Release
Date: May 15, 2008
Contact: Lewis Attardo at 850.473.7805
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Renewable Energy Panel Discusses
Funding Opportunities for Small Businesses
PENSACOLA, FL – The Department of Energy (DOE) will
convene a plenary panel on alternative and renewable energy at 8:00 AM
on Thursday, May 29 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, FL. This
plenary panel is one of the highlights of the Spring 2008 National SBIR/STTR
Conference.
The DOE panel will feature presentations by some of the nation’s finest
minds that are engaged in aiding in the development of alternative and
renewable energy.
This interagency, integrated panel will discuss the importance of
developing renewable and alternative energy technologies and will brief
attendees on opportunities for future funding available to small
businesses engaged in innovative research and development.
The six panel participants will include representatives from the
Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, and the Department of
Agriculture. They will discuss the future of hydrogen, biomass;
renewable energy, fossil and nuclear energy program needs and their
perspectives on changes in the industry’s technologies and trends.
The panel will be led by Dr. Terry Payne, DOE Hydrogen Program. Payne
has over 15 years experience in SBIR program management and has been
employed with Oak Ridge National Laboratories for 27 years. He is
currently on loan to the DOE Hydrogen Program, where he manages Industry
and University-led fuel cell projects.
The other five panel participants are Sam Tagore, DOE SBIR/STTR Biomass
Program Manager; Dr. Stan Bull, National Renewable Energy Laboratory;
Dr. Debbie Sheely, Interim Deputy Administrator of CSREES, USDA; and
Chuck Wade of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy. An Army Program Manager
from the energy field will also be a panelist.
The presenters plan to allow time for questions from the audience at the
end of the presentation.
The 2008 SBIR/STTR National Spring Conference, co- hosted by NASA, the
Florida SBDC Network and the Florida Small Business Development
Foundation, celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the SBIR Program and 50
Years of NASA Space Exploration. It brings together federal program
administrators from the 11 SBIR participating agencies, investors,
lenders, university and federal laboratory representatives, prime
contractors and others who provide assistance to early-stage ventures. A
$2.2 Billion appropriation is set aside for the SBIR program this year.
To register for the conference or to obtain more information on
conference activities, individuals should visit
www.sbirflorida.org.
The Florida Small Business Development Center
Network is a statewide partnership between higher education and economic
development organizations dedicated to providing emerging and
established business owners with assistance enabling overall growth and
increased profitability that contributes to the economic prosperity of
the state. For more information about the FSBDCN, call 1.866.737.7232 or
visit our website at
www.FloridaSBDC.org.
The FSBDCN is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA.