The conventional debate over the pace and scale of an inevitable energy transition has been upended by stark and messy realities. Energy systems built for a more stable and predictable world are coming under strain from surging electricity demand, the weaponization of energy and supply-chain interdependence, intensifying great-power competition, and accelerating climate impacts that are no longer distant or abstract, but immediate and destabilizing at home and abroad.
This panel brings together leaders from Congress, local government, and civil society to discuss practical solutions to new energy security imperatives, including how clean energy can anchor a new affordability and abundance agenda. The conversation will examine where policy, markets, and international frameworks are falling short, what is working, and how to accelerate deployment through smarter energy, industrial, and trade policy; more robust energy and economic statecraft; and new approaches to mobilizing public and private capital. The core question is simple and urgent: can we build fast enough to turn clean energy into a durable foundation for lower costs, stronger and more impactful partnerships, and real energy security?
Speakers:- Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Alexandria, VA
- Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49)
- Lauren Sidner, Senior Advisor, MIT Clean Economy Project
- Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10)
Moderator:
Zack Colman, Climate & Energy Reporter, POLITICO
