Energy Opportunity Forum 2023 - Webinar | Columbia CGEP | 17 November 2023 |

Over half of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa has no access to electricity. Hospitals in these regions struggle to provide healthcare, food, and vaccines get wasted due to lack of cooling, And businesses struggle to improve productivity. At the same time, a third of United States households experience energy insecurity – many forgo food or medicine to pay utility bills, live in unhealthy conditions, or face utility disconnections altogether. Governments, experts, and civil society have highlighted the urgency to accelerate the use of reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy for catalyzing overall well-being and development. How do we unleash this energy opportunity so individuals and communities across the world can realize their fullest life potential?

2023 Speakers and Panelists

Dr. Melissa C. Lott
Director of Research, Center on Global Energy Policy; Senior Research Scholar, Columbia SIPA

Dr. Diana Hernández
Managing Director – Domestic Programs, Energy Opportunity Lab; Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health

Andrew Kamau
Managing Director – International Programs, Energy Opportunity Lab

Hon. Shalanda H. Baker
Director, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, U.S. Department of Energy

Chandra Farley
Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Atlanta, Georgia

Prof. Michael Gerrard
Founder and Faculty Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School

Sonal Jessel
Director of Policy, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

Dr. Destenie Nock
Assistant Professor of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Vijay Modi
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University

Angela Churie Kallhauge
Executive Vice President, Impact, Environmental Defense Fund

Tshepidi Moremong
Chief Operating Officer, Africa 50

Stéphane A. Rigny
Founder and CEO, Sarmin Holdings Inc.

H.E. Amb. Martin Kimani
Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations

Matthew Harris
Founding Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners; Founder, bedari collective

Moderators:

Jason Bordoff
Founding Director, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA; Professor, Columbia SIPA; Co-Founding Dean Emeritus, Columbia Climate School

Dr. Diana Hernández
Managing Director – Domestic Programs, Energy Opportunity Lab; Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health

Jonathan Elkind
Fellow and Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA

Andrew Kamau
Managing Director – International Programs, Energy Opportunity Lab