Energy and Environment Program

The Aspen Institute Clean Energy Roundtable

The 2012 Aspen Institute Clean Energy Roundtable will take place in Aspen July 12 through 15. 

This invitation-only roundtable brings together top energy, finance, and policy experts for an in-depth conversation on how to quickly and efficiently move toward a clean energy economy.  The Roundtable features participant-driven discussion about technology, RD&D, changes in renewable energy markets and particular focus on the direction of where policy needs to go in the future.  At the same time the roundtable aims to be honest about why policy and economics are so politically out of alignment - and how to help bring them closer together.

The Challenge:  To move all sectors toward this shared vision of a clean energy economy, the Aspen Institute’s Energy and Environment Program convenes this Roundtable each summer to bring together thought-leaders in a values-based intentional dialogue about clean energy policy.  The overarching objective of the discussion is to highlight new ideas of how to merge the collective desire for a clean energy future with current systemic political, technical and economic realities.  We also want to continue to build a coalition of leaders across multiple sectors that will work to bring these ideas into practice.

The Conversation: This Roundtable will draw together by invitation a select group of 40 to 50 energy, financial, and policy experts who can address the related issues of global energy demand, economic development, and investment in alternative energy technologies.

Aspen Institute policy roundtables are widely respected. The Energy and Environment program has over 30 years of experience convening dialogues in a neutral forum with a recognized track record of introducing leadership and new thinking around important environmental policy issues.  Participants are selected to represent a broad spectrum of perspectives, and in our experience, this combination of perspectives and ideas yields problem solving and innovative thinking. The Clean Energy Economy Roundtable will begin each session with a few brief discussion-starting presentations, but the majority of the time will be reserved for discussion among the participants.

For more information about this Roundtable please contact Tim Olson (timothy.olson@aspeninstitute.org; 202-736-2907).