Energy Policy Forum

The Energy Policy Forum has convened a small group of diverse energy experts in Aspen for more than 40 years, with this year’s topics

For more than 40 years, the Aspen Institute has hosted forums about energy in the mountains of Aspen, Colorado. Whether the topics were the

Executive Summary In the United States and around the world, the energy sector is in a period of volatility, innovation, change, and opportu

Topics include new global energy pricing realities and the effects on domestic energy; the Clean Power Plan; the electricity source mix of the future; and new business models needed to deal with current markets realities.

Topics discussed included EPA's recently proposed rule on CO2 emissions from existing power plants, surging production of cheap natural gas, and virtually flat demand and revenue, due in part to distributed energy resources.

The group examined visions for the future, potential game changers, lessons from China, and resilience and cyber security.

Topics included regulatory issues affecting the financial model of utilities and the obstacles to the moves toward greater energy efficiency

Options to mitigate climate change, aging infrastructure, electric vehicles, renewable energy, the future of nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, and lessons from China.

The invited industry leaders and experts discussed different visions for the future of electricity, obstacles to achieving these visions, and the challenges and opportunities for various primary energy sources.