Energy Summit to focus on earthquakes, regulations, industry’s future

LOVELAND — BizWest is hosting its Energy Summit on Thursday, July 20, at the Embassy Suites in Loveland.

The event will focus on how technology, policy and the economy are causing Weld County’s energy economy to evolve.

The summit will feature four sessions throughout the morning:

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How dispatchable resources enable the clean energy transition

Platte River must prepare for the retirement of 431 megawatts (MW) of dispatchable, coal-fired generation by the end of the decade and address more frequent extreme weather events that can bring dark calms (periods when there is no sun or wind).

• “Pressuring Up” — This session will focus on water injection wells and what it could mean for potential earthquakes. William Yeck, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, will share results from recent reports.
• “Regulatory & Safety Updates” — Officials from state, county and city government, and members of the business community will discuss health and safety as it regards to the energy industry. Speakers include Stuart Ellsworth, petroleum engineer for Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission; Weld County Commission Mike Freeman; Michael Paules, executive director of the Colorado Petroleum Council; Eric Jacobson, senior vice president of operations at Extraction Oil & Gas; and Geraldine Brimmer, a partner at Holland and Hart.
• “The Future of the Wattenberg Field” — The Denver-Julesburg Basin has seen some energy companies expand their holdings, while others have opted for out-of-state options. This session will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the Wattenberg field compared with other parts of the United States. Speakers are Craig Walters, vice president of Rockies operations for Anadarko; Tom Birmingham, vice president of exploration for SRC Energy; and Joel Schneyer, managing director of the minerals capital and advisory practice at Headwaters MB.
• “Innovations and Technology in Energy” —  A look at new products, companies and strategies in the industry, featuring Kyle Purvis, lead engineer at the D-J Basin team at Noble Energy; Dan Ravelle, vice president at Western Hemisphere Inspection; Matt Murdock, co-founder and CEO at Alert Plus; and Bill Aimone, CEO of Trengy.

In addition to the panels, the event will include networking and exhibitors. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and the summit goes until 11:45 a.m.

Those interested in attending can register and purchase tickets online. Registration is open until end-of-day July 18.

Editor’s Note: The speaker lineup changed on July 14, with Stuart Ellsworth replacing Matt Lepore. This article has been edited to reflect that change.