The 2009 Ozarks New Energy Conference: Solutions for Energy Independence attracted approximately 350 participants April 30 to May 1 at Missouri State University's Plaster Student Union,in Springfield. Forty speakers, more than 40 exhibitors and 19 sponsors made the 2nd annual energy event possible.

We hope you found the conference to be a forum for ideas and discussion and a stimulus for action, be it on a personal level or with a community focus. Not all of our speakers agreed, and we didn't expect them to. But we hope you were stimulated and energized to take a personal stake in helping our Ozarks region become more energy sustainable.

We continue to add PDFs of speaker presentations under Downloads and will soon post photographs from the conference in the Gallery. If you attended the conference, participate in our survey by clicking the link above.

Among the highlights of ONE 2:

• Exhibitors with information about solar and wind applications, insulation, foam and steel building panels, other green building products and techniques, energy efficiency, weatherization, energy audits, organic mulch, community gardens and much more.
• A radical new approach to taxation that would shift the tax burden on production and profit to resource use, from Frank de Jong, plenary speaker.
• The mix of generation resources and energy efficiency it will take to reach a carbon-neutral status by 2050, by Chuck Olexik of the Electric Power Research Institute, a pleanry speaker.
• Dr. Debra Rowe, plenary speaker, and her challenge to EPRI's projections.
• Insights from Congressman Roy Blunt and MIssouri Department of Natural Resources Director Mark Templeton on future energy initiatives at the federal and state level.
• The pros and cons of nuclear energy.
• The promise of wind, solar, biomass, hydro and landfill gases for electricity generation.
• What utilities are doing to reduce their carbon footprint.
• A close-up look at vehicles that run on vegetable oil and electricity
• Sustainable agriculture is the only realistic agriculture for the future - Dr. John Ikerd.
• How farmers are growing biomass for electricity generation in Show Me Energy Cooperative right here in Missouri.
• Ideas for starting an energy business or take my idea for a green product or service to market.
• The status of renewable energy in Missouri and next steps.
• Low-cost green building and retrofitting tips.
• Simple energy-efficient changes for the home.
• How to reduce the energy consequences of urban sprawl.
• Where to buy local food or learn how to garden.
• What Kansas City is doing to implement energy plans and policies.

If you didn't attend ONE 2, here's our Conference Agenda.