Katharine Kollins
Utility-Scale Wind Energy Development in the Southeast
Monday, November 13 | 2:00 - 3:00
Plemmons Student Union, Room 201B Table Rock Room
FREE and open to the public
States in the southeastern US are well-positioned to be leaders in the wind industry, but the advantages of wind as an energy resource in the region are not well understood by many stakeholders. The southeastern coastal states have high per-capita electricity consumption and fast-growing populations that currently rely predominantly on coal, nuclear, and natural gas to meet energy demands. The region's competitive advantages for wind development include having the largest shallow-water offshore wind resource on the East Coast; substantial potential for land-based wind; a presence of over 100 manufacturing facilities that provide components to the wind industry; and, due to the presence of large, vertically-integrated and regulated utilities, a utility structure that might allow for a coordinated, regional approach with lower cost to ratepayers and higher opportunities for employment.
Katharine Kollins is President of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, a non-profit that works to advance the wind industry in the Southeast. Coalition members include representatives from industry, government, academia, and other non-profits. Kollins manages Southeastern Wind's operations across 11 states, working with a wide variety of stakeholders to promote land-based and offshore wind and wind imports. Previously, Katharine's professional endeavors included working in finance for Boston-based developer First Wind, consulting with Vestas R&D regarding its federal grant funding strategy, and serving as a business development manager for The Wind Alliance. Kollins was finance lead for two divisions at RTI International and also authored an NREL paper on third-party PPA financing of solar systems.
The lectures are free and open to the public, student attendance will be kept should instructors be interested.
Katharine Kollins
