Dr. Christopher G. Hart graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Naval Architecture, Ocean, and Marine Engineering and immediately accepted a commission as a Special Operations Officer in the US Navy. After ten years of Active Duty, during which he saw combat deployments in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, Dr. Hart began his graduate school studies at the University of Michigan. In the ensuing 44 months, Dr. Hart earned a PhD and MSE in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, along with an MBA. Dr Hart has served as the Offshore Wind Manager at the United States Department of Energy (DOE) since June, 2010. During his tenure at DOE he has worked to create an offshore wind energy industry in the United States by building a team of innovative, committed civil servants and contractors, authoring the National Offshore Wind Strategy, and allocating nearly $80M of program funds.

In this panel, we will hear from some of the key personnel from the major ocean energy regulatory bodies to discuss the many issues and opportunities facing ocean energy.

Testing centers for ocean energy have proven critical to the advancement of the technologies necessary to a successful ocean energy industry. This session will include updates and plans for the future from the world's leading ocean energy test centers.

Learn about Maine’s competitive advantage in ocean energy, its key projects and the potential for economic impact and job creation. Not only does Maine possess tremendous natural resources, but with 400 years of maritime history the state has the capacity to design, build, test, install and operate energy facilities. More than at anytime before we need to address the high cost of energy. It’s time for change, innovation and collaboration.

A number of marine renewable energy companies are attempting to obtain the long list of federal, state, and local environmental permits required for deployment of small-scale R&D pilot projects and commercial-scale generation projects. This panel will examine the special permitting issues and challenges facing the marine hydrokinetic industry, and give special attention to the lessons learned in the environmental permitting experience of Ocean Renewable Power Company, a tidal power company developing tidal power generation sites in Maine and Alaska. A panel of seasoned federal and state regulators, municipal officials, and a representative of the local fishing industry, will join ORPC’s CEO to review how project developers can best navigate the permitting process and to examine potential future opportunities to stream-line the permitting process.