April 2022 – Ocean Energy, Marine Fuels & the Blue Economy

How do we define the Blue Economy? What are some of the decarbonization challenges currently facing the maritime industry? Furthermore, what role will ocean energy, especially offshore wind, play in emerging West Coast markets?

Watch the event recording for a conversation about “Ocean Energy, Marine Fuels and the Blue Economy” featuring Jennifer States, VP of Projects & StrategyWashington Maritime Blue.

Jennifer States, Vice President of Projects and Strategy at Washington Maritime Blue, will describe how a cluster organization works to accelerate innovation through collaboration, especially with respect to potential future fuel production, such as hydrogen.

Sponsor Remarks:

Karen McGaffey, Firmwide Chair, Environment, Energy, and Resources, Perkins Coie

Karen McGaffey, chair of the firm’s nationwide Environment and Natural Resources practice, has over 25 years of experience practicing environmental law. Karen assists clients with project development, permitting, compliance, and regulatory matters under state and federal environmental laws. With an emphasis on energy project development and permitting, Karen counsels clients on the development of all types of energy facilities, including renewable electric generation and transmission. She also regularly advises clients on strategic business and policy matters concerning energy facility siting, renewable energy, climate change, carbon reduction, and other environment, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Karen is a fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers and a member of the Foundation for Natural Resource and Energy Law’s Renewable Energy Task Force.

Laura Smith Morton, Partner, Perkins Coie

Laura Smith Morton draws on over 20 years of high-level government and private practice experience in her counsel to clients on major offshore wind projects development. She advises at all stages of these complex projects, including environmental review and permitting required for generation, transmission, and related infrastructure. Before returning to private practice, Laura served as the senior director of policy and regulatory affairs for offshore wind at the American Clean Power Association (ACP). At ACP, Laura’s portfolio covered a wide range of issues surrounding the offshore wind leasing and permitting process and multiple-use compatibility in the ocean environment, including commercial fishing, radar and airspace, maritime traffic and safety, wildlife and other marine resources, and transmission.

Prior to joining ACP, Laura served as acting deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator, senior advisor in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Energy, and deputy associate director for energy and climate change at the Council for Environmental Quality (CEQ), where she led interagency teams to implement the administration’s initiatives to improve the federal permitting and review of large energy and infrastructure projects. While at DOE, Laura served as the agency’s representative on interagency renewable, transmission, and ocean energy task forces and co-authored the first DOE-DOI National Offshore Wind Strategy and the 2015 Quadrennial Energy Review. Laura also serves as an adjunct professorial lecturer in law at George Washington University School of Law, where she teaches a seminar on offshore wind planning and development.

Introductory Speaker:

Claire Hugues, Vice President and Regional official for Maritime AffairsPays De La Loire

Delegate for Maritime Affairs – Member of the Committee on Agriculture, Agri-Food, Food, Forestry, Fisheries and the Sea.

Featured Speaker:

Jennifer States, Vice President of Projects & StrategyWashington Maritime Blue 

Jennifer brings 20 years of renewable energy and clean tech experience in industry, non-profit, government and research environments. She is the Vice President, Projects and Strategy for Washington Maritime Blue, a cluster organization for maritime innovation and sustainability. She leads collaborative efforts and Joint Innovation Projects, as part of implementing the Blue Economy strategy for Washington State. In addition to supporting launch of Maritime Blue, she supported the development of the new Blue Sky Maritime Coalition and now serves on its Board of Directors and as Projects Director. Most recently, she was Director for Blue Economy at DNV, Energy and Maritime – North America. Her additional experience includes Port of Port Angeles, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, managing a wind development company, as well as serving as City Councilor for Sequim, WA.

Her focus areas include port and maritime innovation and decarbonization projects; such as electrification and alternative fuels for vessels, as well as shoreside renewable energy, storage and microgrids. Her greatest accomplishments include launch and leadership for Washington Maritime Blue and Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, launching a start-up in carbon fiber recycling, implementation of key renewable energy policy, and driving development of clean energy projects. She is working to create cross-sector and cross-organization collaboration opportunities to advance the Blue Economy. In 2020, she was asked to testify in Congress on new structures to support cross-cutting Energy and Maritime commercialization activities. She helped to lead the UN Sustainable Ocean Business Action Platform sprints on Harnessing Ocean Energy and Shipping Decarbonization.


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Upcoming Series for 2023:

Every second Wednesday of the month

  • April 12 – C-Suite Roundtable on Developing a Skilled, Inclusive Workforce – Register Here
  • September 13 – District Energy, Deep Lake Water Cooling, and Salmon Habitat Restoration in the Lake Washington Lake Canal
  • October 11 (During Fusion Week) – Fusion Energy: Policy, Regulations, and Siting

Past Lunch Series Speakers:

2023 Lunch Speakers

  • March 2023 – Wastewater Heat Recovery
  • February 2023 – Future-Proofing Buildings: Sustainable, Efficient Design for Energy Retrofits
  • January 2023 – The BUILT Cluster: Working Together for Infrastructure Decarbonization

2022 Lunch Speakers

  • October 2022 – The Future of Fusion Regulations and the Need for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • September 2022 – The Inflation Reduction Act’s Impact on the Clean Energy Industry
  • May 2022 – Innovative Approaches to Organic Waste Management (Hybrid)
  • April 2022 – Ocean Energy, Marine Fuels & the Blue Economy
  • March 2022 – Trends in the CleanTech Funding Landscape
  • February 2022– Salmon Conservation
  • January 2022 – Hydrogen Technologies

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