Hill Heat

An ancient fishing community in the Gulf of Kutch, India, join forces with human rights lawyers in Washington, D.C. to file the first-ever lawsuit against the World Bank Group for funding a coal-fired power plant along its coast.

Reception at 6:30 pm
Screening at 7:30 pm

A panel discussion to follow featuring film director Sheena Sumaria, community leader Dr. Pharat Patel, and legal and policy experts.

At Landmark’s E Street Cinema.

Register here for Free Tickets

Subcommittee hearing.

The witnesses will provide an update on the military construction program and infrastructure, including barracks, housing, and range infrastructure. The witnesses will also discuss environment and energy programs, as well as facility sustainment, restoration and modernization accounts.

Witnesses:

• Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Office of the Secretary of Defense
• Rachel Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy, Installations
• Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Department of the Navy
• Ravi Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment, Department of the Air Force

The number of incidents where hurricanes, flooding and wildfire have left billion-plus dollar recovery actions in their wake is increasing at an unsustainable rate (e.g., $1 billion at Offutt Air Force Base, $3 billion at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and over $4 billion at Tyndall Air Force Base).

As of December 31, 2023, the Department has completed the initial assessment at 707 (of 715) installations for PFAS contamination. 133 currently require no further action, while 574 are proceeding to the next step in the CERCLA process. For the past several years, DoD’s approach has been that if DoD identifies perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and/or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from DoD activities in off-base drinking water above 70 parts per trillion (ppt), we quickly took action (i.e., a CERCLA removal action) to provide treatment or an alternative water source. DoD has taken this type of action for drinking water wells surrounding 55 installations. Last week, EPA announced a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Department appreciates the clarity the NPDWR provides now that it has been finalized and is evaluating its impact on our efforts to address PFAS in drinking water. The Department has reviewed existing PFAS sampling results, plans to expand existing cleanup investigations, and provide drinking water treatment for impacted off-base wells, on a prioritized basis.

The reality of a changing climate poses a range of risks to Department readiness and threatens installation resilience through dangerous heat, flooding, drought, wildland fire, and extreme weather. These conditions adversely impact training, soldier welfare, equipment performance, infrastructure performance and reliability, and place added strain on the Department’s resources.

DoD lands contain significant resources supporting our nation’s natural and cultural heritage, including resources important to American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and other Indigenous Peoples. DoD lands provide habitats for over 550 plant and animal species that are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, contain over 130,000 recorded archaeological sites, and 41 National Historic Landmarks. We are requesting $703.7 million in conservation funding, which will allow us to manage these resources in compliance with applicable Federal statutes to create healthy and resilient natural landscapes that reduce climate risks such as flooding and wildfire.

Subcommittee hearing on the $11.8 billion budget request for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Witness:

• David Pekoske, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration

The Committee on Natural Resources will hold a markup on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 10:15 a.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building. The bills to be considered include H.R. 5015 (Rep. Leger Fernandez); H.R. 6482 (Rep. Fulcher); H.R. 7003 (Rep. DelBene); H.R. 7370 (Rep. Curtis); H.R. 7375 (Rep. Hageman); H.R. 7377 (Rep. Hunt); H.R. 7408 (Rep. Westerman); H.R. 7409 (Rep. Kim of CA); and H.R. 7422 (Rep. Ocasio-Cortez).

Hearing memo

Bills expected to move by regular order:

• H.R. 7408 (Rep. Westerman), “America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act”, which limits federal habitat and species protection efforts in favor of private landowners (legislative hearing)
• H.R. 6482 (Rep. Fulcher), “Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act”
• H.R. 7375 (Rep. Hageman), To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to improve the assessment of expression of interest fees, and for other purposes
• and H.R. 7409 (Rep. Kim of CA), “Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act” or the “HEATS Act” (legislative hearing on the above)

Please note that H.R. 7375 and H.R. 7408 each will have an amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS). Members should ensure that amendments are drafted to the ANS.

Bills expected to move by unanimous consent:

• H.R. 5015 (Rep. Leger Fernandez), “Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act of 2023” (legislative hearing)
• H.R. 7003 (Rep. DelBene), “National Landslide Preparedness Act Reauthorization Act of 2024” (legislative hearing)
• H.R. 7370 (Rep. Curtis), “Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act” or the “GEO Act”
• H.R. 7377 (Rep. Hunt), “Royalty Resiliency Act”
• and H.R. 7422 (Rep. Ocasio-Cortez), “Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2024” (legislative hearing)

Subcommittee hearing on FEMA’s $33.1 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 President’s Budget request.

Witness:

• Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Whether it is a wildfire, flood, derecho storm, or other disaster, it is vital that FEMA tap into an adequately funded Disaster Relief Fund (DRF). For FY 2025, FEMA’s total request includes $22.7 billion for the DRF to respond to new and ongoing disasters. This is a $2.0 billion increase over FY 2024 funding levels to support continued recovery efforts, such as those in Maui, after the most devastating wildfires in the island’s history. The Maui fires destroyed much of the historic town of Lahaina and forced its tightknit community to scatter across Maui and beyond. In response, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration approved more than $339.0 million in federal assistance to survivors. FEMA continues to partner with interagency, federal, State, and local governmental leaders to ensure survivors and businesses on Maui have access to critical resources as they rebuild. Without essential funding in the DRF, we could not support response and recovery in Maui, and other current and future disaster sites. At the DRF’s present funding levels, FEMA is in a similar position as last year and we may need to resort to Immediate Needs Funding (INF) before the end of the Fiscal Year, preserving limited DRF balances for life and safety response operations and other critical survivor needs. To mitigate INF risks, I urge the Committee to act on the disaster supplemental request for FY 2024, which requested an additional $9.0 billion for the DRF. FEMA requires not only a fully funded DRF but also a well-trained workforce ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. FEMA’s workforce is our most valuable asset. The FY 2025 Budget provides $2.4 billion in personnel pay, compensation, and benefits because workforce wellbeing, recruitment, and retention are always critical priorities for FEMA. FEMA’s FY 2025 Budget includes $6.8 million to support disaster workforce readiness. This funding provides training and education enhancements for the Incident Management Assistance Team and Federal Coordinating Officer cadres. These personnel are crucial, as they provide hands-on support to survivors after a disaster and coordinate federal assistance with agency partners.

The FY 2025 Budget request also provides $15.2 million for three additional Logistics Staging Management Teams. Strategically placed across the United States, these teams ensure rapid delivery of resources to our State, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners. This funding also provides increased staffing for existing five staging management teams. These additional teams will support FEMA’s efforts to significantly reduce lag time in responding to and prepositioning lifesaving and life sustaining commodities. One of my priorities for this year is continuing to boost SLTT capacity for responding to extreme weather events. FEMA no longer has a disaster “season” — natural disasters occur throughout the entire year, often concurrently and in places that are not familiar with the type and level of these disasters. As FEMA Administrator, I talk to State directors regularly and, in nearly every conversation, they ask for help improving their capacity to address this yearround disaster response tempo. In this challenging environment, the safety and security of the FEMA workforce are essential. Structural and technical improvements at several facilities throughout the United States will allow the workforce to better prepare for, and respond to, domestic events. FEMA’s Budget request includes a total of $101.7 million for facility requirements. Information technology (IT) is also essential to FEMA operations and as the field of emergency management evolves, IT systems must match that need. For years, FEMA struggled with deficiencies in data analytics and financial system reporting, consequently FEMA requests $122.1 million in IT modernization initiatives. Just one example is the ongoing Financial Systems Modernization effort, which is replacing an outdated 44-year-old legacy system with a modern and secure integrated system. FEMA’s FY 2025 Budget request also ensures timely and accurate communications to each and every community across our nation regarding potential threats to public safety. FEMA’s Budget request includes $46.9 million in funding for the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System to continue this vital mission, which is an increase of $8.0 million. This funding will allow FEMA to address gaps standards, outreach, training, technical assistance, and sustainment activities, to help ensure communities are prepared to respond quickly and effectively to natural threats, local hazards, natural or human-induced emergencies, and catastrophic incidents. Our Budget request also includes $10.6 million to support continued modernization of our National Public Warning System. As FEMA continues to adapt to this rapidly intensifying disaster cadence, one thing is clear: FEMA is more than just a response and recovery agency. FEMA helps communities become more resilient and better prepared before a disaster strikes. One way FEMA achieves this goal is through grant programs. Grants aid SLTT governments and the private sector to help build operational capabilities needed to implement preparedness strategies and reduce or eliminate long-term risks to people and property. FEMA’s FY 2025 Budget request includes $3.2 billion for grants to help safeguard our communities, citizens, and support our nation’s first responders. For example, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) provides funding for physical security enhancements and other security-related activities for non-profit organizations at a high risk of terrorist attack. FEMA’s FY 2025 Budget requests $385 million, an increase of $80.0 million for the NSGP, to expand the program to more non-profit organizations in both high-risk urban and rural areas. Additionally, FEMA’s Budget request includes an increase of $25.0 million, each for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs. An increase to the AFG Program will enable FEMA to provide additional financial assistance directly to eligible fire departments, non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations, and State Fire Training Academies for wellness activities for firefighters for cancer screening, cancer awareness, and to protect communities from polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Yet oversubscription to these programs is stark. For example, in 2023, the SAFER Program received 1,582 applications from fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations across the nation, seeking over $2.8 billion in funding, yet the program was only able to fund 177 applications, leaving a significant unmet need. FEMA’s FY 2025 Budget request also includes $1.0 billion for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. These grants support SLTTs as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. Similarly, strong, disaster-resistant building codes are a cornerstone of effective hazard mitigation and resilient communities. Building codes save lives and property. Adopting the latest building codes can save $11 per each $1 invested, according to a nationwide study FEMA conducted in 2020. In support of this effort, FEMA’s FY 2025 Budget request includes $2.1 million to implement the agency’s Building Codes Strategy and support the White House’s National Initiative to Advance Building Codes. We also recognize that on average, disaster-related floods lead to more deaths every year than any other natural events leading FEMA to request $364 million for Flood Hazard Mapping and Risk Analysis, a $51.0 million increase, to increase FEMA’s map inventory and assist communities to better prepare for future conditions. These funds will also help modernize coastal mapping and better prepare our communities for future flooding conditions. Finally, FEMA requested $175.0 million for flood mitigation assistance grants, which are funded out of the National Flood Insurance Fund. These funds will not only support communities with their mitigation projects, but will also assist FEMA’s goal to advance environmental justice by making critical investments in disadvantaged communities through the Justice40 initiative. Communities in your districts and across our nation continue to rely more on FEMA than ever before, and our FY 2025 Budget request provides necessary resources to meet the mission and serve your constituents as they recover from a disaster.

The purpose of this hearing is to examine the President’s budget request for the U.S. Department of Energy for Fiscal Year 2025. The request is for $51.42 billion, including $25 billion for maintenance of the nuclear arsenal, $8.23 billion for cleanup of DOE environmental pollution, and $8.58 billion for the Office of Science.

Witness:

• Jennifer M. Granholm, Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy

The Budget includes $8.5 billion across DOE to support researchers and entrepreneurs transforming innovations into commercial clean energy products, including in areas such as: offshore wind; industrial heat; sustainable aviation fuel; and grid infrastructure.

The Budget invests $1.6 billion to support clean energy workforce and infrastructure projects across the Nation, including: $385 million to weatherize and retrofit homes of low-income Americans; $95 million to electrify Tribal homes, provide technical assistance to advance Tribal energy projects, and transition Tribal colleges and universities to renewable energy; $113 million for the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains to strengthen domestic clean energy supply chains, and $102 million to support utilities and State and local governments in building a grid that is more secure, reliable, resilient, and able to integrate electricity from clean energy sources.

The Office of State and Community Energy Programs includes $385 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program to weatherize low-income homes.

The Budget supports $76 million to advance technologies that can enable earlier detection of methane leaks and integrate across a network of methane monitoring sensors for more reliable measurement and mitigation and $150 million to make small quantities of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) available for ongoing advanced nuclear reactor demonstrations.

Full committee business meeting to consider:

Conservation

• S.618, to establish the United States Foundation for International Conservation to promote long-term management of protected and conserved areas

Iran

• S.1829, to impose sanctions with respect to persons engaged in the import of petroleum from the Islamic Republic of Iran
• S.2626, to impose sanctions with respect to the Supreme Leader of Iran and the President of Iran and their respective offices for human rights abuses and support for terrorism
• S.2336, to address the threat from the development of Iran’s ballistic missile program and the transfer or deployment of Iranian missiles and related goods and technology, including materials and equipment
• S.3235, to require a strategy to counter the role of the People’s Republic of China in evasion of sanctions imposed by the United States with respect to Iran

Israel

• S.3874, to impose sanctions with respect to foreign support for terrorist organizations in Gaza and the West Bank
• S.Res.505, condemning the use of sexual violence and rape as a weapon of war by the terrorist group Hamas against the people of Israel

Other Bills

• S.3854, to combat transnational repression abroad, to strengthen tools to combat authoritarianism, corruption, and kleptocracy, to invest in democracy research and development
• S.1651, to encourage increased trade and investment between the United States and the countries in the Western Balkans
• S.138, to amend the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 to modify certain provisions of that Act
• S.1881, to reauthorize and amend the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act of 2018 and the Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform Act of 2021

Other Resolutions

• S.Res.357, recognizing the formation of the Alliance for Development in Democracy and urging the United States to pursue deeper ties with its member countries
• S.Res.385, calling for the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a United States citizen and journalist, who was wrongfully detained by the Government of the Russian Federation in March 2023
• S.Con.Res.18, calling for the immediate release of Marc Fogel, a United States citizen and teacher, who was given an unjust and disproportionate criminal sentence by the Government of the Russian Federation in June 2022

Department of State Nominations:

• Stephanie Sanders Sullivan, of Maryland, to be Representative of the United States of America to the African Union, with the rank and status of Ambassador
• Pamela M. Tremont, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe
• Elizabeth Rood, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to Turkmenistan
• Richard H. Riley IV, of California, to be Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Somalia
• David J. Kostelancik, of Illinois, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Albania
• Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia
• Stephan A. Lang, of Virginia, to be U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, with the rank of Ambassador
• Jennifer M. Adams, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Cabo Verde
• Courtney Diesel O’Donnell, of California, to be United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, with the rank of Ambassador
• Dorothy Camille Shea, of North Carolina, to be Deputy Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador and the Deputy Representative of the United States of America in the Security Council of the United Nations, and to be Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during her tenure of service as Deputy Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations
• Dafna Hochman Rand, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
• Arthur W. Brown, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador
• Richard Mills, Jr., of Georgia, to be Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria
• Mark Toner, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, all of the Department of State

International Development Nominations:

• Andrew William Plitt, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
• Richard L.A. Weiner, of the District of Columbia, to be United States Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• Elizabeth Shortino, of the District of Columbia, to be United States Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund

Full committee hearing.

Witness:

• Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative

Subcommittee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2025 Request for the U.S. Forest Service. The budget request is $8.9 billion; $6.5 billion for base programs and $2.39 billion for the wildfire suppression cap adjustment in the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund.

Witnesses:

• Mark Lichtenstein, National Budget Director, U.S. Forest Service
• Randy Moore, Chief, U.S. Forest Service

The request includes:

• $58 million for recreation, heritage and wilderness (+$18M from 2024)
• $33 million for vegetation and watershed management (+$3M from 2024)
• $207 million for hazardous fuels reduction (+$31.55M from 2024)
• $315.6 million for forest and rangeland research (+$15.6M from 2024)
• $25 million to address the urgent need for maintenance of employee housing.

The Columbia Global Energy Summit 2024, hosted by the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, is an annual event dedicated to thought-provoking discussions around the critical energy and climate challenges facing the global community.

This year’s day-long Summit will address myriad issues at the heart of today’s complex geopolitical, environmental and economic landscape, including the impact of climate change and the energy transition on geopolitics and security; the outlook for clean energy deployment in the face of growing policy support, as well as challenges such as interest rates, permitting reform and trade conflict; pathways to mobilize finance for clean energy in emerging and developing economies; energy justice imperatives; and the impact for energy and climate policy in key elections around the world in 2024.

The Summit will also be livestreamed and virtually accessible to all. In addition to the formal program, the Summit also offers opportunities for participants and attendees to network and develop partnerships and relationships.

8:30 a.m.

Welcome Remarks

• Keren Yarhi-Milo, Dean, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs

8:35 a.m.

Opening Remarks

• Jason Bordoff, Founding Director, Center on Global Energy Policy; Professor, Columbia SIPA; Professor and Co-Founding Dean Emeritus, Columbia Climate School

8:40 a.m.

Fireside Chat with Lynn Good

Moderator

• Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, S&P Global

Speaker

• Lynn Good, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Duke Energy

9:10 a.m.

Driving the Energy Transition in Emerging and Developing Countries

Emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) need roughly $2.4 trillion annually by 2030 to stay on track to meet global climate goals. However, these countries remain heavily reliant on public financing and funding from multilateral development banks to develop the infrastructure needed to accelerate the energy transition. This panel will focus on the investment challenges facing EMDEs, and the challenges that financial institutions funding the energy transition in EMDEs are encountering while investing in sustainable, profitable, and equitable clean energy projects globally.

Moderators

• Akshat Rathi, Senior Climate Reporter, Bloomberg

Speakers

• Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All , Special Representative, UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair, UN-Energy
• Avinash Persaud, Special Advisor on Climate Change to the President, Inter-American Development Bank
• Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO, Africa Finance Corporation

10:05 a.m.

Fireside Chat with Thomas E. Donilon

Moderator

• Jason Bordoff, Founding Director, Center on Global Energy Policy; Professor, Columbia SIPA; Professor and Co-Founding Dean Emeritus, Columbia Climate School

Speaker

• Thomas E. Donilon, Chairman, BlackRock Investment Institute; Former US National Security Advisor

10:35 a.m.

Financing a Clean Energy Future with Public and Private Capital

Recent historic investments and policy initiatives focused on energy infrastructure in the United States, Europe and throughout the world are shaping how the private sector will work to meet global decarbonization goals. This panel will focus on how investors and financiers are assessing and funding the development of clean energy projects, and headwinds and tailwinds facing the private sector in utilizing this funding to develop the infrastructure needed for the clean energy transition.

Moderator

• Amy Harder, Executive Editor, Cipher

Speakers

• David Foley, Senior Managing Director in the Private Equity Group and Global Head of Blackstone Energy Partners, Blackstone
• Karen Karniol-Tambour, Co-Chief Investment Officer, Bridgewater Associates
• Sarah Ladislaw, Special Assistant to the President, NSC Senior Director for Climate and Energy
• Vera Songwe, Chair and Founder of the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility

11:15 a.m.

Addressing Energy Insecurity at Home

Each year, millions of households across the United States experience some form of energy insecurity, with people of color and economically disadvantaged communities being disproportionately impacted by current energy systems shortcomings. This panel will focus on the intersection of energy and poverty, the rural and urban communities most affected by energy insecurity, and the policy solutions that can address inequality and bring the benefits of a clean energy economy throughout the United States.

Moderator

• Somini Sengupta, International Climate Reporter, The New York Times

Speakers

• Shalanda H. Baker, Director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity, U.S. Department of Energy
• Kate R. Finn, Executive Director, First Peoples Worldwide
• Doreen Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA

Lunch

1:00 p.m.

The Diplomacy and Geopolitics of the Energy Transition

Long simmering geopolitical tensions have unraveled into military conflicts, involving some of the great powers and some key regions in the global energy industry. These conflicts have complicated diplomatic dynamics and directly brought energy security to the forefront of dialogues needed to accelerate the clean energy transition. This panel will focus on these evolving diplomatic and geopolitical dynamic tensions, and their significant impact on global energy markets, energy security, international climate negotiations, and the energy transition.

Moderators

• Carlos Pascual, Sr. Vice President Geopolitics and International Affairs, S&P Global Commodity Insights

Speakers

• Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition
• Sir Stephen Lovegrove, Former National Security Adviser, United Kingdom
• Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Representative for International Climate Action Federal Foreign Office of Germany
• Mari Elka Pangestu, Former Minister of Trade, Former Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Indonesia

1:40 p.m.

Fireside Chat with John Podesta

Moderator

• Jason Bordoff, Founding Director, Center on Global Energy Policy; Professor, Columbia SIPA; Professor and Co-Founding Dean Emeritus, Columbia Climate School

Speaker

• John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy

2:10 p.m.

Navigating Turbulence in the Energy Sector

The rapidly accelerating clean energy transition has created challenges for both established and emerging energy companies as they navigate an increasingly turbulent future. This panel will focus on how leading energy companies and industries are addressing challenges, such as an influx of public capital and policy incentives, the rising cost of private capital, evolving disruptive market dynamics, and regulatory and policy issues created as a result of the demands of the energy transition.

Moderator

• Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Global Energy & Climate Innovation Editor, The Economist

Speakers

• Henrik Andersen, CEO, Vestas
• Mary Landrieu, Senior Policy Advisor, Van Ness Feldman, LLP
• Scott D. Sheffield, CEO, Pioneer Natural Resources
• Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO, Baker Hughes

3:05 p.m.

Where Energy Infrastructure, Trade, and Industrial Policy Meet

A rise in green industrial and infrastructure policies globally has served as both a leading example of climate action while also re-surfacing decades-old conversations surrounding free and open international trade. This panel will focus on the growing tensions between the need for new energy infrastructure, the pull of green industrial policies, rising national security concerns in an era of Great-Power Competition, and the challenges of navigating protectionism and rising government intervention in trade policy.

Moderator

• Shannon K. O’Neil, Vice President, Deputy Director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

Speakers

• William J. Berger, CEO, Sunnova Energy International, Inc.
• Sarah Bianchi, Senior Managing Director and Chief Strategist of International Political Affairs and Public Policy, Evercore
• Matthew Harris, Founding Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners, Board Chair, CGEP Advisory Board
• Luis Alberto Moreno, Former President, Inter-American Development Bank

3:45 p.m.

Decarbonizing Electricity in an Era of Rising Demand

As power demand continues to rise, challenges remain in meeting demand reliably while responding to increased calls for cleaner energy. This panel will focus on how domestic and global power providers and developers are working with industry to meet rising demand while accounting for clean energy goals, how the private sector is innovating in the development and deployment of new clean energy technologies, and how to rethink the existing energy infrastructure as we enter an era of rising demand.

Moderator

• Justin Worland, Senior Climate Correspondent, TIME

Speakers

• Pedro Pizarro, President and CEO, Edison International
• Maria Pope, President and CEO, Portland General Electric
• Sumant Sinha, Founder, Chairman and CEO, ReNew
• Scott Strazik, CEO, GE Vernova