ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (February 8, 2019) — Can energy installations increase the productivity of surrounding farm land with the right vegetative cover? How are communities repurposing otherwise difficult to redevelop brownfield sites into solar farms? What are Community Solar initiatives and how do they benefit ratepayers?
A slate of nationally recognized experts, including Rob Davis of Fresh Energy and Nick Hylla of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, will be in Quad Cities on March 5, 2019 to answer these questions and more at the upcoming Bi-State Alternative Energy Conference.
The one-day event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Gerber Center for Student Life at Augustana College. It is presented by the Bi-State Regional Commission.
The conference is free and open to the public, though seating is limited. Advanced registration is strongly encouraged.
Topics to be covered at the event include:
- Model zoning ordinances for alternative energy
- Community solar initiatives
- Conservation practices for energy installations
- Turning brownfields into “brightfields”
- Energy efficiency incentives for public buildings
Speakers at the conference represent a wide range of expertise and include Rob Davis of the Great Plains Institute, MeLena Hessel of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, and Leroy Walston of Argonne National Laboratory.
A complete schedule of sessions and speakers is available on the registration page, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-bi-state-alternative-energy-conference-tickets-54606359090.
The conference is made possible through funding from the Quad Cities Community Foundation Mark W. Schwiebert Fund for Environmental Studies. Additional sponsorship provided by the American Planning Association Iowa Chapter and WVIK, Quad Cities NPR.
