The two-day Policymakers Symposium convenes elected officials, business leaders, advocates, policymakers, investors and trade associations from all perspectives who are dedicated to advancing clean energy.

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

9:30 AM – Opening Remarks

• Heather Reams, Chair, National Clean Energy Week & President & CEO, CRES Forum

9:32 AM – Policymaker Remarks

• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
• Rep. Marc Veasey (Texas’ 33rd District)
• Rep. Juan Ciscomani (Arizona’s 6th District)

10:00 AM – Looking Ahead: Energy, Climate and Tax Policy

Panel Discussion

With the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the energy, climate, and tax policy landscape shifted substantially since last year. During this signature “crystal ball” discussion, the audience will hear from top advocacy experts on what to expect next in the energy, climate and tax policy space in the next year.

• Joe Britton, President, Pioneer Public Affairs
• Beth Viola, Chair, Energy & Natural Resources Group, Holland & Knight
• Kellie Donnelly, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Lot Sixteen
• Moderator: Marty Hall, Senior Policy Fellow, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum

10:30 AM – Break

10:45 AM – Policymaker Remarks

• Rep. Jen Kiggans (Virginia’s 2nd District)

11:00 AM – Powering Prosperity: Unleashing Clean Energy Manufacturing and Jobs in America

Smart Brevity

This session explores how clean energy manufacturing drives job creation and economic growth. Panelists will highlight investments in solar, wind, hydrogen, batteries and manufacturing and discuss federal policies that can accelerate workforce development, address supply chain challenges and accelerate U.S. global competitiveness.

• Jessica Carter, Head of Federal Government Affairs, Ford Motor Company
• Cole Simons, Managing Director of Government Affairs & Policy, GE Vernova
• Hillary Bright, Executive Director, Turn Forward
• Kendall Stephenson, Government Relations Manager, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc.
• Alfred Johnson, Co-founder & CEO, Crux Climate
• Moderator: Christina Baworowsky, Senior Vice President, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum

12:00 PM – Lunch is served

12:30 PM – Energy Exports: Competing for Clean Energy Leadership

Panel Discussion

This session examines how American energy products can compete in a global market. Panelists will discuss strategies to ensure market access, accelerate innovation, export technology and products and counter global competitors like China.

• Filip Schittecatte, President of LNG Market Development, ExxonMobil Upstream Company
• Dan Byers, Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute
• Rob Jennings, Vice President of Natural Gas Markets, American Petroleum Institute (API)
• Moderator: David Hill, Executive Vice President of Energy, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC)

1:15 PM – Fueling the Heartland: The Role of Ethanol

Armchair Discussion

This armchair conversation will delve into the latest advancements in biofuels, exploring how ethanol is powering sustainable energy solutions across the Midwest and beyond. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor will share insights on the ethanol industry’s innovative initiatives, from policy advocacy to cutting-edge work in renewable fuels. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of ethanol’s economic impact on rural communities and the future of biofuels in America’s clean energy landscape.

• Emily Skor, CEO, Growth Energy
• Moderator: Anthony Reed, Partner, FGS Global

1:30 PM – Break

1:45 PM – Permitting Reform: Unlocking America’s Energy Potential

Smart Brevity

Panelists will discuss existing challenges with the federal permitting process and potential reforms that can unlock America’s energy resources, deploy technologies and infrastructure, and drive energy dominance, national security and economic prosperity. The panel will also highlight recent developments such as agency actions, executive orders and discuss the prospects for legislative proposals to accelerate federal permitting processes.

• Gene Grace, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, American Clean Power Association (ACP)
• Cliff Graham, CEO, Avantus
• Christina Hayes, Executive Director, Americans for a Clean Energy Grid (ACEG)
• Rich Powell, CEO, Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA)
• Malcolm Woolf, President & CEO, National Hydropower Association (NHA)
• Moderator: Heather Reams, Chair, National Clean Energy Week & President & CEO, CRES Forum

2:45 PM – Highlighting the American Advantage: The Role of Emissions Accounting

Armchair Discussion

As U.S. manufacturing has a performance advantage in emissions efficiency over the vast majority of its global competitors, it is important that U.S. businesses can reliably compete on this edge. Long term success in the global marketplace could be driven by a robust emissions accounting system that highlights America’s environmental performance in energy, production and supply chains. During this armchair discussion we will hear from Professor Karthik Ramanna of Oxford University, the Co-founder and Principal Investigator of the E-ledgers Institute, about how a growing community of leading companies are piloting dynamic emissions accounting to drive innovation and global competitiveness.

• Karthik Ramanna, Co-founder and Principal Investigator, E-ledgers Institute
• Moderator: Catrina Rorke, Senior Vice President of Policy & Research, Climate Leadership Council (CLC)

3:00 PM – Policymaker Remarks

• Rep. Scott Peters (California’s 50th District)

3:15 PM – Break

3:30 PM – Next-Gen Energy: Advancing Clean, Reliable and Affordable Energy

Smart Brevity

This panel will examine how innovation in the energy sector delivers affordable, reliable and abundant energy. Panelists will highlight advances in energy technologies over the past year and discuss how innovative project deployments strengthen American energy dominance while creating a cleaner future.

• Chris Phebus, CTO, Hydrostor
• Lindsay Fitzgerald, Chief Advocacy and Communications Officer, Gevo
• Jackie Siebens, Director of Public Affairs, Helion Energy
• Alessandra Millican, Managing Director of Energy & Infrastructure, LandGate
• Lesley Jantarasami, Vice President of Research, Smart Electric Power Alliance
• Moderator: Chris Barnard, President, American Conservation Coalition (ACC)

4:30 PM – Closing Remarks

• Heather Reams, Chair, National Clean Energy Week & President & CEO, CRES Forum

Thursday, September 18, 2025

9:30 AM – Opening Remarks

• Heather Reams, Chair, National Clean Energy Week & President & CEO, CRES Forum

9:32 AM – Policymaker Remarks

• Sen. John Curtis (Utah)
• Rep. Susie Lee (Nevada’s 3rd District)

10:00 AM – AI and Clean Energy: Optimizing the Grid of the Future

Panel Discussion

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how we generate, manage and deliver energy—improving forecasting, grid performance and resource efficiency. This requires access to affordable, reliable power and a regulatory system built for speed. This panel will explore how AI can transform the energy sector—and what federal policy changes are required to ensure successful implementation.

• Joel Yu, Senior Vice President of Policy & External Affairs, Enchanted Rock
• Yvonne McIntyre, Vice President of Federal Affairs, PG&E
• Laura Lightbody, Director of Energy Modernization, The Pew Charitable Trusts
• Ewelina Czapla, Manager of Cloud Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google
• Moderator: Lisa Jacobson, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE)

10:30 AM – Policymaker Remarks

• Rep. Buddy Carter (Georgia’s 1st District)

10:45 AM – Administration Remarks

• Brittany Kelm, Senior Policy Advisor, National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC)

11:00 AM – Break

11:15 AM – Hydrogen on the Horizon: Bolstering the U.S. Hydrogen Economy

Panel Discussion

This panel will examine how the emerging global hydrogen market presents a strategic opportunity for the U.S. to expand its leadership in international energy markets, drive technological innovation and reinforce its role as a premier energy exporter. As a flexible, high-impact energy carrier, hydrogen is at the forefront of technologies with the potential to advance American energy dominance and industrial competitiveness.

• Shannon Angielski, President, Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition and Principal, Van Ness Feldman
• Paul Wilkins, Vice President for Policy & Government Engagement, Electric Hydrogen
• Jessica Olson, Head of Global Affairs for the Americas & Indo-Pacific, Topsoe
• Moderator: Xan Fishman, Vice President of the Energy Program, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC)

11:55 AM – Policymaker Remarks

• Chairman Tim Walberg (Michigan’s 5th District)

12:10 PM – Lunch is served

12:30 PM – Nuclear’s Next Era: Advancing Innovation, Reliability and American Leadership

Panel Discussion

This panel will explore the future of domestic nuclear energy—from deploying next-generation technologies like advanced small modular reactors, to extending the life of existing reactors, and even reopening previously decommissioned plants.

• Jeremy Harrell, CEO, ClearPath
• Dr. Rita Baranwal, Chief Nuclear Officer, Radiant Nuclear
• David Brown, Senior Vice President of Federal Government Affairs and Public Policy, Constellation
• Patrick O’Brien, Director of Government Affairs & Communications, Holtec International
• Moderator: Melody Rodriguez, Director of Federal Government Affairs, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

1:15 PM – Scaling the Seas: Offshore Wind’s Role in America’s Energy Future

Panel Discussion

This discussion examines the potential of offshore wind to meet U.S. energy demand, focusing on permitting challenges, supply chain development and federal leasing policies.

• Liz Burdock, President & CEO, Oceantic
• Erik Milito, President, National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA)
• Moderator: John Szoka, CEO, Conservative Energy Network (CEN)

1:45 PM – Fueling America: Building Sustainable Natural Gas Infrastructure

Armchair Discussion

Natural gas companies are working to build a cleaner, stronger energy backbone for years to come. This discussion will explore natural gas infrastructure modernization with a focus on pipelines, storage and transmission.

• Richard Meyer, Vice President of Energy Markets, Analysis, & Standards, American Gas Association (AGA)
• Liz Bowman, Vice President Government Affairs and Outreach, Williams
• Moderator: Bree Raum, Government Relations & Clean Energy Expert

2:05 PM – Break

2:15 PM – Ready, Set, Grow: Preparing Energy Infrastructure for Tomorrow

Smart Brevity

Abundant, affordable and reliable energy is critical for economic growth, innovation and national security. As U.S. energy demand continues to rise, hear from leaders on how industries are readying our energy infrastructure for tomorrow.

• Abigail Ross Hopper, President & CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
• Ray Long, President & CEO, American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
• Tom Falcone, President, Large Public Power Council (LPPC)
• Rob Mosher, Vice President of Government Affairs, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA)
• Moderator: Gina Mahony, Managing Director, Cogent

3:05 PM – Break

3:30 PM – Mine Over Matter: Onshoring Critical Mineral Manufacturing

Smart Brevity

This session examines the importance of domestic critical minerals for clean energy technologies. Panelists will discuss mining, processing and recycling challenges, as well as policies to curb reliance on foreign supply chains.

• Judy Brown, Head of External Affairs, Americas, South32
• Kristina Woolston, CEO, Old Harbor Native Corporation
• Tina Jeffress, Group Manager for Energy and Sustainability, Panasonic North America
• Jean Simard, President & CEO, Aluminum Association of Canada (AAC)
• Alex Stroman, Vice President of Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs, Albemarle Corporation
• Moderator: Ashley McManus, Vice President, Lot Sixteen

4:30 PM – Policymaker Remarks

• Rep. Bob Latta (Ohio’s 5th District)

4:45 PM – Closing Remarks

• Heather Reams, Chair, National Clean Energy Week & President & CEO, CRES Forum