Hill Heat

Witnesses

Panel 1

• Steven Chu, Secretary, Department of Energy

Panel 2

• Philip R. Sharp, President, Resources for the Future
• Robert W. Fri, Past President and Visiting Scholar, Resources for the Future
• Dr. Eric P. Loewen, Chief Consulting Engineer, Advanced Plants, Technology, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

The hearing will examine the impact of oil dependence on our economy and national security, and how recent Environmental Protection Agency regulation and future policies can reduce that dependence.

Witnesses

• Lisa Jackson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
• Fred Smith, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, FedEx Corporation
• Jason Wolf, Vice President of North America, Better Place
• Robert Diamond, Former Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, Security Fellow, Truman National Security Project
• Charles T. Drevna, President, National Petrochemical and Refiners Association

The “green” technology boom is being heralded as the next technological revolution, able to lower greenhouse gas emissions, promote economic growth and create millions of new jobs. A number of new policies are being adopted at both the national and local levels to foster the growth and adoption of the new green technologies—including production tax credits for solar, wind and geothermal; renewable portfolio standards; and feed-in tariffs, to name a few. Solar energy has benefitted from increased private investment and public subsidies in recent years but seems to remain ever on the edge of breakthrough.

On April 28, the Energy Security Initiative at Brookings will host the first in a series of events that will examine the prospects for these potentially game-changing energy technologies to make the shift from alternative to mainstream. Experts from many sectors will discuss the key political and economical barriers and opportunities for utility-scale solar energy. Two panel discussions will explore a wide range of questions, including: What will it take to grow a viable solar industry in the United States? What policies could move solar energy into more widespread use and achieve grid parity? What are the job implications for the United States if other countries take the lead in developing the technology? And what role is public awareness or a lack thereof playing in solar energy adoption?

After the program, panelists will take audience questions.

Introduction

Charles Ebinger, Senior Fellow and Director, Energy Security Initiative, The Brookings Institution

Keynote Remarks

Stephanie Burns, CEO, Dow Corning

Panel 1: Policy and Economics

• Moderator: Charles Ebinger, Senior Fellow and Director, Energy Security Initiative, The Brookings Institution
• Richard Kauffman, CEO, Good Energies
• Dr. Lola Infante, Director, Generation Fuels and Market Analysis, Edison Electric Institute
• Charles Hemmeline, Market Transformation, Solar Energies, Technology Program, U.S. Department of Energy

Panel 2: Technology, Market Deployment and Job Development

• Moderator: John Banks, Nonresident Fellow, Brookings Institution
• Robert Boehm, Director, Energy Research Center, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• Steve Kalland, Director, North Carolina Solar Center, North Carolina State University

The Brookings Institution
Falk Auditorium
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

RSVP

Witnesses Panel I

• Joe Main, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health

Panel II

• Cecil Roberts , President, United Mine Workers
• Jeff Harris, Mine Worker
• Wes Addington, Deputy Director, Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center
• Bruce Watzman, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, National Mining Association

Panel III

• David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health

Panel IV

• Peg Seminario, Director of Safety and Health, AFL-CIO
• Holly Shaw
• Dr. Michael Brandt, Board President (2010-2011), American Industrial Hygiene Association
• Kelli Heflin, Coordinator of Regulatory Compliance and Safety Manager, Scott’s Liquid Gold

Witnesses

• Ken Burns, Filmmaker, Florentine Films
• Michael Ward, Superintendent, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, U.S. National Park Service
• Diane Shober, Travel and Tourism Director for the State of Wyoming
• Will Shafroth, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Department of the Interior
• Scott Bacher, Owner, Carlsbad KOA
• Clyde Butcher, Photographer

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) invite you to a briefing on The Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Policy Options on the U.S. Economy, a new study by CCS that examines the nationwide impacts of 23 major strategies formulated by over 1,500 stake-holders in more than 20 states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve energy and environ-mental co-benefits. At a time of recession and high unemployment, many question putting demands on our economic sectors and fear that increased energy prices will slow the economy and harm jobs. But macro-economic analysis of a diverse set of policies and measures selected and designed by stakeholders in numerous states shows that addressing climate change and promoting energy policy can spur the economy, create jobs, and reduce energy prices. The briefing panel will provide perspectives on local, state and federal program opportunities for economic development and job creation in all sectors.

Speakers for this event include:

• Adam Rose, Economics Professor, School of Policy, Planning and Development (SPPD), University of Southern California
• Jeff Wennberg, Project Manager, Center for Climate Strategies; former Vermont Environment Commissioner and former Mayor of Rutland, Vermont
• Joe Sherrick, Climate Change Program Manager, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• Tom Peterson, President and CEO, Center for Climate Strategies, Adjunct Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Global Security Center

More than 30 states have created comprehensive state climate action plans, comprised of balanced portfolios of mitigation measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and saving or diversifying energy within their states. These policies address several sectors of the economy, including energy supply, manufacturing, agriculture, buildings, transportation, and waste management. Many are highly cost effective, save consumers money, and have other co-benefits—such as improving public health or reducing reliance on imported oil. The report looks at recommendations for action at all levels of government under a national policy framework developed by stakeholders through climate planning.

This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Laura Parsons at (202) 662-1884 or [email protected].

On Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 11:30 am Glen Bolger from Public Opinion Strategies will brief media on his findings from a national survey and a smaller five state survey asking likely voters about potential climate legislation. The state surveys were conducted in Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, and Virginia.

Joining Glen will be Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former Chief Economist for President George W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors, domestic and economic policy advisor to John McCain’s presidential campaign, currently a Commissioner on the Congressionally-chartered Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission; and Dr. Andrew Maguire, former Member of Congress, currently Senior Advisor to Clean Air-Cool Planet, a leading science-based non-partisan NGO engaged in climate policy.

• Glen Bolger, Public Opinion Strategies
• Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin
• Andrew Maguire

To join the call:

Dial Toll-free: 866-866-2244
Participant Code: 1368508

Survey highlights include:

• Based on polling in five states that are politically moderate to conservative, a majority of voters across party lines want to overhaul the nation’s energy system to reduce polluting emissions and increase the use of renewable energy sources.

• For elected officials looking to address the issue, a clean energy refund has the best potential to attract Republican support.

• When we tested a description of a specific clean energy refund policy, similar to the Senate CLEAR Act, in a national survey, there is strong support from Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

Public Opinion Strategies completed a national survey of 800 likely voters on April 11-13, 2010. A question was piggybacked on the national survey, and the results have a margin of error of +3.46 in 95 out of 100 cases.

Earlier, Public Opinion Strategies completed a survey in five states – Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, and Virginia. The survey was conducted March 17-18, 20-21, 2010 among 200 likely voters in each state, for a total sample of 1,000 likely voters. The overall sample has a margin of error of +3.1% in 95 out of 100 cases, while each state sample has a margin of error of +6.93%.

Witnesses

• Sigourney Weaver, Actress
• Dr. James Barry, Senior Scientist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)
• Donny Waters, Commercial Fisherman, Past President of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance
• Tom Ingram, Executive Director, Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA)
• Dr. John Everett, President, Ocean Associates, Inc.

Be at GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs for an insider’s guide to America’s next great legislative challenge. We’ll have a one-on-one discussion with top Obama official, Lisa Jackson, and a panel discussion with representatives from media, business and policy to get a picture of what the next stages of the climate debate will be. Will the upcoming Kerry-Lieberman-Graham bill get us on the right path? Or will it happen in the scientific or business sectors? Find out. And find out who really wins and loses when the stakes are this high?

Joining SMPA Director and Planet Forward Host Frank Sesno will be Lisa Jackson (US EPA), Ana Unruh-Cohen (House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming), Andrew Revkin (New York Times), Jim Connaughton (Constellation Energy Group), Dr. Dan Lashof (Natural Resources Defense Council) and Kate Sheppard (Mother Jones). We’ll also feature some of the best videos recently submitted to PlanetForward.org…including films from GW’s very own Planet Forward class!

A Co-presentation of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, The George Washington University School of Business and GW’s Environmental Studies program.

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Jack Morton Auditorium
School of Media and Public Affairs
805 21st Street NW
Washington, DC 20052