POWER from the North CONFERENCE MARCH 23 & 24, 2015 Burlington, Vermont

Dear Registrant: Welcome to this “Power from the North”/“Le nord électrique” two-day conference at the University of Vermont. We are delighted to welcome such a diverse group of participants from both sides of the border, including academics, business leaders, policy-makers, citizens and students. We look forward to a productive exchange of ideas as we discuss increasingly important Quebec-Vermont/New England electric energy relationships. During the first day of the conference, we intend to “tell the story” of these evolving relationships, examine social, economic and environmental consequences, and ultimately inform present and future decisions regarding energy production, distribution and use in the Quebec-New England region. Throughout the day we will explore Quebec’s role in de-carbonizing electric systems in Vermont and beyond. Your participation is crucial. Panelists’ presentations will be brief, leaving ample time for audience comments and questions. So we welcome you to engage with the presenters by making sure your doubts are aired, your questions answered, and your perspective is heard. The second day of the conference is focused on innovation and economic collaboration. Businesses from both sides of the border will participate in business-to-business meetings to encourage and foster cross-border partnerships and bring innovative technologies to market. Thank you for joining us. If you have any questions please seek us out. We look forward to meeting you in person. Sincerely, The Power from the North Conference Co-Organizers

David Massell Richard Watts Professor of History Director, Center for Research on Vermont Director, Canadian Studies Program The University of Vermont The University of Vermont

Jennie Stephens Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy The University of Vermont

CONFERENCE AGENDA Power from the North/Le nord électrique March 23, 2015 8:00 8:30

REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST

Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery

WELCOMING REMARKS

Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery

Breakfast sponsored by Saint Michael’s College

  

9:15

Antonio Cepeda-Benito, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Vermont Darren Springer, Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Public Service Marie-Claude Francoeur, Québec Delegate in Boston

THE PAST: “HOW DID WE GET HERE?”

Livak Ballroom

Session 1 examines the motivations and forces that brought Québec and Vermont/New England to their current relationship around electric energy, and considers the social and environmental costs incurred to date. Introduction and Moderator: David Massell, Professor of History, University of Vermont  Louise McCarren, former Chair, Vermont’s Public Service Board  Richard Janda, Professor, McGill Faculty of Law  Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Québec and Labrador

10:45 COFFEE BREAK

Livak Fireplace Lounge & Gallery

Sponsored by RES Americas

11:15 THE PRESENT: “WHERE ARE WE TODAY?”

Livak Ballroom

Session 2 examines the current state of the electric energy relationship including current contracts, policy initiatives, and social/environmental concerns. Moderator: Jennie Stephens, Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy, University of Vermont  Anne George, Vice President, External Affairs and Corporate Communications, Independent System Operator (ISO) New England  John Kassel, President Emeritus, Conservation Law Foundation  Jean-Thomas Bernard, Professeur, Université d’Ottawa/Université Laval  Stephen Molodetz, Vice President, Hydro-Québec US

12:45 LUNCHEON

GRAND MAPLE BALLROOM

Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable Energy Group Presentation of student poster awards: Nancy Matthews, Dean of UVM’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, UVM Luncheon Speaker: John Parisella, former Chief of Staff to Premiers Robert Bourassa and Daniel Johnson, former Québec Delegate General in New York, author and political analyst

2:30

QUÉBEC-NEW ENGLAND IN THE CONTINENTAL CONTEXT

LIVAK BALLROOM

Moderator: Jeffrey Ayres, Dean of College and Professor of Political Science, St. Michael’s College  Aaron Annable, Acting Consul General, Canadian Consulate General in Boston  Nina Fite, Consul General, Consulate General of the United States in Montreal

3:00

THE FUTURE: “WHERE ARE WE GOING?”

LIVAK BALLROOM

Session 3 examines future visions and initiatives, noting emerging technologies, de-carbonizing the region’s electric grid, and Vermont’s vision of 90% reliance on renewables by 2050. Moderator: Michael Dworkin, Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law School  David Cash, former Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Public Utilities  Mary Powell, President and CEO, Green Mountain Power  Pierre Arcand, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Québec

4:30

CLOSING REMARKS AND NEXT STEPS   

LIVAK BALLROOM

David Massell, Professor of History and Director of the Canadian Studies Program, UVM Richard Watts, Director of the Center for Research on Vermont, UVM Jennie Stephens, Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy, UVM

COFFEE BREAK TO FOLLOW CLOSING REMARKS Sponsored by TDI New England

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POWER FROM THE NORTH: INNOVATION IN ENERGY EXCHANGE A B2B COLLABORATIVE EVENT MARCH 24, 2015

The second day of the conference is organized by the Vermont State Department of Economic Development in partnership with the Québec Government. On Tuesday March 24, the two entities in coordination with the University of Vermont will host an event for energy-related Québec and Vermont businesses. The “Innovation in Energy Exchange,” will provide a B2B forum and a chance for businesses from both sides of the border to showcase the innovative technologies, systems and products they are working on. Registration is free but is separate from March 23. You must register to attend by March 13 or contact Becky Fu below. For a list of the companies participating and an agenda please go to http://accd.vermont.gov/business/events/pftn15 To register or for more information, contact: Becky Fu, Manager of International Trade Vermont Global Trade Partnership State Department of Economic Development, Montpelier (802) 272-0543 [email protected]

Speaker Bios Aaron Annable | Acting Consul General Consulate General of Canada, Boston Aaron Annable is the Acting Consul General of Canada to New England, based in Boston. Aaron was previously Head of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy at the Canadian Consulate General for four years, where he managed the mission’s political outreach and public affairs in the region. He has worked on a number of cross-border energy issues, both renewable and non-renewable, and has maintained a strong focus on the promotion of Canadian energy resources. Prior to his time at the Consulate General, Mr. Annable held several positions within Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, where he worked on numerous Canada-U.S. and trade policy issues. He has also completed short-term assignments at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C., and at the Consulate General in Minneapolis. He graduated from McGill University with a degree in Political Science.

Pierre Arcand | Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Government of Québec Pierre Arcand began his career as a journalist in Montréal, where he rose through the ranks at CKAC and the Télémédia network. In 2002, backed by more than twenty years of experience in radio, he was appointed President of Corus Québec Radio, owner of fourteen stations across Québec. Minister Arcand entered politics in 2007 when he was elected Member of the National Assembly of Québec for the electoral district of Mont-Royal on the island of Montréal. He has been re-elected in each of the provincial elections since. He has served as Minister of International Relations, Minister responsible for La Francophonie, and Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and Parks. Since the 2014 election, he has served under Premier Philippe Couillard as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, as well as Minister responsible for the Northern Plan (Plan Nord).

Jeffrey Ayres | Dean of the College and Professor of Political Science Saint Michael’s College Jeffrey Ayres is Dean of the College and Professor of Political Science at Saint Michael’s College, in greater Burlington, Vermont.  He holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is an Associate Editor of the American Review of Canadian Studies and serves on the editorial board of the University of Toronto Press Series on Comparative Political Economy and Public Policy.  He is the author and co-editor of four books including most recently North America in Question: Regional Integration in an Era of Economic Turbulence (University of Toronto Press, 2012) and Globalization and Food Sovereignty: Global and Local Change in the New Politics of Food (University of Toronto Press, 2014). 

Jean-Thomas Bernard | Professeur Université d’Ottawa/Université Laval Professor Bernard specializes in the economics of natural resources, energy, and the environment. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Ottawa and a PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He began his career at Queen’s University in Kingston and has taught at Université Laval, where he held the Chair in Electricity Economics from 1999 to 2008. Today, he is a visiting professor at the University of Ottawa. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia, research fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, visiting professor at Cornell University as a Fulbright Foundation Fellow, and Gilbert F. White Research Fellow at Resources for the Future in Washington. Professor Bernard has also been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada since 2009 and an honorary member of the Association des économistes québécois since 2013. He is a recipient of the prestigious Gérard Parizeau Award for his exceptional work on natural resource management and energy.

David Cash | Former Commissioner

Speaker Bios, continued

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection & Department of Public Utilities David W. Cash brings over 25 years of experience in environmental and energy policy, regulation, management, education and governance. In the last decade, he served in Massachusetts state government as the Undersecretary for Policy in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, a Commissioner in the Department of Public Utilities, and most recently as Commissioner at the Department of Environmental Protection. In these roles, Cash was one of the chief architects of Massachusetts’ clean energy revolution, crafting nation leading laws, regulations and programs that have unleashed energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy cost savings, and clean energy economic innovation and development. Prior to working for the Commonwealth, Cash was a research associate at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and lecturer in environmental science and public policy. He received a PhD in public policy from the Kennedy School at Harvard and a BS in biology from Yale University.

Antonio Cepeda-Benito | Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences The University of Vermont Cepeda-Benito joined the University of Vermont as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences after 18 years at Texas A&M University, serving as dean of faculties and associate provost and a professor of psychology. He is an accomplished administrator and respected researcher in psychology and pharmacology, and is well known for his research on the behavioral and neurological impact of exposure to pharmacological agents such as morphine, nicotine and cocaine. Named as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business Magazine, he has been the recipient of a number of awards from Texas A&M and from the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the RED Latino Americana on drug addiction and the founding Chair of the International Research Collaboration Subcommittee of the NHSN. The Dean holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and completed his MS and PhD at Purdue University.

Michael Dworkin | Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law School Professor Dworkin was a utility regulator, environmental litigator, and small businessman before becoming a professor. He earned his BA from Middlebury College and his JD from Harvard Law School. After working in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and as the EPA’s Office of General Counsel, where he focused on the development and appellate defense of standards that reduced air and water pollution, he joined the Vermont Public Service Board (VPSB). There, he represented the Board in litigation before the Federal Communications Commission and as hearing officer, and later served as general counsel. After working several years at Riser Management Systems, LP as general counsel and a managing partner, he returned to public service in 1999 as chair of VPSB. In 2005, he joined the faculty at VLS and launched the Institute for Energy and the Environment. The Institute offers an advanced curriculum on energy and regulatory law, provides forums and conferences for professional education and issue development, publishes on environmental and energy issues, and serves as a center for commissioned research on these topics.

Nina Fite | Consul General Consulate General of the United States, Montreal Nina Maria Fite became the U. S. Consul General in Montreal in September 2014. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, she has spent more than 20 years focusing on trade, environmental issues, and post-conflict economic development. Her assignments have included serving as the Deputy Economic Counselor in Kabul, Afghanistan and as the Political/Economic Section Chief in Luanda, Angola. While working with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, Ms. Fite negotiated the environmental chapters of the Dominican accession to the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Panamanian Free Trade Agreement. She has worked on regional and bilateral environment, science, and health issues, and in the State Department’s Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science. Consul General Fite completed her MS in National Resource Strategy at the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture at Carnegie-Mellon University and a MA in International Management from Thunderbird School of International Management.

Speaker Bios, continued

Marie-Claude Francoeur | Québec Delegate to New England Québec Government, Boston

Ms. Marie-Claude Francoeur was appointed Québec Delegate to New England in May of 2014. She previously held this post from 2012 to 2013. Before these appointments, Ms. Francoeur served at the PEAKER IOS CONTINUED PEAKER IOS CONTINUED Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie in different capacities, including as Marie-Claude Francoeur │Québec Québec Delegate toand New England Affairs and Acting Chief Assistant Deputy Minister for │Policies and Multilateral Marie-Claude Francoeur Delegate to New Francophone England of Protocol. Prior to this, she served as Chief of Staff for the Québec Minister of Transportation. In Québec Government, Boston Québec Government, Boston these roles and her current one, she has worked to advance Québec’s comprehensive climate change, Ms. Marie-Claude Francoeur was appointed Québec Delegate to New England in May of 2014. She Ms. Marie-Claude Francoeur was appointed Delegate to New in holds May of 2014.and SheMA in transportation and energy policies at homeQuébec and internationally. Ms. England Francoeur a MPA previously held this post from 2012 to 2013. Before these appointments, Ms. Francoeur served at the previously held relations this post from 2012 to 2013.School Beforeatthese appointments, Ms.asFrancoeur served at the sciinternational the Maxwell Syracuse University, well as a BA in applied Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie in different capacities, including as Ministère des Relations internationales et de la has Francophonie in different capacities, including as ences from LavalMinister University Québec. She also completed the Senior Managers in Government Assistant Deputy for in Policies and Multilateral and Francophone Affairs and Acting Chief of Assistant Deputy Minister for Policies and Multilateral and Francophone Affairs and Acting Chief of program at HarvardProtocol. University’s F. Kennedy of Government. PriorJohn to this, she servedSchool as Chief of Staff for the Québec Minister of Transportation. In these Protocol. Prior to this, she served as Chief of Staff for the Québec Minister of Transportation. In these roles and her current one, she has worked to advance Québec’s comprehensive climate change, roles and her current one, she has worked to advance Québec’s comprehensive climate change, transportation and energy policies at home and internationally. Ms. Francoeur holds a MPA and MA in international transportation and energy policies at homeof and internationally. Ms.and Francoeur holds a MPA and MA in international Anne | Vice President External Affairs Communications relationsGeorge from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, as well as aCorporate BA in applied sciences from Laval University in relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, as well as a BA in applied sciences from Laval University in Québec. She has also completed the(ISO) SeniorNew Managers in Government program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy Independent Operator England Québec. She has Systems also completed the Senior Managers in Government program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. School of Government. As Vice President, External Affairs and Corporate Communications, Anne C. George directs ISO New England’s outreach to and communications with public officials, stakeholders, and the media. Before AnneGeorge George│ │Vice Vice President of External Affairs and Corporate Communications Anne of External Affairs and Corporate Communications joining the ISO in 2008, she President served five years as a Commissioner of the Connecticut Public Utility Independent Systems Operator (ISO) New England Commission. During this time,Operator Ms. George was active national and regional bodies, serving as Independent Systems (ISO) New in England Chair the National Association of Regulatory Utility Communications, Commissioners’ Committee on Electricity and AsofVice President, External Affairs and Corporate Anne C. George directs ISO Vice President, External Affairs and Corporate Communications, Anne C.Prior George directs ISO as As President of the New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners. to her role the New England’s outreach to and communications with public officials, stakeholders, and theatmedia. New England’s outreach to and communications with public officials, stakeholders, and the media. Before joining the ISO in 2008, five yearsSpecial as a Commissioner of the and Connecticut Public Connecticut PUC, Ms. George servedshe as served the Governor’s Counsel on Energy Chief Legal Before joining the ISO in 2008, she served five years as a Commissioner of the Connecticut Public Utility Commission. During this time, Ms. George was active in national and regional bodies, Counsel. Utility Commission. During this time, Ms. George was active in national and regional bodies, serving as Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Committee on serving as Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Committee on Electricity and as President of the New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners. Electricity andProfessor as Presidentof of Law the New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners. Richard Janda Associate Prior to her role at the|Connecticut PUC, Ms. George served as the Governor’s Special Counsel on Energy and Chief Prior to her role at the Connecticut PUC, Ms. George served as the Governor’s Special Counsel on Energy and Chief Legal Counsel. McGill University Legal Counsel.

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Professor Janda teaches business associations, administrative Richard Janda Associate Professor of Law law, competition law, economic regulation, Richard Janda │ │Associate Law Le Dain and Cory of the Supreme Court of Canand air transport regulation. He wasProfessor Law Clerk of to Justices

McGill University McGill ada and isUniversity a past Director of the Centre for the Study of Regulated Industries at McGill. His main current

Professor Janda law,social competition law, economic regulation, research areas areteaches the legalbusiness basis ofassociations, domestic andadministrative global corporate responsibility and the regulatory Professor Janda teaches business associations, administrative law, competition law, economic regulation, and air governing transport regulation. He global was Law Clerk to Justices Dain Cory of the Supremehe Court of regimes domestic and public goods. Apart Le from his and academic contributions, has been and air transport regulation. He was Law Clerk to Justices Le Dain and Cory of the Supreme Court of Canada in andwork is a for pastthe Director of the Centre for the Study of Regulated Industries atOrganization, McGill. His main involved World Trade Organization, the International Civil Aviation the Canada and is a past Director of the Centre for the Study of Regulated Industries at McGill. His main current research areas are the legal basis of domestic and global corporate social responsibility and the Organization forareas Economic Development, thecorporate World Bank, a number of Canadian current research are theCo-operation legal basis ofand domestic and global social responsibility and thepublic regulatory regimes governing domestic and global public goods. Apart from his academic contributions, agencies, as well as work in a number of developing countries. regulatory regimes governing domestic and global public goods. Apart from his academic contributions, he has been involved in work for the World Trade Organization, the International Civil Aviation he has been involved in work for the World Trade Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank, a number of Canadian public Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank, a number of Canadian public John Kassel | work President Emeritus agencies, as well as in a number of developing countries. agencies, as well as work in a number of developing countries.

Conservation Law Foundation

JohnKassel Kassel│ │President President Emeritus John Emeritus

John Kassel served Law as CLF’s President from 2009-2014. He brought over 25 years of legal and policy Conservation Foundation Conservation experience to the Law job ofFoundation leading the premier region-wide environmental problem-solving organization John Kassel served astoCLF’s President fromco-founder 2009-2014.and Heco-managing brought over 25 years of legalDunkiel and in New England. Prior joining CLF hefrom was of legal Shems John Kassel served as CLF’s President 2009-2014. He brought over 25partner years of and policy experience to the job of leading the premier region-wide environmental problem-solving Kassel Saunders,toathe mission-driven law firm, where he counseled non-profits and policy & experience job of leadingVermont-based the premier region-wide environmental problem-solving organization in New England. Prior to joining CLF he was co-founder and co-managing partner of organization England. Prior to joining CLF he was co-founder co-managing partnerasof businesses onintheNew creation and permitting of renewable energy projects.and Prior to that, he served Shems Dunkiel Kassel & Saunders, a mission-driven Vermont-based law firm, where he counseled Shems Dunkiel Kassel & Saunders, a mission-driven Vermont-based law firm,in where he counseled Secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources, a cabinet-level position the administration non-profits and businesses on the creation and permitting of renewable energy projects. Prior to that, non-profits and businesses on the creation and permitting ofasrenewable energy projects. Priorpractice to that, of Gov. Howard Dean, after joining theAgency agency previously its General Counsel. Hisposition legal he served as Secretary of Vermont’s of Natural Resources, a cabinet-level in the he served as Secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources, a cabinet-level position in the includes service as stateHoward criminalDean, prosecutor and commercial litigator; his volunteer experience administration ofaGov. after joining the agency previously as its General Counsel. His administration of Gov. Howard Dean, dedicated after joining the agency previously as its General Counsel. includes boardincludes and other service many organizations to community and his environmental health. Heincludes is a His gradlegal practice service aswith a state criminal prosecutor and commercial litigator; volunteer experience legal practice includes service as a state criminal prosecutor and commercial litigator; his volunteer experience includes uate Middlebury College, received his law dedicated degree from Cornell. and environmental health. He is a graduate of boardofand other service with and many organizations to community board and other service with many organizations dedicated to community and environmental health. He is a graduate of Middlebury College, and received his law degree from Cornell. Middlebury College, and received his law degree from Cornell.

David Massell | Professor of History

Speaker Bios, continued

The University of Vermont David Massell joined UVM’s Department of History in 1997 after completing a Ph.D. in Canadian-American history at Duke University. Massell’s research speaks to hydro policy in the province that produced Hydro-Québec, and to the integration of North American economies, illustrating the process by which American capital and industry drew Canada’s resource-rich north into the economic orbit of the United States. He is the author of two books: Amassing Power: J.B. Duke and the Saguenay River, 1897-1927 (2000) and Quebec Hydropolitics (2011), which advanced the story of the Saguenay River’s exploitation through the 1940s and was short-listed for both the Albert Corey Prize and the Canadian Political History Book Prize by the Canadian Historical Association. He is currently at work on the history of the hydroelectric development of Labrador’s Churchill River in the post-Second World War period.

Nancy Mathews | Dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment & Natural Resources The University of Vermont A leading environmental scholar and educator, Mathews serves as the Dean of UVM’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. Prior to her arrival at UVM, she was the director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service and professor of environmental studies at the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Morgridge Center is the university’s hub for service, service-learning and community-based research. The Nelson Institute is one of country’s leading institutions for environmental education and research. Mathews, a nationally recognized wildlife biologist, has conducted extensive research in brown-headed cowbird behavior, white-tailed deer behavior and genetics, and chronic wasting disease. She earned her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University, and her master’s and doctorate from the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Louise McCarren | Former Chair Vermont Public Service Board Louise McCarren served as the first female chair of Vermont’s Public Service Board under Governor Richard Snelling and Governor Madeleine Kunin. McCarren worked as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow and a VISTA attorney for Vermont Legal Aid before becoming a public defender in Chittenden County. She was the director of the New England Regional Energy Project, and was a partner at the law firm Blodgett and McCarren. In 1981, she was appointed by Governor Snelling as Chair of the Vermont Public Service Board, a position she held until 1987. McCarren’s other varied positions have included senior vice president at Chittenden Bank, partner at Sheehey, Brue, Gray and Furlong, Commissioner of the Department of Public Service, special assistant to the President of UVM, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verizon-Vermont, and Chief Executive Officer of Western Electricity Coordinating Council. McCarren holds a degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley and a law degree from the University of California in Los Angeles. She was admitted to the Vermont Bar in 1973.

Steve Molodetz | Vice President of Business Development Hydro-Québec US Mr. Molodetz is the Vice President of Business Development at HQUS, the U.S. marketing subsidiary of Hydro-Québec. As Vice President, Mr. Molodetz is responsible for all HQUS energy marketing activities in the U.S. and Canadian energy markets. His main responsibilities include market strategy, management of ISO regulatory matters, origination of structured energy transactions, commercial and government relations. Mr. Molodetz joined HQUS in 1998 as Regional Marketing Director where his main focus was on the New England market and later served as Vice President of Marketing. With over 30 years of diverse experience in the energy industry, he began his career at Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation where he held a variety of positions in the engineering, planning, retail marketing, and power contracts divisions. Mr. Molodetz holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Clarkson University and an MBA from Syracuse University.

John Parisella | Author, Political Analyst

Speaker Bios, continued

Former Québec Delegate General, Québec Government Office, New York Former Chief of Staff, Premiers Robert Bourassa and Daniel Johnson John Parisella has served as Director General of the Liberal Party of Québec, Chief of Staff to premiers Robert Bourassa and Daniel Johnson, and served as Québec’s Delegate General in New York. Before his nomination as delegate general, Mr. Parisella was the president of Montréal-based BCP and BCP Consultants, firms that specialize in communications, strategic planning and public relations. A respected communicator and educator, he was a frequent contributor to several Québec media on political issues, in particular U.S. politics. His writings include Élections Made in USA with co-author Professor Donald Cuccioletta, a popular blog for Maclean’s magazine, and regular blogs for America’s Quarterly. He is associated with the Chaire Raoul-Dandurand, a center for U.S. studies at Université du Québec à Montréal, and is a Fellow at the Center for International Studies and Research. A graduate of McGill and Concordia Universities, Mr. Parisella holds a certificate in government management from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is currently Executive Director of Campus Montréal, which is responsible for the fundraising campaign at HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, and Université de Montréal.

Ghislain Picard | Chief of the Assembly of the First Nations of Québec and Labrador Assembly of the First Nations of Québec and Labrador Chief Picard is Innu (Montagnais) from the community of Pessamit on Québec’s North Shore. After studying communications in 1976 and a brief stint in the public service in 1978, he was offered a position with the Atikamekw and Montagnais Council and various posts in communications. In 1983, after taking part in the establishment of a network of community radio stations for his people, he became co-founder of the Atikamekw and Montagnais Communications Corporation. In 1989, he was elected vice-president of the Atikamekw and Montagnais Council. Picard was elected Regional Chief in 1992 and has been a member of the Assembly of First Nations Executive Committee since then. As Regional Chief, he sat on the Assembly of First Nations’ Executive Committee at the national level as a spokesperson for the Education, Aboriginal Languages, Health and International Issues portfolios. In 2014, the Chiefs in Assembly unanimously appointed him interim National Chief, until the elections in December 2014. Picard received the National Order of Quebec and the distinguished insignia of Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur from the Consul Général de France.

Mary Powell | President and Chief Executive Officer Green Mountain Power Mary Powell has served as President and Chief Executive Officer for Green Mountain Power Corporation since 2008, following seven years as Chief Operating Officer. Powell initiated and implemented a strategic and comprehensive restructuring of the company that dramatically transformed Green Mountain Power, which has been the backbone of a cultural transformation and service quality improvement. Under her leadership, the company has built Vermont’s largest wind farm, is building New England’s Solar Capital in Rutland, and has installed smart grid technology across the entire utility infrastructure. In 2012, Powell led an acquisition of Central Vermont Public Service, with a promise to generate $144 million in savings for customers. In 2014, Powell announced a new partnership with NRG Energy, Inc. to make Vermont a leader in sustainable energy by bringing innovative clean energy products and services to Vermont, while helping customers manage energy use and save money.

Darren Springer | Deputy Commissioner Vermont Department of Public Service Darren Springer is the Deputy Commissioner for the Public Service Department. Previously, he served for four years in the Washington, D.C. office of Senator Bernard Sanders as a Senior Policy Advisor for Energy and Environment, and later as Chief Counsel. Springer previously worked as Energy and Transportation Program Director for the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. While completing his JD and Master of Studies in Environmental Law at Vermont Law School, Darren served as managing editor of Vermont Law Review and as law clerk for Senator Patrick Leahy on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He also worked with the Vermont Alliance of Conservation. Darren is admitted to the Vermont Bar, Florida Bar, and Virginia Bar. He has been published in Vermont Law Review, Tulane Environmental Law Journal, and the ABA’s Natural Resources & Environment and State and Local Law News. Darren holds a BA in history from Florida Atlantic University.

Speaker Bios, continued

Jennie Stephens | Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy The University of Vermont

Jennie C. Stephens is the Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. Professor Stephens’ research, teaching, and community engagement focus on socio-political aspects of energy technology innovation, electricity system change, climate change communication, and facilitating social learning in the transition from fossil-fuel to renewables based energy systems. She has contributed to the understanding of the social dynamics of wind power, carbon capture and storage, and smart grid, and brings experience in stakeholder engagement and communication among experts, practitioners, academics, and the public. Professor Stephens was previously on the faculty at Clark University, and conducted post-doctoral research at Harvard’s Kennedy School. She earned her PhD at Caltech in Environmental Science and Engineering, and her BA at Harvard in Environmental Science and Public Policy.

Richard Watts | Director Center for Research on Vermont Richard Watts is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research focuses on the relationships between public communications and policy outcomes. Richard examines the role of strategic communications in the development and implementation of public policy related to energy, transportation and public health. This research builds on his experience as a policy and communication professional in public policy and political campaigns, journalist, and consultant to government agencies, advocacy organizations and business groups. Richard has studied energy planning in Vermont and New England, and authored/co-authored several related books and articles, including “Environmental Justice and Citizen Perceptions of a Proposed Electric Transmission Line,” Journal of Community Development (2014); “Planning for power: frame production in an environmental conflict over the siting of a high-voltage transmission line,” Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, (2013); and Public Meltdown: The Story of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant (2012).

CONFERENCE MAPS Davis Center 4th Floor

Parking Information

Vermont Governor Richard Snelling and Québec Premier René Lévesque circa 1980. Their negotiations produced in July 1984 what would be the first, firm, long-term energy contract between Hydro-Québec and the utilities of a Northeast state.

Vermont Governor Richard Snelling and Québec Premier René Lévesque circa 1980. Photo Courtesy of Snelling, Snelling Centerwould for Government Their negotiations produced inMark July 1984 what be the first, firm, long-term energy contract between Hydro-Québec and the utilities of a Northeast state.

Photo courtesy of Mark Snelling, Snelling Center for Government

Financial Sponsors The University of Vermont • Government of Québec State of Vermont • Brookfield Renewable Energy Group • UVM Clean Energy Fund • Government of Canada Transmission Developers Inc., New England • Renewable Energy Systems Americas • Hydro-Québec US Saint Michael’s College • TD Bank • Vermont Electric Power Company Canadian Wind Energy Association • Regional Educational Television Network

Collaborators The University of Vermont: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Environmental Studies Program, Humanities Center, Global and Regional Studies, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of History, Department of Geography, Department of Community Development and Applied Economics, and Center for Rural Studies

Vermont Department of Public Service Vermont Department of Economic Development Government of Quebec Vermont Council on World Affairs St. Michael’s College Renewable Energy Vermont RETN Vermont Law School Sherbrooke University Bishop’s University Champlain College Community College of Vermont