NETL Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D., will be a key panelist for a discussion of scientific achievements and the role of national laboratories in advancing energy transition during the 40th annual CERAWeek – the world’s preeminent energy conference set for Tuesday, March 8 in Houston, Texas.

CERAWeek brings together global leaders to advance new ideas, insight and solutions to the biggest challenges facing the future of energy, the environment and climate. The event will be attended by public and private sector leaders from energy and utility industries and representatives from the automotive, manufacturing, policy and financial communities. 

Speakers this year will include DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and a host of experts, authors, government officials and representatives from more than 100 countries.

“CERAWeek is always a valuable experience for a global audience,” Anderson said. “America’s national laboratories, including NETL, play a key role in the energy innovation ecosystem by achieving and sharing our scientific and technological breakthroughs. I am grateful for the opportunity to emphasize their contributions and potential as experts from around the world work together to address climate change and energy challenges.”

Anderson will be joined on the panel by Paul Kearns, director of Argonne National Laboratory and Doug Arent, executive director of strategic public-private partnerships at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The panel will be moderated by Vijay Vaitheeswaran, global energy and climate innovation editor with “The Economist.”

Anderson leads NETL’s 1,300-plus employees and guides more than 1,000 R&D projects and project performers in 50 states with a total award value of $5 billion. Under Anderson’s leadership, NETL has initiated technology development and deployment projects that include direct air capture technologies for decarbonization, chemical looping combustion with potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the incorporation of diverse energy sources — including renewable, nuclear and fossil with carbon capture — to more effectively provide environmental sustainability.

In 1983, Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts as an energy research and consulting firm. It became known for its critical knowledge and independent analysis on energy markets, geopolitics, industry trends, technology and strategy. Each year, CERA clients gathered in Houston, Texas, to attend the executive conference where they gained insight into the energy future while connecting with their peers. Over time, the program was expanded to five days of informative sessions and networking opportunities —and named CERAWeek. 
 
The event has been described by the Financial Times as the ‘the Davos of energy,’ and by Politico as the “industry’s Super Bowl.” CNBC called it “the world’s preeminent energy conference.” CERAWeek was rated one of the top five overall “corporate leader” conferences in the world.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.