Top Administration, Congressional, State and Business Leaders to Headline ACORE's National Renewable Energy Policy Forum

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) today announced an impressive array of Administration, state and business leaders who will headline the organization's National Renewable Energy Policy Forum: "Evolving Policy to Keep Pace With Market Innovation" on March 28th in Washington, DC.

USEPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Secretary Ernest Moniz join an impressive list of Forum speakers that includes Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI); Jeff Holzschuh, Chairman, Institutional Securities, Morgan Stanley; Representative Sandy Levin (D-MI), Ranking Member, House Ways & Means Committee; Former FERC Chairman & Stoel Rives Partner Jon Wellinghoff; Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, (D-RI); and Michael Yackira, CEO, NV Energy and Chairman, EEI.

The National Renewable Energy Policy Forum is convening renewable energy leaders and policy makers from Capitol Hill and across the country to assess renewable energy market growth and make the case for a coherent, long-term and consistent federal policy framework to accelerate the transformation of our nation's energy sector.

"Over the course of our nation's history, federal and state governments have played pivotal roles in building and regulating our electricity and transportation sectors," said Michael Brower, President and CEO of ACORE. "Our National Renewable Energy Policy Forum is bringing together the leaders from the Administration, elected state representatives and business leaders who can help shape policy that encourages renewable energy investment and market development at a time when there has not been much coming together in Washington."

"We'll hear about the tremendous innovation in our sector," continued Brower, "about the price declines for renewable energy generation, and how 99% of all new power generation capacity added this February came from renewable energy. Over the course of this day of discussion, we will see a way forward for long-term, pro-growth, equitable policy that supports the renewable energy industry."

ACORE represents all technologies of the U.S. renewable energy industry, one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy presenting important economic and environmental security opportunities. Since 2008, more than 37% of all new U.S. power capacity has been generated by renewable energy resources, presenting important economic and environmental security opportunities. Renewable fuels and electric vehicles are enabling customer choice and breaking our century-long dependence on a single fuel source. A combination of private sector investment and innovation, as well as state and federal policy, has driven substantial renewable energy cost reduction, growth in the scale of new developments and a multiplier effect generating additional economic value throughout the country.

The National Policy Forum will meet in the Kennedy Caucus Room, in the Russell Senate Office Building on Friday, March 28th. It is preceded by ACORE's Member Day at the Newseum on March 27th.

About ACORE

ACORE, a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization, is dedicated to building a secure and prosperous America with clean, renewable energy. ACORE seeks to advance renewable energy through finance, policy, technology, and market development and is concentrating its member focus in 2014 on National Defense & Security, Power Generation & Infrastructure, and Transportation. Additional information is available at www.acore.org.