| The National Capital Area Chapter of the United States Association for Energy Economics (NCAC-USAEE) is a non-profit organization of 400 energy professionals in the Washington metropolitan area. We are dedicated to providing a forum that fosters the exchange of ideas and the sharing of professional experiences. We also seek to promote an improved understanding of energy economics and energy related issues by all interested parties. |
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CALL FOR SPEAKERS AND VOLUNTEERS Are you an NCAC member? Want to share your research and opinions? Suggestions for speakers and content? Ideas/connections for events and venues? |
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Recent NCAC-USAEE Event PhotosFireside Chat and Conference Wrap-Up
(Dave O’Keefe, Vice President, NCAC-USAEE)(Adam Sieminski, Senior Advisor to the Board, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC))
Panel: Recognizing Value: New Market Dynamics Driving Nuclear Energy
(Benton Arnett, NEI)(David Brown, Constellation)(Madeline Cohen, EFI)(Andrew Foss, DOE
Panel: Recognizing Value: New Market Dynamics Driving Nuclear Energy
(Benton Arnett, NEI)(David Brown, Constellation)(Madeline Cohen, EFI)(Andrew Foss, DOE)
Panel: Critical Policy Elements of Sustainable Energy Dominance
(Lou Pugliaresi, President, EPRINC)(Thomas J. Pyle, IER)(Jack Spencer, The Heritage Foundation)
Career Workshop: A Pitch With a Twist
(Melissa Reitkopp, Talent Acquisition and Career Coach, Reitkopp Recruiting / Career Compass)
Keynote Address (Bob McNally, President, Rapidan Energy Group)
Panel: Assessing Growth Prospects for the U.S. Renewable Energy Industry
(Andrew Gilligan, Fluence)(Marie Fontenot, East Bay Community Energy)(Susanne Fratzscher, Sol Systems)(Gabe Wuebben, Excelsior
Distinguished Speaker (Anna Shpitsberg, Power Market and Clean Energy Finance Specialist, former Chief Climate Officer at the DFC)
Panel: The Economics and Politics of “Drill, Baby, Drill”
(Kevin Book, ClearView Energy Partners, LLC) (Michael Cohen, bp)(Mason Hamilton, API)(Richard Meyer, AGA)
Check-in
Opening Plenary Session (Carla Tully, Board Director, Advisor, Investor)
Dave O’Keefe, Vice President, Terrestrial Energy; Vice President, NCAC-USAEE
Opening Remarks (Jeff Plewes, Principal, Charles River Associates; President, NCAC-USAEE)
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NCAC-USAEE Diversity, Equity and Inclusion PolicyNCAC USAEE is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We embrace and encourage our members’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our members unique. We are dedicated to providing a forum that fosters the exchange of ideas and the sharing of professional experiences, encouraging the representation of all groups and perspectives. |
PRESIDENT'S LETTERNCAC-USAEE is pleased to announce that our membership has elected an Executive Council for the August 2022 through July 2023 term. Congratulations to all the new and returning Council members. It has been my great pleasure serving the membership for the 2021-2022 term. A short list of some of our accomplishments during this past year includes: - successfully and safely returned to in-person events, including our two premier events, the Annual Dinner, and the Spring Conference (available on our Members Only section) - continued monthly virtual zooms (available on our Members Only section) - conducted a poll with members to determine what events, what format and what locations for in-person events were preferred - held regular Council meetings to discuss what the future of NCAC-USAEE events and membership will look like in this new hybrid work environment. We will be providing exciting new information for our member offerings soon- look out for that email! -retained 80% of members as of August 2, 2022 -continued enhancements to the NCAC-USAEE website -maintained a healthy and stable bank balance It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve our NCAC-USAEE members and to guide the organization back into the post-COVID world. I look forward to seeing you in person, hopefully in the coming months. Thank you for your continued support of NCAC-USAEE. Thank you, Natalie Kempkey NCAC-USAEE President, 2021-2022 | FEATURED MEMBER Colby Connelly  Please note your affiliation and years of experience in the energy and/or environmental field. My primary affiliation is with Energy Intelligence, where I am a senior analyst with the firm’s Research and Advisory group, where I have worked since early 2020. I am also a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute’s Economics and Energy program. Getting into the energy field was never a part of my professional “plan.” In 2012 I accepted a position in Saudi Arabia that involved vocational and technical training for young Saudis, most of whom would then go to work for state-owned oil and gas, petchems, or utilities companies. This early experience with the energy sector led me to concentrate on energy security when I relocated to DC in 2018 and began working on an advanced degree at Johns Hopkins University.
Any particular achievement/interest in energy/environment you would like to mention? It is not the only focus of my work, but I am strongly interested in the way the NOCs of Arab Gulf countries are approaching the energy transition. These firms account for a massive portion of global energy production and their strategies are critical to the success of the energy transition around the world. On a more personal level, the time I spent in that part of the world has also given me a keen interest in how this transition impacts regional economies, and more directly the inhabitants of these countries themselves, whose futures are in many ways linked to a successful outcome.
In your opinion, what are important issues facing the energy industry nowadays? I think the lack of basic knowledge of energy systems and supply dynamics among the general public is a major issue. It isn’t likely to be the first thing on everyone’s mind, and discussion of energy being politicized is hardly a new phenomenon. But for the most part, I don’t believe that people outside our field are generally aware of where the energy they consume comes from. Not only does this get in the way of having a nuanced, sober discussion about the energy issues facing the country and the wider world, it arguably prevents the average citizen from being an informed consumer. In an era when almost everything seems subject to high levels of political polarization, it can be disheartening to see critical discussions around current and future energy dynamics getting dragged into this toxic climate. I think NCAC, its members, and other organizations like it have a role to play in “turning the temperature down” and promoting more productive conversations around How long have you been a member of NCAC? Any particular NCAC memory you would like to share with us? I have only been a member of NCAC for a couple of months, during which time most of my involvement has centered around preparation for the annual conference. This was a major draw to the organization for me, as I finished my studies at Hopkins right as the pandemic began. I’ve been disheartened at how slowly many events in the DC area are returning to an in-person format, so I’m excited to be working on an event that is geared towards getting a great number of our colleagues back into the same room together, and I am excited to do so on a more frequent basis. |