Navarra, Spain: At the Cutting Edge of the Green Economy A Symposium and Special Reception

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1 Navarra, Spain: At the Cutting Edge of the Green Economy A Symposium and Special Reception IMPORTANT! PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN DATE, TIME AND PLACE FOR THIS EVENT, NOW TO BE HELD AT THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS (NOT THE WASHINGTON POST) ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010 FROM 12 NOON TO 2PM, 1333 H Street, 10 th Floor. PLEASE RSVP AGAIN BY TO: Jacob Abraham, jabraham@americanprogress.org. Spain is currently undergoing a renewable energy revolution, with the Navarra region set to be the first in Europe to be self-sufficient in renewable energy. Navarra, Europe s sixth largest producer of wind power, currently sustains approximately 70 percent of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources, including 900-megawatt capacity of installed wind power, ranking it ahead of the United Kingdom, Sweden, and France. How has Navarra transformed its energy economy? What implications might the experience of Navarra hold for national and regional energy and climate policies in Spain and the United States? What role do regional and local governments have to play in the transformation of the energy economy? At the opening of the Spanish presidency of the European Union, what opportunities might Navarra represent with respect to closer bilateral cooperation on energy issues between Spain and the United States, and between the European Union and the United States? Following the panel a special tasting of food and wines of Navarra will be offered. 1

2 Program: Introductions: Jorge Dezcallar, Ambassador of Spain to the United States Keynote Speakers: Miguel Sanz, President, Navarra David E. Rodgers, Director of Strategic Planning and Analysis, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), US DOE. Panelists: Esteban Morrás, Global wind energy pioneer and founder of EHN and Gamesa Wind and later the CEO of Acciona Energy Kate Gordon, Vice President for Energy and Environment, Center for American Progress Juan José Armendáriz, Director of the Center for Renewable Energy (CENER) in Pamplona Steve Mufson, Energy Correspondent, Washington Post Diego Belmonte, CEO and founder, Esound Energy, and former CEO, Fotovatio Moderator: Paul Isbell, Director of the Energy and Climate Change Program, Elcano Royal Institute, and Senior Analyst for Spain-US Relations. Location: Center for American Progress 10th Floor Washington, D.C Nearest Metro: Blue/Orange Line to McPherson Square or Red Line to Metro Center 2

3 Speaker Bios Miguel Sanz Sesma, President of the Government of Navarre Born in Corella, Navarre, on 16 September Married to Villar López Mateo, two children. A qualified Primary School teacher, he completed a Business Studies course and the Senior Company Management programme (PDG) of the IESE at the Universidad de Navarra. Before entering politics full-time he worked in a number of posts in the banking sector. In the municipal elections in 1983 and 1987 he headed the candidacy of the Unión del Pueblo Navarro (UPN) for the Corella Town Council and was elected Mayor in both legislatures, a post he held between 1983 and He has been member of the regional parliament of Navarre for UPN in the six elections held since In 1995 he headed UPN's list to the Parliament of Navarre, which received the most votes by obtaining 17 of the 50 seats in the Chamber. In the 1999 and 2003 elections he also headed UPN's candidature, obtaining 22 and 23 seats respectively. From 1991 to 1995 he was Vice President of the Government of Navarre and Minister of the President's Office. He also occupied the post of Regional Minister for Local Administration, Territorial Planning and the Environment between 1991 and On 18 September 1996 he was elected President of the Government of Navarre, a post he has held until the present day after being named by the Parliament in elections held in June 1999, May 2003 and May By virtue of this post, he is also President of the Board of Directors of Caja Navarra and a board member of the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks. He is also President of the Industrial Corporation and Social Projects Foundation of Caja Navarra. He has been President of Unión del Pueblo Navarro (UPN) from 1997 to David E. Rodgers, Director of Strategic Planning and Analysis, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), US DOE David E. Rodgers is Director of Strategic Planning and Analysis within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Rodgers supports the Assistant Secretary in day to day management of the EERE energy efficiency portfolio. Mr. Rodgers has been with the U.S. Department of Energy for 18 years and has served in the Department's energy efficiency programs for buildings, industry, and transportation. Prior to being designated Director of Strategic Planning and Analysis, in March of 2009, Mr. Rodgers was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency in the Office of Technology Development. From July 2005 through July 2006, Mr. Rodgers served as the Program Manager for the Building Technologies Program. From December 2004 through June 2005, Mr. Rodgers served as Acting Program Manager for the Industrial Technologies Program. Mr. Rodgers served for three years as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Development in EERE. From 1996 through 2002, Mr. Rodgers served as the Director of the Office of Technology Utilization within the Office of Transportation Technologies. 3

4 During his career at the Department of Energy, Mr. Rodgers has experience with regulatory development, R&D management, deployment activities, partnership development, business systems, and planning and analysis. Mr. Rodgers has received degrees in chemical engineering and computer science from Washington University in St. Louis, and masters in public management from the University of Maryland. He is a former Presidential Management Fellow. In the private sector, Mr. Rodgers has experience in the chemical, petroleum, and computer industries. Esteban Morrás Mr. Morrás has been the CEO of ACCIONA Energy until December His professional career has been linked to the development of renewable energies for almost 20 years. Morrás was born in 1958, in Sesma (Navarre, Spain) and began his professional career as Town Clerk of the Sesma Town Council ( ). From 1982 up to 1989 he was linked to the public sector assuming different positions. In 1989 he created EHN, a renewable energy company that soon became one of the leading firms in the spectacular development of wind energy in Spain. He managed the rapid growth of the company and its expansion into other renewable technologies and other countries. He also contributed to the energy lobbying for a regulatory framework in Spain for renewable energies. In 2004, EHN became part of the ACCIONA group and Mr. Morrás became General Manager of the group s Energy division. The following year he was appointed board member. The company changed its name to ACCIONA Energía and reinforced its assets and projects spectacularly, with a presence in eight renewable technologies in fourteen countries. At the end of 2009 (provisional data), ACCIONA Energía has installed 271 wind farms in the world with a combined capacity of 7,700 MW, of which 6,230 are owned by the company. It is developing wind energy projects that add up to tens of thousands of MW. When ACCIONA completed the 25% ownership of ENDESA in 2007, Mr. Morrás became the VP of Strategy and board member of ENDESA, combining his responsibilities as CEO of ACCIONA Energía. In 2004, Morrás received the Poul La Cour Prize, awarded by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), for his work in favour of the development of this energy source in Europe. In the near future he is expected to continue being associated to the renewable energy sector, where he has been an outstanding reference for quite some time. In December 2009, APPA (Spanish Association of Renewable Energy Producers) appointed Mr. Morrás an honorary member. Mr. Morrás has a degree in Law. He lives with his wife and three children in Pamplona (Navarre), Spain. José Javier Armendáriz Quel, Director General of the National Center for Renewable Energy (CENER, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain) José Javier Armendáriz Quel was born in Pamplona, on 8 February He is married and has three children ages 15, 12 and 7 years. He graduated in Economics from the University of the Basque Country, Bilbao. He then did the Graduate Program PADE at IESE (University of Navarra). Currently, he is Director General at the National Center of Renewable Energy. 4

5 Previously he served as Director General of Finance for the Government of Navarra for eight years and began his career at Arthur Andersen company. He is also a member of the board of SODENA, the Navarre Development Corporation. Steven Mufson, Washington Post energy correspondent Steve Mufson is The Washington Post's energy correspondent. He has worked at the Post for more than 20 years, including stints as chief economics correspondent, diplomatic correspondent, Beijing bureau chief and deputy editor of the weekly Outlook section. Earlier he spent six years as a staff writer at The Wall Street Journal in New York, London and Johannesburg. He is the author of "Fighting Years; Black Resistance and the Struggle for a New South Africa" (Beacon Press, 1990). He received a B.A. from Yale University in Diego Belmonte, President of Esound Energy Diego Belmonte is the founder and President of Esound Energy ( an integrated international project development and boutique consulting company, dedicated to capitalizing on the economic, social and ecological potential of renewable energy technologies worldwide. Former President and CEO Fotowatio USA, Inc., the first United States (US) subsidiary of Fotowatio S.L., one of the world s leading solar energy companies, he has supported the development of more than 135 MW of solar projects in the fast-growing renewable energy markets in Europe and the United States. Diego was responsible for launching the Fotowatio business in the US and introducingand developing their US operations and business strategy. He has advised and actively participated in bringing key partners, such as General Electric Financial Services into Fotowatio s shareholding structure. Among other entrepreneurial activities, he currently advises renewable energy companies in their development and operational efforts to enter into the USA and other emerging markets with support of multilateral financial institutions. Previously, Diego was at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), a Washington DCbased international financial organization. At IADB, he worked on public and private worldwide project development, specifically designing and financing infrastructure projects, particularly in the renewable energy sector. He has pioneered developmental projects and promoted sustainability around the Americas, with more than 10 years of international project development, environmental and engineering experience, participating in more than a 2 billion bank investment portfolio. Diego Belmonte holds a Master's in Science degree in Environmental Engineering and holds a bachelor degree B.S. Environmental Sciences, from University of California, Santa Barbara. Kate Gordon, Vice President for Energy Policy at American Progress Most recently, Kate was the co-director of the national Apollo Alliance, where she still serves as senior policy advisor. Kate was one of Apollo s first staffers, joining in 2004 as the director of the 5

6 Apollo Strategy Center, the policy arm of Apollo formerly housed at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, or COWS. Kate is nationally recognized for her work on the intersection of clean energy and economic development policy. She also has a long history of working on economic justice and labor issues. At COWS, along with her energy work, Kate focused on corporate tax policy, progressive federalism, and rural economic development. Prior to that, she served as an employment and consumer rights litigator at Trial Lawyers for Public Justice in Oakland, CA. She is a primary or co-author on most of Apollo s major reports, including The New Apollo Program, Green- Collar Jobs in America s Cities, Greener Pathways, and the New Energy series. She is also the author of several published articles on contract fairness, federal preemption, mandatory arbitration litigation, and regional economic development. Kate earned a J.D. and master's degree in city planning from the University of California- Berkeley and is a member of the the State Bar of California. Paul Isbell, Director, Energy and Climate Change Program, Elcano Royal Institute Paul Isbell is the Director of the Energy and Climate Change Program at the Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies (Real Instituto Elcano) in Madrid, as well as the Institute s Senior Analyst for US-Spain Relations. As of the autumn of 2008, he is based in Washington D.C. where he is representing the Elcano Royal Institute and collaborating with the Europe and Americas programs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as a Senior Associate. He is also a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue, working on energy and climate issues in Latin America. Previously, Mr. Isbell was the Senior Analyst for International Economy and Trade at the Institute, from its inception in 2002 until the end of Prior to that, Mr. Isbell was the analyst for Emerging Markets and Currencies with a focus on Latin America at the Madrid-based investment bank of Banco Santander. During the 1990s, he was also a professor of economics and international political economy at a number of Spanish and American universities, including the University of Alcala de Henares, ICADE, CUNEF, Syracuse University and the George Washington University. Currently he teaches energy economics and geopolitics at ICADE (Universidad Pontificia Comillas) in Madrid, and emerging market economies at the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA). His areas of interest include international economy, currencies, energy economics and geopolitics, as well as the political economy of emerging market countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. 6