HOUSTON, Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- At the National CHP2013 & WHP2013 conference and trade show held October 7-9 at the Crowne Plaza in Houston, Texas keynote speaker Charles D. McConnell, Executive Director, Energy and Environment Initiative, E2I, Rice University and former Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will answer the question, "In the context of the U.S. Energy Policy, What is 'All-of-the-Above' and How Do We Get There?'

As former Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Charles D. McConnell was responsible for the strategic policy leadership, budgets, project management, and research and development of the Department's Coal, Oil and Gas, and Advanced Technologies programs. The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve operations and management, as well as the National Energy Technologies Laboratories, were also included in his responsibilities. "Competitive energy advantage with a positive environmental impact is derived from the combined heat and power, as well as waste heat recovery, cycles," said McConnell.   "A broad-based marketplace of applications is integral to an 'all of the above' energy strategy."

Prior to joining DOE, McConnell served as Vice President of Carbon Management at Battelle Energy Technology in Columbus, Ohio, with responsibility for business and technology management, including leadership of the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership. McConnell also spent 31 years with Praxair, Inc., in various positions in the U.S. and Asia and most recently in Houston, Texas, as Global Vice President.

The conference will also address PACE Financing for energy and water conservation. The discussion about, PACE Financing for Energy and Water Conservation Projects will be led by attorneys from Thompson and Knight who will give insights on the newly enacted legislation in Texas (SB 385) which authorizes municipalities and counties in Texas to work with private sector lenders to enable owners of commercial and industrial properties to obtain low-cost, long-term loans for water conservation, energy-efficiency improvements, and renewable retrofits. These improvements align perfectly with the technological benefits of CHP and WHP provides.

Texas Combined Heat and Power Initiative (TXCHPI), The Heat is Power Association (HiP), and World Alliance for Decentralized Energy (WADE) together host the fourth annual conference for cogeneration technologies. The conference brings business and energy leaders together with industry experts, project developers, policy specialists and end-users to examine new technologies, market opportunities and installation case studies of CHP and WHP. 

On-site generation with CHP provides energy security during times of grid strain and extreme weather conditions while reducing the emissions and driving down power costs. By providing secure reliable power, CHP technologies are gaining favor by hospitals, universities, data centers, manufacturers, and other mission critical facilities. CHP systems also help reduce the enormous amount of water consumed by power plants during the production of electricity.

WHP systems, which require no combustion and produce no emissions, improve overall industrial energy efficiency and competitiveness and are considered renewable energy systems in over 15 states, making WHP a natural and integral part of all clean energy and jobs discussions.

For more information and to register to attend, exhibit or speak at the conference, go to the website CHP2013 and WHP2013.

The Texas Combined Heat & Power Initiative (TXCHPI) is a non-profit association of business interests that supports clean, energy-efficient, CHP technology applications in industrial, commercial and institutional settings. TXCHPI champions CHP as the most effective, economical and environmentally sensible energy option for Texas.

The Heat is Power Association (HiP) is the trade association for the waste heat to power industry.  A not-for-profit organization, HiP promotes the efficient, industrial use of emission-free electricity generated through waste heat to power processes and is committed to educating decision makers and the public about the characteristics of waste heat to power as a source of electricity and an economic driver for global competitiveness.

WADE is a global non-profit research, promotion and advocacy organization established in June 2002 to accelerate the worldwide deployment of decentralized energy systems. WADE is the world's leading organization focused on advancing clean and efficient decentralized energy technology in developed as well as developing countries around the world.

Contact: Paul Cauduro, Executive Director, TXCHPI512-705-9996Executivedirector@texaschpi.orgDebrah Dubay 512-627-3782Debrah@DubayCo.com

SOURCE Texas Combined Heat and Power Initiative

RELATED LINKShttp://www.texaschpi.org