The Green New Deal: Energy Sector Solutions

The Green New Deal is a non-binding resolution put forward by members of the U.S. Congress to shift the nation to 100 percent zero-emission energy sources over the next 10 years. This ambitious policy outline is both an environmental plan and an economic one, calling for increased investment in education, high-quality jobs, healthcare, and housing.

At Friday Forum, we'll zero in on the environmental goals and discuss the role the energy sector will play in reducing U.S. carbon pollution. What will it take to make steep reductions to greenhouse gas emissions? What's underway right now and what investments need to be made soon to continue cutting emissions?

Join us to hear from our panel of energy experts and to ask your questions.

Panel

Angus Duncan was the founding president of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, which supports renewable energy development and watershed restoration in the Pacific Northwest. Mr. Duncan has worked in private sector renewable energy project development, in state and local government, as a member and chair of the Northwest Power Planning Council, and as director of energy policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In 2004, Mr. Duncan chaired the drafting committee that wrote Oregon’s greenhouse gas reduction goals and climate strategy, since adopted by the Governor and Legislature. He serves as chair of Oregon’s Global Warming Commission, to which he was appointed by Governor Kulongoski in 2008. Since 2007, he has consulted with NRDC, a national environmental advocacy organization on utility energy, transportation, and climate policies in the Pacific Northwest states.

Jack Kerfoot is a scientist, energy expert and author, who has been interviewed on numerous radio and television stations across America. He started his professional career as a geophysicist in the 1970s, when America was first faced with an energy crisis. He is the principal of JL Kerfoot Energy Services and is an outspoken advocate for renewable energy.
 
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Maria Pope is president and CEO of Portland General Electric, Oregon’s largest electric provider. Maria works with customers, communities, and government leaders to meet the changing needs of PGE customers and lead Oregon to a clean energy future. 

Maria joined PGE in 2009 as CFO and treasurer. She also served as senior vice president of Power Supply, Operations and Resource Strategy, overseeing the company’s power generation facilities, wholesale power marketing and long-term resource strategy. From 2006 to 2008, she served as a member of PGE’s Board of Directors. 

Before she joined PGE, Maria was CFO of Mentor Graphics Corporation and served in senior operating and finance positions within the forest products and consumer products industries. She began her career in banking with Morgan Stanley & Co.

Maria serves on the Oregon Global Warming Commission and the boards of Umpqua Holdings Corporation and the Oregon Business Council. She previously served as board chair of Oregon Health & Science University and served on several other U.S. and Canadian boards. 

Maria is an alumna of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

Moderator

Silvia Tanner joined Renewable Northwest in November 2015. She holds a B.A. in economics from Portland State University and a J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College. She brings to the organization her background in utility regulation and data analysis, as well as her experience researching national and international energy issues. Silvia calls the Pacific Northwest home and dedicates a lot of her time to this community. As a student, she assisted low-income clients in areas like landlord tenant and business law. She is now a volunteer attorney with the Small Business Legal Clinic’s Pro-bono Program, and serves on the Oregon Women Lawyers’ Working Parents Committee and on the board of the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association. Silvia is also a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and running.