Retool Conference with Senior NYPA Official | News, sports, work

Maribel Cruz-Brown

Maribel Cruz-Brown, senior vice president of customer solutions at the New York Power Authority, will be the keynote speaker at the Retool’24 conference on June 11 at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel.

The one-day conference will focus on clean energy sector opportunities for small and medium-sized producers and is hosted by the Jamestown Public Utilities Board.

Additional presenting sponsors include NextCorps, a Rochester-area business development organization, and Scale for ClimateTech and SecondMuse, two of its programs focused on the commercialization of clean technologies and solutions. All three groups work with entrepreneurs and start-ups to help them develop in advanced manufacturing.

Cruz-Brown’s responsibilities at NYPA include working with municipal entities and state agencies to identify comprehensive clean energy solutions and service offerings for the public and business sectors it serves. Her work fits well with a conference focused on clean energy opportunities. Cruz-Brown will speak about NYPA’s economic development programs that allocate cost-competitive hydropower to support job creation, retention and capital investment in New York State.

The NYPA executive has held a number of positions at Power Authority, including vice president of economic development and key account management and as project director. Her appearance is part of the midday program Retool’24.

Jamestown BPU CEO David L. Leathers emphasized the importance of NYPA to the region’s economic development efforts.

“I am delighted that Maribel Cruz-Brown can take part in our Retool’24 event and talk about the importance of renewable energy for advanced manufacturing in our region. She has been involved in critical discussions and policy decisions at NYPA on economic development initiatives that include hydropower allocation,” Leathers said.

Leathers cited Electrovaya’s decision to locate its first U.S. manufacturing facility in the town of Ellicott due to low-cost renewable energy from BPU and its allocation of hydropower from NYPA as one of the reasons for further exploration of this topic. Electrovaya’s first U.S. plant will be located in the former Acu-Rite building in the Joseph Mason Industrial Park, just outside Jamestown. Assembly is scheduled to begin in 2025, and full production is scheduled for 2026. Employment at this plant may reach 200 people.

“This is a great example of cooperation between organizations for the economic revival of the region,” he added.

Leathers said he was pleased with the remaining conference presenters and the overall program of the June 11 event.

“We look forward to an exciting and valuable day of sharing for our participants.”

Three business leaders will be featured on the agenda as “Clean Energy Success Stories.” They include Jon M. Williams, CEO of Viridi, a Buffalo-based advanced battery/energy storage maker; Ethan Brewer, master electrician and co-founder of Stepwise, and Lee Gilmore, general manager of Electrovaya’s US division.

Viridi is headquartered on Buffalo’s east side and produces lithium-ion batteries for industrial and commercial applications. Stepwise is a startup that won $1 million at the 43 North Competition in Buffalo last fall. Their product allows you to add electrification technology to any home, regardless of panel capacity. Some New England states have introduced phased units.

In addition to these speakers, there will be panel discussions on clean energy supply chain opportunities, as well as the availability of resources through the National Manufacturing Expansion Partnership (MEP) to create clean energy success stories, as well as the assistance available to companies looking to meet growing energy challenges.

The conference program will be complemented by vendor presentations from a range of companies and organizations associated with clean energy opportunities.

Prior registration is required for the event. The registration website is: Retool24Event.eventbrite.com For more information, contact Jamestown BPU Business Development Coordinator Ellen Ditonto at 716-661-1686 or [email protected].

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