Media Advisory

For more information contact: Abbie Hodgson, 785-271-3269

October 5, 2009

MEDIA ADVISORY: Kansas Wind and Renewable Energy Conference

Topeka, KS-The 10th annual Kansas Wind and Renewable Energy Conference will be held Tuesday, October 6th and Wednesday, October 7th at the Ramada Inn in Topeka, Kansas.

Hosted by the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Kansas Department of Commerce, the conference will be attended by more than 650 people and is an opportunity for attendees to learn more about and discuss the future of renewable energy in Kansas.

Governor Mark Parkinson will open the conference at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday followed by an address at 10:15 a.m. by Dr. James Walker, former chairman of the American Wind Energy Association and current vice chairman of the board of enXco, an industry leader in wind project development.

At 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, Guido Reuter, director of supply chain management for Siemens Energy, will discuss the company's decision to locate the wind turbine equipment production facility in Hutchinson. Dr. James Hoecker, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will give the keynote address at 1:15 p.m. entitled "A National Energy Perspective."

On Wednesday, Parkinson will give an address at 8:15 a.m. about the future of renewable energy in Kansas followed by the presentation of the Governor's Energy Achievement Awards at 8:45 a.m. Michael Eckhart, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) will present the findings of ACORE's 20 gigawatt (GW) study for Kansas.

The conference will also include 12 breakout sessions that will address the most important energy related issues facing the State of Kansas including renewable energy, transmission of power, energy efficiency, and economic development.

The conference is open to the media. For more information about the conference including a complete agenda visit: http://kcc.ks.gov/energy/kwrec_09/.