Assistant Secretary Karsner and Larry Weber…

From left to right: Andy Karsner, Assistant Secretary at DOE; Deborah Wince-Smith, President of CoC; John Mizroch, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at DOE; Dan Arvizu, Director of NREL; and David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary at DOE.

Other participants that joined today’s steering committee meeting were Assistant Secretary Karsner from the Department of Energy and Larry Weber of Racepoint Group.

Mr. Karsner praised the work of the ESIS as one of the most important initiatives from one of the most influential groups.  The conversation that ensued discussed the previous election between Bush and Kerry, specifically how energy was only brought up once.  Everyone was in agreement how things had changed in a few shorts years.  Discussion then moved onto the importance of creating incentives so that the private puts more money into developing renewable energy and technology that boosts efficiency.

Next was Larry Weber of Racepoint Group, a global public relations firm that is working to breathe new life into the Council’s social/digital media presence with a new Facebook page, helping the CoC update their information in Wikipedia, adding video to CoC’s YouTube page and launching the Council’s first blog.  “We really have an opportunity to own a dialogue that has a lot of people, like Boone Pickens and Al Gore, taking high profile roles,” said Weber.   “We are obviously the organization with the best ideas.  Now we just need to communicate them effectively through social and offline media.”

A comprehensive energy future…

A rich discussion is taking place at the CoC’s ESIS Initiative Steering Committee meeting.  Many leaders are offering their viewpoints on the future of energy from the Former President of Shell, John Hofmeister, to Thomas R. Baruch, Founder and Managing Director of CMEA Ventures.

Many of the speakers expressed a need to have a comprehensive view of our energy future.  One member of the steering committee said, “Boon’s Picken’s approach would involve doing more drilling, but I think we need a more comprehensive approach.”

Another said, “We need a real underlying change in foreign and domestic policy.  The price of oil has brought to the forefront certain political realities.  The deepest reality and irony is the alternative path to oil is what will save America.  Not only will it be a new source of energy, but that it will shape our global thinking.  Our dependence is not only oil, it’s on the geopolitical issues that result from that dependence.  The friendships and alliances we have, the wars we fight, etc.  This is a great moment in history where opportunity and necessity align.  The world is waiting for what we can do.  God help us if America does not see it.”

There was also a focus on the world wide shortage of skilled workers to build and operate the next energy generating technologies be it fossil or renewable fuels.  As one member put it, everyone supports a green workforce, but neither the Obama or McCain campaign has a comprehensive plan to create it.

ESIS Steering Committee Convenes This Morning!

Photos of Washington D.C. where today's meeting is being held.

This morning the Energy Security, Innovation & Sustainability (ESIS) Initiative steering committee is convening with top advisors to the Obama and McCain campaigns along with senior officials in the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. 

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss how to create a secure, sustainable and competitive energy future. Our position in the global economy depends on our ability to meet our future energy demands.”

In her opening address to the members of the steering committee, which is made up of top CEOs, labor leaders and university presidents, President of the CoC, Deborah L. Wince-Smith said, “Energy is the most important issue moving forward to ensure the future competitiveness of the United States.  

Lives updates will be provided directly from the meeting throughout the day.