PEC’s Second Annual Policy Conference to Feature Key Decision Makers on Pennsylvania’s Foremost Policy Challenges in 2015 and Beyond

When & Where: Oct. 13, 2015 at the Harrisburg Hilton (Harrisburg, Pa.)

Detailed Agenda Included Below

There is no shortage of environmental challenges facing Pennsylvania, and PEC’s second annual Policy Conference will be covering issues of both national and statewide importance.

John Walliser
John Walliser

We’re fortunate this year to not only have John Quigley, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), start the conference with a keynote; we again will have a majority of the Chairs of the state Senate and House Environmental Resources Committees discussing what they see as their priorities for the current legislative session.

The White House’s recent announcement of an implementation framework for the Clean Power Plan – which will drive a broad set of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania and across the country – will have significant implications for our state’s energy portfolio for decades to come. We will have representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pennsylvania DEP, and power generation sector discussing how Pennsylvania can advance meaningful emissions reductions.

Watershed improvement also looms large for Pennsylvania, with the Susquehanna River watershed – which comprises a majority of both Pennsylvania and the broader Chesapeake Bay watershed – being the most challenging from a policy and budgetary standpoint. Pennsylvania is already deemed deficient on a number of mandatory benchmarks for water quality improvement, and has until 2017 to meet considerable goals. The conference will include representatives from state and federal regulatory agencies, as well as key stakeholders like agriculture and local government, to discuss needs and opportunities for accomplishing this considerable task.

And we’ll stay with water for our final panel, which will discuss how Pennsylvania communities can address the challenges of stormwater management – particularly in light of ongoing state requirements. The panel will feature Representative Kate Harper as well as local stakeholders who are on the front line of meeting this challenge.

While the topics are as challenging as they are imperative, we hope you will join us for a full day of substantive discussion with the very people tasked with ensuring Pennsylvania’s ongoing environmental improvement. Please feel free to contact us at (412) 481-9400 if you have any further questions.

PEC Policy Conference Detailed Agenda
9 a.m. – Keynote
  • John Quigley, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
9:25 – 10:25 a.m. – Legislative Panel
  • Moderator: David Hess, Crisci Associates
  • Senator Gene Yaw, Majority Chair, Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee
  • Senator John Yudichak, Minority Chair, Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee
  • Representative Greg Vitali, Minority Chair, House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee
10:25 – 10:40 a.m. – Break
10:40 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Pennsylvania and the Clean Power Plan
  • Moderator: Robert McKinstry, Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP
  • Patrick McDonnell, Policy Director, PA Department of Environmental Protection
  • Reid Harvey, Director, Clean Air Markets Division, US Environmental Protection Agency
  • Kathleen Robertson, Environmental Fuels and Policy Manager, Exelon Corporation
12:15 – 1 p.m. – Lunch (provided)
1 – 2:25 p.m. – Chesapeake Bay Challenges and Opportunities
  • Moderator: Lee Ann Murray, Assistant Director and Staff Attorney, Pennsylvania Office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
  • John Brosious, Deputy Director, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association
  • Kelly Heffner, Deputy Secretary, Water Management, PA Department of Environmental Protection
  • Jennifer Reed-Harry, Assistant Vice President, PennAg Industries Association
  • Kelly Shenk, Agriculture Advisor, US Environmental Protection Agency
2:25 – 2:40 p.m. – Break
2:40 – 4 p.m. – Stormwater Management & Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems
  • Moderator: Jack Ubinger
  • Felicia Dell, Director, York County Planning Commission
  • Representative Kate Harper, PA House of Representatives
  • John Schombert, Executive Director, 3 Rivers Wet Weather
  • Patrick Starr, Executive Vice President, Pennsylvania Environmental Council