Energy Insights 2022

Join us for Energy Insights 2022, a day-and-a-half-long conference focused on cutting-edge research to inform decisionmaking on energy and the environment. The event will engage a diverse community of academic, government, corporate, and nongovernmental organization experts in conversations about the future of energy policy in the United States, building upon research evidence and lessons learned across a range of research disciplines.

In-person attendance is by invitation only. To join us virtually, please click "Watch Online" above or click on the links in the session titles below.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

8:45 a.m. EST | Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:15 a.m. EST | Welcome and Introduction

9:30 a.m. EST | Why Research Matters—and How It's Changed
Energy Insights 2022 is focused on the intersection of research and decisionmaking. How does that interaction happen? We will open the conference with reflections from panelists on how academic research has informed recent policy developments and how the two communities can evolve and strengthen their relationship moving forward.

Moderator: Richard Newell, President and CEO, Resources for the Future
Panelists: Chris Hansen, Colorado State Senator - District 31; Stephanie Lenhart, Assistant Research Professor, Environmental Studies, Public Policy and Administration; Senior Research Associate, Energy Policy Institute – Center for Advanced Energy Studies, Boise State University; Timothy Ryder, Legislative Assistant, Office of US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer; Kevin Rennert, Fellow, Resources for the Future.

10:30 a.m. EST | Coffee Break

11:00 a.m. EST | Concurrent Sessions
Choose one of two concurrent sessions to dive deeper into key topics that lie at the intersection of research and decisionmaking. Each session will include several research-focused presentations, followed by reflections from one or more discussants representing government, business, or other sectors setting internal or public policy. Each session will conclude with 30–40 minutes of time for open discussion.

12:15 p.m. EST | Lunch

1:15 p.m. EST | Equity in the Energy Transition
Rapid changes to the energy system in the US and around the world will have major implications for energy consumers and energy producing communities, and may result in an uneven distribution of benefits and burdens. In this session, panelists will discuss the most important challenges to achieving an equitable energy transition, what policies can be most effective in mitigating those challenges, and how policymakers and researchers can work together to fill critical knowledge gaps and develop new policy.

Moderator: Sanya Carley, Paul H. O'Neill Professor and Director at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
Panelists: Nadia Ahmad, Associate Professor, Barry University School of Law; Ann Eisenberg, Associate Professor of Law, University of South Carolina; Kate Gordon, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, US Department of Energy; Daniel Raimi, Fellow, Resources for the Future.

2:15 p.m. EST | Concurrent Sessions
Choose one of two concurrent sessions to dive deeper into key topics that lie at the intersection of research and decision-making. Each session will include several research-focused presentations, followed by reflections from one or more discussants representing government, business, or other sectors setting internal or public policy. Each session will conclude with 30–40 minutes of time for open discussion.

3:30 p.m. EST | Coffee Break

4:00 p.m. EST | Ideas to Action: Seeding New Collaborations

We are trying something new at this year’s conference! During this hour, participants will break out into four roundtable discussions, one on each of four key topics that cut across energy and environmental research:

1. Ways to further diversify the energy-environment research landscape (Moderator: Bryan Patterson, Assistant Professor of Public Leadership, Johnson C. Smith University);
2. Public-private partnerships for better research outcomes (Moderator: Tanya Das, Associate Director, Energy Innovation, Bipartisan Policy Center);
3. Strategies for promoting more interdisciplinary research projects (Moderator: Amy Myers Jaffe, Managing Director, Climate Policy Lab and Research Professor, The Fletcher School, Tufts University); and
4. Best practices for community engagement in research projects (Moderator: Carlos Martin, David M. Rubenstein Fellow, The Brookings Institution).

We are asking attendees to rank choice their interest in these four topics, so that we can build breakout groups that are balanced in size and sector. Groups will be assigned on the first day—but in the subsequent breakout sessions on Friday, participants are welcome to attend the discussion of their choosing.

The goal of these sessions is to spark new ideas and collaborations that can then be turned into action. To facilitate that goal, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation will be offering up to four seed grants (up to $50,000 each) on these cross-cutting themes, ideally building on conversations fostered at Energy Insights 2022.

5:00–6:30 p.m. EST | Reception (NAS Great Hall)
All are welcome to join for additional conversation and networking.

Friday, December 9, 2022

8:30 a.m. EST | Breakfast

9:00 a.m. EST | A Funder's View: Research Priorities for 2023 and Beyond
How are research-oriented funders looking at the landscape ahead for energy and climate? In this panel, several foundation and government representatives will share their thoughts on opportunities for impact moving forward, given recent policy developments, ongoing technology evolution, and the importance of environmental justice.

Moderator: Evan Michelson, Program Director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Panelists: Angela Bednarek, Project Director, The Pew Charitable Trusts; Carla Frisch, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Policy, US Department of Energy; Marilu Hastings, Executive Vice President, The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation; Cecilia Martinez, Principal Advisor for Resilience and Communities, Bezos Earth Fund.

10:00 a.m. EST | Improving Data and Modeling for Decisionmaking
Many decisionmakers rely on solid data and modeling results to inform the policy design process. How can the research community ensure that it is providing policymakers with the best possible inputs? What improvements in data or tools would facilitate better interaction between modeling and decisionmaking?

Moderator: Billy Pizer, Vice President for Research and Policy Engagement, Resources for the Future
Panelists: Susanne Brooks, Senior Policy Advisor for Energy, Climate, and Environment, Office of Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO); Angelina LaRose, Assistant Administrator for Energy Analysis, US Energy Information Administration; Erin Mayfield, Hodgson Family Assistant Professor of Engineering, Dartmouth College; Rajinder Sahota, Deputy Executive Officer for Climate Change and Research, California Air Resources Board.

11:00 a.m. EST | Ideas to Action: Seeding New Collaborations

Join for the second set of roundtable discussions on:

1. Ways to further diversify the energy-environment research landscape (Moderator: Bryan Patterson, Assistant Professor of Public Leadership, Johnson C. Smith University);
2. Public-private partnerships for better research outcomes (Moderator: Tanya Das, Associate Director, Energy Innovation, Bipartisan Policy Center);
3. Strategies for promoting more interdisciplinary research projects (Moderator: Amy Myers Jaffe, Managing Director, Climate Policy Lab and Research Professor, The Fletcher School, Tufts University); and
4. Best practices for community engagement in research projects (Moderator: Carlos Martin, David M. Rubenstein Fellow, The Brookings Institution).

Attendees are welcome to attend the same roundtable as on Day 1 or choose another topic of interest. 

12:00 p.m. EST | Lunch

1:00 p.m. EST | From Text to Tech: How the US Government is Expanding the Energy and Climate Toolbox
The closing session of Energy Insights 2022 will bring together multi-agency perspectives on how the federal government is leveraging funding, networks, and tools to drive energy innovation in the US. This event will be held in the NAS Auditorium and will be open to the public.

Moderator: Richard Newell, President and CEO, Resources for the Future
Panelists: Sally Benson, Deputy Director for Energy & Chief Strategist for the Energy Transition, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Julie Cerqueira, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of International Affairs, US Department of Energy; Dr. Jennifer Gerbi, Acting Director & Deputy Director for Technology, Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E); Jetta Wong, Senior Advisor on Climate to the Administrator, US General Services Administration.

2:00 p.m. EST | Conference Close