The fifth annual National Clean Energy Week (NCEW) (September 20-24, 2021) today unveiled an impressive initial lineup of speakers and panels for this year’s Policy Makers Symposium, including keynote address from U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and leadership from the U.S. Department of State. As the flagship event of NCEW, the Symposium, which runs September 21-23 during NCEW, consists of virtual programming that convenes policymakers, industry leaders and clean energy advocates to collaborate on America’s future in clean energy.

“We are thrilled that Senator Murkowski, a key architect of the Energy Act of 2020, has agreed to keynote they year’s Symposium—a unique forum that provides the opportunity for participants to engage with policymakers from both sides of the aisle as well as top energy advocacy organizations and private-sector leaders who collectively are striving to advance clean energy through collaboration and innovation,” said Heather Reams, NCEW chair and executive director of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES). “Symposium speakers share NCEW’s steadfast commitment to advancing clean energy technologies and clean energy jobs that are critical to getting our economy back on track and ready for an emissions-free future. Their unique experience in clean energy investment and innovation will make for an exciting week of thought-provoking conversation, engaging panels, and countless networking opportunities.”

Moderated discussions during the Symposium will be centered around three core themes: innovation, challenges, and the international landscape. Specific panels and speakers are as follows:

• Carbon-Free Technologies Needed for A Net-Zero Future
  • Armond Cohen, Executive Director, Clean Air Task Force (CATF)
  • Jeff Lyng, Director, Energy and Environmental Policy, Xcel Energy
  • David Hart, Senior Fellow, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF)
  • MODERATOR: Emily Fisher, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Senior Vice President, Clean Energy, Edison Electric Institute (EEI)

• Policies Needed to Make Breakthrough Innovation Possible
  • Eric Dresselhuys, CEO, ESS, Inc.
  • Tom Dower, Vice President, Public Policy, LanzaTech
  • Executive TBD from X-energy
  • MODERATOR: Farah Benahmed, Breakthrough Energy
  • CLOSING REMARKS: Gerry Anderson, Executive Chairman, DTE Energy and EEI Board Chairman

• Critical Minerals, Supply Chains, and Industry
  • KEYNOTE: U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), former Chair and current member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  • Dr. Anthony Staley, Vice President, Metals Division, Doe Run Company
  • MODERATOR: Abigail Regitsky, U.S. Policy and Advocacy, Breakthrough Energy
  • Additional speakers forthcoming

• Energy is Infrastructure
  • John Di Stasio, President, Large Public Power Council
  • Patrick Decostre, President and CEO, Boralex, Inc.
  • Stacey Lawson, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ygrene
  • MODERATOR: Lisa Jacobson, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy

• What to Expect at COP26: Will it Be Enough?
  • MORNING KEYNOTE: TBD from U.S. Department of State
  • George David Banks, fellow at CRES Forum and Bipartisan Policy Center and former international climate adviser to Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump
  • Kim Carnahan, Senior Director, Net-Zero Fuels at ENGIE Impact, and Adjunct Professor, School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University
  • Alden Meyer, Senior Associate, E3G, and International Policy Adviser, BlueGreen Alliance
  • MODERATOR: Jim Connaughton, CEO at Nautilus Data Technologies, former Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and lead climate negotiator for the George W. Bush White House

• Leveraging U.S. Policy to Reduce Global Emissions
  • Catrina Rorke, Vice President of Policy, Climate Leadership Council
  • Rich Powell, Executive Director, Clear Path
  • Dustin Meyer, Vice President, Natural Gas Markets, American Petroleum Institute (API)
  • MODERATOR: Charles Hernick, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, CRES Forum

A complete Symposium schedule is available here.

Additional information about NCEW—including sponsorship opportunities, in-person events, examples of how businesses and communities can show their support, and registration for the Policy Makers Symposium—is available at https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org/. If you are a student with a valid .edu email, a government employee with a valid .gov email, or an active member of the press, you qualify for free registration. Register today!

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National Clean Energy Week (NCEW), described by POLITICO as “a veritable who’s who of the Clean Energy World,” is an annual awareness week to recognize the value of clean energy including abundant job opportunities, economic growth, energy independence, consumer choice, lower energy prices, and a cleaner environment. Follow NCEW on Twitter (@NCEWConf) and Facebook (NationalCleanEnergyWeek) for event updates. www.nationalcleanenergyweek.org