ensure the industry’s most vital topics continue to rise to the surface.
Technical-, operations- and business-focused content shine at Clean Currents. Clean Currents 2021 is not a policy-focused event. In fact, programming at Clean Currents will be focused on operations, maintenance, safety, business/market opportunities, environmental concerns, and other issues that impact the business of waterpower. (Of note: NHA will continue to hold its national Waterpower Week in Washington event in Washington, D.C., each spring. That event focuses specifically on policy, legislative, regulatory, and markets issues. Review the differences in the two national events.)
Four learning environments—roundtable dialogues, classroom presentations, panel discussions, and workshops—help Clean Currents achieve its goal of meeting the educational needs brought to light by its members and others in the industry.
With unparalleled inclusivity, all Clean Currents attendees—including exhibitors—will have unfettered access to all sessions and workshops without paying extra fees.
“We’re doing all we can to promote peer-to-peer learning, interaction, and a spirit of innovation,” Blanco added.
In all, Clean Currents will offer 16.5 professional development hours (PDH) of educational content. A PDH certificate will be available after the conference.
A Focus on Innovation
In the center of CC: Central (the main floor of the event containing exhibits, education session space, and lunch area) lies the Innovation Power House. Throughout the conference, Technology and Innovation Exchanges will take place every 30 minutes in the Innovation Demonstration Stations featured in the Innovation Power House.
The Innovation Power House also makes generating fresh ideas fun as every attendee is invited to get involved in an innovative process to generate ideas for next-generation research, development, and deployment. Industry and government can use the generated ideas to help shape priorities and funding for the future.
Additionally, the Innovation Power House will host more than 20 scheduled opportunities for informal discussions with various influential individuals or groups, including hydro asset owners and leaders in waterpower, renewable energy, and electricity supply who are making decisions and providing leadership in waterpower and electric power.
Event Isn’t All Business
Meet-and-greet networking opportunities include the “Hydro Homecoming” Celebration at the College Football Hall of Fame, the Women in Waterpower Breakfast, and several events/opportunities in CC: Central, including our celebratory PowerParty.
Prior to the conference, Clean Currents provides even more get-to-know-one-another time with a Hydro Foundation Golf Tournament on Monday, October 18, and a variety of activities on Tuesday, October 19, including hydro plant tours, pre-conference workshops, and a Hydraulic Power Committee networking dinner.
“We are excited that NHA — the hydropower champion — has created Clean Currents to continue promoting the growth of clean, renewable waterpower. We are thrilled that this event will focus on all aspects of our industry and will benefit all companies that are passionate about this industry,” said Russ Sanford, Chief Marketing Officer, Kleinschmidt.
