What to watch at POLITICO’s first-ever energy summit
It’s going to be challenging to make this quick transition while countering China’s dominance of the supplies and technologies behind clean energy. Beijing’s control of the minerals and gear behind batteries and solar panels is complicating Washington’s efforts to make a swift transition from fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, the effort to birth a clean-energy economy in the U.S. means creating infrastructure such as carbon storage sites, power lines and lithium mines across the U.S., a push that is already encountering opposition from some communities.
Panelists may also talk about clean energy technologies and innovation, including wind energy, solar power, nuclear and battery technologies, as well as the use of so-called environmental, social and governance standards by businesses to combat climate change.
The other panelists on Thursday include Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.); New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat; Heather Boushey of the White House Council of Economic Advisers; Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jayme White; and Jigar Shah, head of the Energy Department’s loan programs office.
Here’s the full schedule:
12:15 p.m. Welcome Remarks with Sudeep Reddy, senior managing editor, POLITICO
12:25 p.m. Executive Conversation with François Poirier, president and chief executive officer, TC Energy, and Goli Sheikholeslami, chief executive officer, POLITICO Media Group
12:45 p.m. Regional Partnerships for Energy Security and Climate Action with Sharon Burke, founder and president, Ecospherics & Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, and Christopher Sands, director, Canada Institute, Wilson Center. Moderated by: Manuel Quiñones, daily editor, E&E News
1:10 p.m. A conversation with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico. Moderated by: Gloria Gonzalez, deputy energy editor, POLITICO
1:30 p.m. Innovating Our Way to Lower Emissions with John Delaney, founder & CEO, Forbright Bank; Former U.S. Rep. Melanie Nakagawa, chief sustainability officer, Microsoft; Jigar Shah, director, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy; Val Smith, chief sustainability officer, Citi. Moderated by: Debra Kahn, Deputy Sustainability Editor, POLITICO
2:20 p.m. A Conversation with Heather Boushey, PhD, member of the Council of Economic Advisers and chief economist for the Invest in America Cabinet at the White House. Moderated by: Emma Dumain, reporter, E&E News
2:40 p.m. The Fight for Market Share as America’s Energy Mix Evolves with Chris Colbert, chief financial officer, NuScale; Erin Duncan, vice president of congressional affairs, Solar Energy Industries Association; Michael Goff, PhD, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy, U.S. Department of Energy. Moderated by: Catherine Morehouse, energy reporter, POLITICO
3:10 p.m. A Conversation with Deputy United States Trade Representative Jayme White. Moderated by: Gavin Bade, trade and economics reporter, POLITICO
4 p.m. A Conversation with Sen. Ed Markey, chair, Clean Air, Climate, & Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works (D-Mass.). Moderated by: Zack Colman, climate & energy Reporter, POLITICO
4:20 p.m. A Conversation with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Secretary. Moderated by: Zack Colman, climate & energy Reporter, POLITICO
4:40 p.m. Editorial Roundtable with Zack Colman, climate & energy Reporter, POLITICO, Debra Kahn, deputy sustainability editor, POLITICO, Greg Mott, sustainability editor, POLITICO
