Joining Together Historic Group of Leaders to Tackle National Energy Policy
NCEP to Set Goal of Developing Key Principles for U.S. Energy Policy
Washington, DC, February 13, 2009 – The Center for American Progress Action Fund today released the formal agenda and the participants in “National Clean Energy Project: Building the New Economy” forum on Monday, February 23, 2009 at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a longtime champion of building a clean energy economy, is honorary chair.
The National Clean Energy Project includes a distinguished panel of participants. President Bill Clinton will address the panelists. Vice President Al Gore will address the panelists and join the discussion.
The event will kick off with opening remarks from former U.S. Senator and United Nations Foundation President Timothy Wirth followed by brief comments from the Honorary Chairman of the event, Senator Reid, Vice President Al Gore, as well as by business leader and clean energy advocate T. Boone Pickens and Center for American Progress Action Fund President John Podesta. These speakers will touch on the key themes of the forum, including over coming clean energy infrastructure challenges, and reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil. This will be followed by a roundtable discussion among the invited participants moderated by Mr. Wirth. The discussion will focus on guiding the transformation of our nation’s energy policies with particular attention on modernizing the electricity grid, integrating energy efficiency and distributed generation into its operation and regulation, rapidly increasing transmission capacity for renewable energy and reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil through natural gas, plug-in hybrids and batteries in the transportation and distribution system.
The National Clean Energy Project builds on the August 2008 “National Clean Energy Summit” sponsored by Senator Reid, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, the University of Nevada Las Vegas. The participants in the summit concluded that inadequate access to transmission was one of the most significant barriers to widespread development of renewable energy.
The goal of this forum will be to discuss the best, most cost-effective options to “green the grid” and lay the groundwork for a broad national consensus between as many key stakeholders as possible on a clean energy agenda that will reduce emissions, increase reliability and affordability, and make us more secure and competitive. This important event will influence the development of a new and better national energy policy and should help speed its adoption.
Among the list of confirmed participants in the roundtable are many top leaders in government, business, labor and non-government organizations including:
– Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
– Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar
– Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
– House Energy Independence and Global Warming Select Committee Chair Ed Markey (D-MA)
– Senate Energy and Water Subcommittee Chairman, Appropriations Committee Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
– Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Acting Chairman Jon Wellinghoff
– Former Governor George Pataki (R-NY)
– Owens-Corning CEO Michael Thaman
– Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors and Former CEO Lee Scott
– American Electric Power President & CEO Mike Morris
– Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope
– Riverkeeper Alliance Chief Prosecuting Attorney Robert Kennedy, Jr.
– American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode
– National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners President Fred Butler
– Green for All Founder and President Van Jones
– Service Employees International Unions President Andy Stern
– U.S. Green Building Council President & CEO Rick Fedrizzi
– Sea Change Foundation President Nat Simons
Comments from Participants:
“On February 23rd, the best minds on energy and the environment will come together to tackle critical issues that are necessary to achieve energy policy transformation in this country,” Senator Reid said. “This forum will build on the discussion that was started back in August at the National Clean Energy Summit, where we gained valuable insight on the hurdles preventing America from becoming energy independent, including a grid that does not provide enough access to transmission and the need to tap one of our own domestic resources natural gas in the transportation and distribution system in our country. In bringing together these top energy leaders, we can identify solutions that will accelerate the development of a comprehensive and effective energy policy in this country.”
“This a great opportunity to build upon the conversation Senator Harry Reid started during his National Clean Energy Summit last summer in Las Vegas. If we resolve ourselves, we will create a clean energy revolution that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, strengthen our economy, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and oil and save our planet,” Gore said. “I look forward to working with Senator Reid, Secretary Chu, Secretary Salazar and the New Administration on aggressively pursuing a Clean Energy agenda.”
“We need to show the country that we are serious about establishing a national energy plan. This forum will propel the discussion and build momentum around a core set of clean energy objectives, including greening the grid and reducing our reliance on foreign oil.” Podesta said.
“America is dependent on foreign oil, there’s no question about it. But there are several things we can do to change that and The National Clean Energy Project will bring these solutions to the forefront,” Pickens said. “I look forward to being part of the discussion as we examine alternative energy sources, including wind, solar and natural gas and find ways to overcome the barriers that have been standing in our way up to this point. America can break its dependence on foreign oil and this forum with top energy leaders is a great step in making sure that happens.”
About the National Clean Energy Project
Convened by the Center for American Progress Action Fund President John Podesta the event will focus on modernizing and expanding the electricity grid, integrating energy efficiency and distributed generation into operation and regulation, rapidly increasing transmission capacity for renewable energy and reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil by examining short- and long-term solutions to replace foreign oil with domestic resources to fuel vehicles and trucks, including natural gas. The Honorary Chairman for the event will be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).
Additional Details on the National Clean Energy Project
DATE AND TIME:
Monday, February 23, 2009
10:30 AM to 1:30 PM
LOCATION:
Newseum
555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
EVENT SCHEDULE:
10:15-10:35 AM National Clean Energy Project: Building the New Economy (open to media, live audience of 100-150)
· Opening Remarks and Participant Introductions: UN Foundation President Tim Wirth Moderator opens and introduces the table of participants
· Remarks: Senator Harry Reid – Vision
· Remarks: T. Boone Pickens – Dependence on Oil
· Remarks: John Podesta – Challenge: Infrastructure
10:35 AM -12:30 PM Moderated Discussion of Primary Principles
· Principle One – How do we build the modern electricity grid?
· Principle Two – How do we reduce our reliance on foreign oil?
1:00 PM Press Conference – Presentation of Discussion and Common Principles