What follows may or may not be a shameless plug for my alma mater. Regardless, it’s a great annual event that deserves a bit of press…

The Tufts Energy Conference, now in its sixth year, offers attendees the chance listen to (and mingle with) some of the foremost thinkers in energy-related fields.

Plus, this years there’s a cocktail party (taking place Friday, April 15)… what more could you want?

Speakers include:

• Michael Eckhart, Managing Director and Global Head, Environmental Finance, Institutional Clients Group, Citigroup and Former Founding President, American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)
• Suedeen Kelly, Partner, Patton Boggs LLP and Former Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
• Michael Sachse, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel, OPOWER
• David Nagel, Executive Vice President, BP America Inc.

In light of the tumultuous energy-related events of the past year, like the BP Gulf oil spill and Japan’s on-going nuclear crisis, and the fact that oil is (once again) trading above $100 a barrel, it’s fitting that the conference will cover topics like:

• Offshore drilling
• The implications of America’s abundant stores of natural gas
• Costs of scaling renewable energy
• Mass transit and high speed rail

The list of speakers and panel topics is worth a look — this year’s conference is sure to spur some interesting and timely discussion. If you’re interested in attending, I believe the deadline for buying tickets (VERY reasonably priced) is Monday, April 15.