The year was 2017. NEWIEE had announced a summer event called “Women Shaping the Agenda,” billed as “a panel discussion featuring lively debate and discourse New England’s energy mix and environmental future.” (Then) Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo was to be the keynote speaker, and a panel of regional leaders, including regulators, utilities and NGO’s were slated to speak. I was intrigued by the opportunity to see Governor Raimondo speak on energy and climate issues, and to see how this panel of professionals would come at the issue from different sides.

The event did not disappoint! Governor Raimondo was inspiring as always and her energy charged the room.… and then the fun began. Each thought leader featured on the panel brought her unique perspective to the discussion, “lively debate” ensued, and WSTA became one of my favorite professional events of the year.

Now in its 9th year, WSTA is an important annual event for NEWIEE and our members, bringing the energy and environmental sectors together to address issues in our region and elevate underrepresented voices, including women, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. It’s the one signature event that we move around New England to be closer to all members and address the region’s most pressing issues, including environmental justice, diversifying the energy and environmental workforce, and understanding how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices and reporting have become a driver for positive change in energy and environment. And the tradition of lively debate and dialog is still going strong!

This year’s topic is Getting to Net Zero: Balancing Environmental Priorities for Renewable Energy Development. It’s an issue that is top of mind for so many of us as we work toward achieving net zero goals and navigating the challenges of siting, permitting, environmental justice, and public perception. New projects should seek to understand (and mitigate) environmental impacts, and that’s why New England has robust permitting reviews. However, we are at an inflection point for climate change, and there is a need to fast-track renewable energy development in line with regional commitments. Renewable energy is good for the environment, but it’s not without impacts to the natural environment and host communities. This makes for an interesting and complex panel topic — how best to balance environmental priorities and conduct efficient permit reviews while giving the right stakeholders a seat at the table.

As always, our panelists will represent a diverse range of perspectives from state government, renewable project developers, environmental organizations, regional utilities and environmental justice concerns. It will be our first signature event in the state of New Hampshire, where we have a thriving local NEWIEE Chapter and a fantastic location at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics in Manchester.

If you’re looking for energy, information and inspiration, join us at on July 27, 2023 for #WSTA23.

Let the lively debate begin!

WSTA is co-chaired by NEWIEE board members Cindy Gage, VP Client Strategy at C+C, and Kelly Smith, SouthCoast Wind Onshore Package Manager at Ocean Winds.

Cindy Gage
Vice President of Client Strategy
C+C

Also of Interest

• Join NEWIEE
• NEWIEE Jobs Board
• NEWIEE Event Calendar