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REFF-Wall Street: The Financial and Renewable Energy Industries Combine to Celebrate Growth and Plan for the Future

At the premier renewable energy financing event of the year, Wall Street professionals, policymakers, project developers, and corporate buyers share ideas and deal opportunities for the modern energy industry.

New York, NY – The 13th annual Renewable Energy Finance Forum-Wall Street (REFF-Wall Street) concluded after two days of in-depth discussion, debate and review of renewable energy markets in the United States and around the globe. Coming off a record-setting year for renewable energy investment, REFF-Wall Street drew a dynamic mix of leaders from investment banks, institutional investors, venture capital firms, government and other energy professionals.

“In a year of more private sector investment, better policy support, and more interest in renewables across the board, we’re proud to be able to work side-by-side with industry leaders to advance ACORE’s mission of uniting business, policy and finance to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy,” said Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO of ACORE.

Dan Reicher, ACORE board chairman and Executive Director of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance at Stanford University added: “While the industry deserves to celebrate its important success in cutting costs and increasing renewable energy deployment, this conference is also about addressing the next generation of challenges and opportunities. These include how to cost-effectively reach the aggressive clean energy targets legislated by a number of states as well as by the U.S. government in the Paris agreement.”

A central theme at this year’s conference was the bullish outlook for renewables over the next five years. The maturation of major developers, increased investment from both mainstream and boutique financiers, stable federal policy and evolving state policies, and the increase of corporate renewable energy procurement drove the discussion across the panels and keynotes.

“Building a world-class wind industry in Kansas has demonstrated that a market-driven approach to renewable energy can and will benefit industry and consumers alike,” said Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, opening keynote speaker at REFF-Wall Street. “Our state remains open for investment, and we are eager to do more as renewable energy continues to be an economic driver for jobs and growth. I believe that Kansas is well on its way to achieving a goal of having 50% of our energy coming from renewable resources by 2018.”

The U.S. financial sector invested $56 billion domestically in the clean energy sector in 2015, up 8 percent from 2014, and the discussions at REFF-Wall Street this year focused on continuing to expand access to low-cost capital while seeking stable returns in the wake of turmoil in the natural gas and oil markets, the yieldco churn, regulatory uncertainty, and a tighter tax equity market.

“Renewable energy has been an attractive market for a number of years and deserves the success it has achieved here in the U.S.,” said Skip Grow, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and board member at ACORE. “But success for the future is not guaranteed and the financial markets will need to see positive growth and stable returns for renewables to continue to transform the energy industry. REFF-Wall Street offers a great forum for discussing the issues at the nexus of finance and energy and this year was no exception.”

Along with the focus on financial markets and renewable energy investment, this year’s REFF-Wall Street also reviewed the rise of corporate renewable energy procurement – a growing trend for Fortune 500 companies so far in 2016. Ahead of the conference, ACORE released a collection of industry insights to help guide companies seeking to specifically purchase renewable energy: https://acore.org/publications-category/5972-corporate-renewable-energy-procurement-industry-insights

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About REFF-Wall Street:
REFF-Wall Street is the premier renewable energy financing event in the U.S. The event draws an especially senior audience, comprising of over 500 senior decision makers, financiers and professionals in the renewable energy finance field, including senior company officials, lenders, investors, investment bankers, private equity investors, venture capitalists and other top transactional professionals. REFF-Wall Street is co-hosted by ACORE and Euromoney Seminars. More at http://www.reffwallstreet.com.

About ACORE: 
ACORE is a national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the renewable energy sector through market development, policy changes, and financial innovation. With a savvy staff of experts, fifteen years of experience promoting renewable energy and hundreds of member companies, non-profits, and other organizations from across the spectrum of renewable energy technologies, consumers, and investors, ACORE is uniquely well-positioned to strategically promote the policies and financial structures essential to renewable energy growth. The organization’s annual conferences in Washington, D.C., New York and San Francisco set the industry standard in providing important venues for key leaders to meet, discuss recent developments, and hear the latest from senior government officials and seasoned experts. Additional information is available at www.acore.org.

About Euromoney Seminars:
Euromoney Seminars hosts over 80 events across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Renowned for the seniority of the audiences and quality of the debates, Euromoney Seminars offer the perfect mix of market insists and networking. With a focus on finance and investment, our diverse range of conferences address deal making and thought leadership in energy, infrastructure and aviation among other sectors. For more, visit www.euromoneyseminars.com

REFF-Wall Street Media Contacts
Kevin Haley, ACORE
haley@acore.org, (202) 777-7584