Virtual Event to Discuss Future of Clean Energy/Security in WV
In 2019, West Virginia was ranked fifth nationwide in total energy production, of that, coal was responsible for 84% of that production. To explore the future of clean energy in the Mountain State, the American Security Project and the University of Charleston will present Energy, Climate, and National Security in WV Tuesday, August 9, 2022.
The virtual roundtable will bring together experts in various fields to discuss the critical role WV plays in the national energy discussion and how it can help enhance US national security.
Panelists include:
Major General John E. Barnette, USA (Ret.), is a former Commanding General for the WV Army National Guard. He is currently a Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Charleston where he is also the Executive Director of Leadership and Professional Development Programs
Brigadier General Bob Barnes, USA (Ret.), is a member of the Council on Strategic Risks Board of Directors. He is also a Senior Policy Advisor and member of the Advisory Board at the Center for Climate and Security, where he provides policy advice on addressing the national and international security implications of climate change. He is a recognized expert on environmental security, interagency and public-private collaboration on climate change and other environmental matters with national security implications.
Mr. Brandon Dennison is the Founder and CEO of Coalfield Development. He is winner of the JMK Social Innovation Prize, is a DRK Entrepreneur, and is an Ashoka Fellow. In 2019, he was awarded the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy, and Employment.
Mr. Briggs White, Ph.D., serves as deputy executive director of the Biden Administration’s Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization. In this role, he works hand in hand with the 11 federal agency members of the IWG to advance its mission. White joined the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in 2007 and most recently served as a technology manager for three research and development programs, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management: High Performance Materials, Water Management, and Energy Storage. He is currently based out of NETL’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, site and worked at NETL’s Morgantown, West Virginia, site from 2007 to 2015.
Mr. Evan Hansen is a representative of Monongalia in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Mr. Ryan Thorn is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s State Director for West Virginia. He previously served more than five years as Economic Development Manager for the Office of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin III (D-WV)