December 4, 2019

Duke University faculty to advance productive dialogue at Western Energy & Water Forum (Jan. 22-25, 2020)

Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions

Several Duke University faculty, fellows, and alumni will share their expertise at the Western Energy & Water Forum on Jan. 22-25, 2020. The invitation-only event, hosted by the Colorado Energy & Water Institute in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, will bring together North American industry leaders and policymakers for a meaningful conversation about the future of energy and water.

The Duke University Energy Initiative is the 2020 Academic Partner for this invitation-only convening. Duke faculty and alumni will play a pivotal role in advancing solutions-focused, evidence-based dialogue across numerous sessions:

  • Amy Pickle, director of the state policy program at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and Duke Law faculty member, will help kick off the event on Jan. 22 with a preconference workshop, "Stakeholder Engagement: Building Relationships to Reduce Conflict." The workshop is designed to help industry leaders sharpen their skills in negotiating complex dynamics around the siting of energy infrastructure. Pickle will also moderate a Jan. 23 panel on stakeholder engagement during the main forum.
  • Lori Bennear, Nicholas School of the Environment faculty member, will moderate a panel on the electrification of transportation.
  • Tim Profeta, director of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and a Sanford School of Public Policy faculty member, will moderate a Jan. 23 panel on federal policy.
  • Brian Murray, Energy Initiative director and Nicholas School of the Environment faculty member, will moderate the forum's closing keynote session on "Evolving Energy Markets in the West" on Jan. 24, a conversation among former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) chair and Duke University senior fellow Norman Bay and former FERC commissioner Suedeen Kelly, a Board of Advisors member of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.
  • Dan Vermeer, executive director of the Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE) and faculty member at the Fuqua School of Business, will moderate a Jan. 24 panel on the role of corporate procurement for renewables.

Other confirmed participants include:

  • Jeffrey P. Ackhermann, Chair, CO Public Utilities Commission;
  • Kara B. Fornstrom, Chair, WY Public Utilities Commission;
  • Shawn Bennett, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas, U.S. Department of Energy;
  • Mike Ross, Senior VP, Government Affairs and Public Relations, Southwest Power Pool;
  • Mark A. Gabriel, Administrator and CEO, Western Area Power Administration;
  • Will Toor, Executive Director, Colorado Energy Office;
  • Laura Nelson, Executive Director, Utah Governor's Energy Office; and
  • Anthony Clark, Former Commissioner, FERC (2012-2016).

View the full agenda

"Our energy sector faces a time of unprecedented transition and conflict," notes Energy Initiative director Brian Murray. "Duke University's involvement in the Western Energy & Water Forum is helping guide industry leaders and government officials to advance resilient energy and water systems through substantive, productive dialogue."

This is the second year Duke has been a partner for the event. Murray wrote for Forbes about some takeaways from the 2019 Forum in "6 Things You Should Know About Energy Out West." 

Want to take part in the 2020 Forum?
Attendance at the Western Energy & Water Forum will be limited to 150 participants. Duke alumni interested in attending should contact Stacy Peterson, assistant director for student and alumni engagement. A Duke discount is available, as is a government/nonprofit rate.

Also of interest:
Several of the faculty will kick off their Colorado visit on Tuesday, Jan. 21, when they will speak at a Duke Alumni Association evening event in Denver: "Fuel for Thought: Duke Experts on What's Next in Energy." All Duke alumni are invited to attend a networking reception, get Duke University experts' takes on the future of energy, and learn more about what Duke is doing to advance an accessible, affordable, reliable and clean energy system.