Final Keynote Speakers Announced for 2012 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit

Thursday, February 9, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC –- The Energy Department released today the current speakers for the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) annual Energy Innovation Summit, which will take place at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center at the National Harbor, Maryland, from February 27-29, 2012. Acting Under Secretary of Energy and ARPA-E Director Arun Majumdar will host senior officials from the Energy Department, including Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman at the Summit. The Summit will also include a number of the nation’s leaders across industry, Congress and academia.

Keynote speakers for the Summit include:

  • President Bill Clinton 
  • Microsoft Founder and Chairman Bill Gates 
  • Xerox CEO Ursula Burns 
  • FedEx CEO Fred Smith 
  • BDT Capital Chairman Lee Scott 
  • Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter 
  • MIT President Susan Hockfield 

The Summit will also feature comments by a bipartisan group of Members of Congress:

  • House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi 
  • New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman 
  • Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander 
  • Delaware Senator Chris Coons 
  • Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah 
  • Arkansas Congressman Steve Womack 

These leaders will discuss a variety of issues with a focus on developing our nation’s energy resources to build an American economy that lasts.

“I’m excited to once again bring some of our nation’s top thought leaders to Washington to discuss the importance of research, development and deployment of game-changing energy technologies,” said ARPA-E Director Arun Majumdar. “This year’s Summit will further explore the important role innovation plays in America's future competitiveness and energy security.”

A wide range of energy technologies and new topic areas will be discussed at the Summit. The Summit features a Technology Showcase displaying over 250 breakthrough energy developments from ARPA-E’s awardees and many other innovative companies. There will be exhibits from ARPA-E-funded projects and applicants in areas including grid-scale storage, power electronics, batteries for electric vehicles, building efficiency, advanced carbon capture and electrofuels.

The Summit will also highlight top startup companies that competed in DOE’s “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator Challenge”, which leverages cutting-edge technologies from the Energy Department’s national laboratories to support new startup companies across the country.

Last year’s annual ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit attracted more than 90 speakers and 2,000 attendees from 49 states and 20 countries. Attendees included members of research and development institutions, global corporations, technology entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and government officials. The event is co-hosted by ARPA-E and Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI).

To register for the 2012 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit and for the latest news on the Summit program, please visit: http://www.energyinnovationsummit.com. For additional questions on press opportunities or for specific interview requests on the Summit, please contact the Energy Department at 202-586-4940.