Quality. Independence. Impact.

Home | Contact Us | Media Resources

Wednesday November 25, 2009

Welcome   |   Register   |   Log in

Past Event

A Foreign Policy Event

Plug-In Electric Vehicles 2008: What Role for Washington?

Energy Security, Climate Change, Energy Security, Environment, Technology


Event Summary

Oil prices are at record highs. The overwhelming dependence of our cars and trucks on oil strains family budgets, threatens our national security and contributes to global warming. Plug-in electric vehicles have the potential to significantly reduce the United States’ dependence on oil. Yet can this potential be realized? If so, how? Is there a national interest in putting millions of plug-in vehicles on the road soon? How should policymakers in Washington, D.C., respond?

Event Information

When

Wednesday, June 11, 2008
to
Thursday, June 12, 2008

Where


Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill
400 New Jersey Ave., NW
Washington, DC
Map

Contact: Brookings Office of Communications

E-mail: events@brookings.edu

Phone: 202.797.6105

On June 11 and 12, the Brookings Institution and Google.org hosted a conference titled “Plug-in Electric Vehicles 2008: What Role for Washington?” The conference placed a spotlight on plug-in electric vehicles, examining their potential, their viability, and the pros and cons of different federal policies to promote them.

View Full Transcript (PDF) »
Watch Event Video Clips »
View Full Agenda »
Plug-in Car User Videos »
Speaker Biographies (PDF) »

Among those who addressed the conference are:

  • The Honorable Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Chairman, Senate Republican Conference (Remarks »)
  • The Honorable John Dingell (D-Mich.), Chairman, House Committee on Energy and Commerce (Remarks »)
  • The Honorable Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
  • The Honorable Jay Inslee, U.S. Representative (D-Wash.)
  • Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO, Project Better Place
  • John Bryson, Chair & CEO, Edison International
  • Troy Clarke, President, GM-North America
  • Peter Darbee, Chair and CEO, PG&E Corporation
  • Mark Duvall, Program Manager, Electric Transportation, Electric Power Research Institute
  • Juliet Eilperin, Correspondent, The Washington Post
  • Mark Fields, President, Ford-North America
  • Tom Friedman, Columnist, The New York Times
  • Peter Horton, Producer and Director, "Grey’s Anatomy"
  • Andy Karsner, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy  
  • Felix Kramer, Founder, CalCars
  • Tom Kuhn, President, Edison Electric Institute
  • Deron Lovaas, Vehicles Campaign Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Alan Madian, Director, LECG
  • John Podesta, President, Center for American Progress
  • Dan Reicher, Director, Climate Change & Energy Initiatives, Google.org
  • Bill Reinert, National Manager, Advanced Technology Group, Toyota
  • David Sandalow, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
  • Chelsea Sexton, Executive Director, Plug-In America
  • Frederick W. Smith, CEO and Founder, FedEx, and Co-Chair, Energy Security Leadership Council
  • Sue Tierney, Managing Principal, Analysis Group Inc.
  • Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Correspondent, The Economist and co-author, Zoom
  • Dave Vieau, CEO, A123 Systems
  • Jon Wellinghoff, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
  • Jim Woolsey, Partner, Vantage Point Venture Partners
  • Mary Ann Wright, CEO, Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions

Transcript

DAVID SANDALOW: Hello, everybody, welcome. My name is David Sandalow, and on behalf of the Brookings Institution and our partner in this conference, Google.org, I am thrilled to welcome you to this conference.

Yesterday on the floor of the Senate, we saw how partisan divisions can block progress when it comes to energy policy. And today, at this conference, we’ll discuss an issue that can unite Americans, findings ways to connect cars to the electric grid.

We’ll hear from Republicans and from Democrats, from businesses and NGO’s, from engineers and attorneys, from optimists and pessimists. Our objective is to inform, to explore, and perhaps to inspire.

We have at least three tools over the next 24 hours, starting with the extraordinary speakers who are sharing the stage. We’ll also have video, like the one you just saw, some from old footage, some from experts who have come into our studios to talk about this issue, and others from Google.org’s recent call for videos on the question “Why I want to drive a plug-in hybrid?” We have almost a dozen electric cars out in the foyer and upstairs; and, in addition, we have each other. Looking at the list of more than 400 registrations here, I have to say it’s easy to see what a superb group this is. There’s a lot of enthusiasm, expertise, and a lot of learning that can be done from each other.


Advanced Search | Tips

My Portfolio

My New Content

View suggested content based on items you have saved to your Portfolio.
Log in or register now