Exelon Corporation CEO John W. Rowe to deliver keynote address at second annual Great Lakes Environmental Law Symposium

John W. Rowe, chairman and chief executive officer of Exelon Corporation and chairman of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Board of Trustees, will deliver the keynote address at the second annual Great Lakes Environmental Law Symposium, co-sponsored by IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Chicago Park District. The half-day symposium will be held March 30 at the law school, 565 West Adams St. (between Clinton and Jefferson streets), in Chicago. The program begins at noon. The keynote address is scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m.

John W. Rowe has led Exelon Corporation since its formation in 2000 through the merger of PECO Energy and the parent company of Commonwealth Edison. Exelon, a utility holding company headquartered in Chicago, serves 5.4 million customers in Illinois and Pennsylvania, and operates the largest fleet of nuclear power plants in the nation.

Rowe previously held chief executive officer positions at the New England Electric System and Central Maine Power Company, served as general counsel of Consolidated Rail Corporation, and was a partner in the law firm of Isham, Lincoln and Beale. In 2004, Rowe became a member of the IIT board of trustees, and he was named chair in 2006.

The annual environmental law symposium brings together a diverse group of experts on Great Lakes law and policy, including environmental specialists, law professors, state and federal regulators and nonprofit conservation organizations. This year's participants will discuss current and proposed state and federal regulation of the coal industry, the costs of such regulation, environmental and public health benefits, and the future of coal production in Illinois. A panel on alternative energy sources will focus on legal issues, practicality, costs and concerns related to alternative energy sources in the Great Lakes region and beyond. Representatives from both sides of the Canadian oil sands issue will discuss production and the probable economic, environmental and public health impact of expanded reliance on this source of energy. A networking reception will follow the program.

This program is eligible for 3.5 hours of MCLE credit. Registration is required. General admission is $25, $50 for those seeking MCLE credit, and $5 for students with current ID. Admission for IIT Chicago-Kent alumni is $15 or $45 for those seeking MCLE credit. For more information, visit www.kentlaw.edu/student_orgs/els/symposium.html or contact the IIT Chicago-Kent Environmental Law Society, at greatlakessymposium@gmail.com or (847) 721-6855.

IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. In the mid-1980s, IIT Chicago-Kent established one of the first specialty programs in energy and environmental law, and has long been recognized as a leader in the field. The Chicago Environmental Law Clinic, launched in 1999, is a collaboration between the Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc., and IIT Chicago-Kent that provides access to justice to clients who would otherwise be unrepresented in urban environmental matters that directly affect the health, safety and welfare of their families and communities.