What to Watch: Conference to discuss growth of geothermal market

Rapidly rising oil prices and renewed concerns about nuclear energy, sparked by the crisis over the earthquake-damaged Fukushima plants in Japan, have policy experts scrambling to find less-costly and cleaner power sources. Amid that pursuit, the Geothermal Energy Association says it is preparing for what it believes will be a 12 percent increase in the number of projects established across the United States to generate electricity from the heat of the Earth.

On Wednesday, the association is hosting its Geothermal Energy Technology and International Development Forum to discuss market trends and business opportunities in the fledgling industry. The association said while the government helped get the industry off the ground, it is looking for private investors to drive future growth.

Topics include heat pump market trends; cutting-edge new projects in the United States and around the world; and exporting prospects.

The conference, co-sponsored by Capital Business, is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in the District.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress have made it clear they want to see dramatic cuts in federal spending. State and local governments are also slashing programs in the wake of declining tax revenues. Still, at an all-day workshop sponsored by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, contractors will learn there apparently are plenty of opportunities for vendors who want to do business with government agencies.

Organizers of the Congressional Procurement Conference & Expo are attempting to match contractors with agencies in need of goods and services from outside firms. Representatives from more than a dozen agencies plan to discuss what they’re looking for in a contractor and how small firms can bid for the work.

The workshop is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Universities at Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Dr. in Rockville.

Other events of note:

TUESDAY, MAY 3

Interested in selling your services and goods to an international market? The U.S. Commerce Department wants to discuss federal programs to help you get started. The exporting conference is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at the Northern Virginia Export Assistance Center, 1100 North Glebe Rd., Arlington.

The Georgetown University McDonough School of Business is hosting a panel of commercial real estate experts, including David Simon, chairman and chief executive of Simon Property Group, in a discussion of the sector’s move from recovery to expansion. The session is slated to begin at 4 p.m. at the school’s Rafik B. Hariri Building, 37th and O streets NW in the District.

THURSDAY, MAY 5

The Northern Virginia Technology Council aims to connect owners of start-ups with accredited investors at a conference slated to begin 8 a.m. at the Ritz-Carlton, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean.

— V. Dion Haynes

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