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Energy Opportunity at the Center on Global Energy Policy
December 12, 2023
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By Jason Bordoff
Upon returning from COP28 in Dubai late last week, the need to address the energy needs of the developing world is more pressing now than ever before. My conversations with leaders from across the globe at COP made it abundantly clear that the energy transition cannot be achieved without simultaneously providing energy access and security to the billions of people across the world still living in energy poverty. We must continue to prioritize energy accessibility —such as expanding energy access and alleviating energy poverty—as we focus on how to mitigate the effects of climate change and slow the rise of temperatures globally.
Equity and justice are core to the mission of the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University SIPA. A year ago at COP27, CGEP launched the Energy Opportunity Lab (EOL), an innovative program to address energy insecurity and inequity across both developed and developing economies. A few weeks prior to COP28, CGEP hosted its inaugural Energy Opportunity Forum to discuss solutions for energy insecurity in the United States and how to unlock clean energy finance across the African continent.
The Energy Opportunity Forum was the culmination of almost a year of hard work from our EOL team. Led by Co-Directors Dr. Diana Hernández and Andrew Kamau, the forum brought together over 150 attendees and participants, including researchers and students from across Columbia University, and featured local, federal, and international experts leading work on energy poverty, insecurity, and justice.
Dr. Melissa Lott delivering opening remarks at the Energy Opportunity Forum.
CGEP’s Senior Director of Research, Melissa Lott, kicked off the forum by highlighting global improvements in health and quality of life over the past 50 years, while noting that hundreds of millions of people still lack access to electricity, and energy services remain unreliable for billions more.
A conversation with EOL Co-Directors Dr. Diana Hernández and Andrew Kamau on defining the energy opportunity lens.
I moderated a discussion with our EOL Co-directors Dr. Diana Hernández and Andrew Kamau. Our conversation highlighted the Lab’s focus on actionable research, with clear pathways to translate findings into policy and practice. The discussion revealed Diana and Andrew’s wide range of expertise. One key insight they shared with me was the importance of quantifying the scope and scale of lacking energy access, and of building trust between community organizations and research institutions. They also emphasized the important role academics can play in bringing ethics and integrity to research.
The Honorable Shalanda Baker delivering the keynote address at the Energy Opportunity Forum.Panel discussion on “Policy and Practical Solutions for Addressing Energy Insecurity” in the United States, with (L-R) Dr. Diana Hernández, Michael Gerrard, Dr. Destenie Nock, Sonal Jessel, and Chandra Farley.Panel discussion on “Unlocking Financing for Productive Uses of Renewable Energy in Africa,” with (L-R) Jonathan Elkind, Stéphane A. Rigny, Angela Churie Kallhauge, and Dr. Vijay Modi.Andrew Kamau in conversation with Ambassador Martin Kimani on climate, conflict, and migration.
The half-day program showcased some of the leading voices in energy access, justice, and equity, including:
A keynote address from Shalanda Baker, Director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity, and Chief Diversity Officer at the US Department of Energy. She spoke about how her personal background led her to focus on environmental justice, emphasizing the need to address energy inequality, and acknowledging challenges in making the energy system just and equitable.
A panel discussion led by Professor Michael Gerrard, founder and faculty director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at the Columbia Law School, on the importance of addressing household energy insecurity through federal-level policy. The discussion emphasized the need for multidisciplinary approaches, data-driven interventions, and collaborative efforts to address energy insecurity more comprehensively.
A moderated discussion led by CGEP Fellow Jonathan Elkind on the importance of addressing international energy needs for poverty reduction, job creation, and overall economic development. Panelists urged a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to energy development in Africa.
And a candid conversation between EOL Co-Director Andrew Kamau and Ambassador Martin Kimani, Kenya’s permanent representative to the United Nations, on how energy and climate stressors contribute to conflict and migration.
Matthew Harris delivering the closing remarks at the Energy Opportunity Forum.
Matthew Harris—founder of bedari collective, founding partner at Global Infrastructure Partners, and chair of the CGEP Advisory Board—brought the event to a close. Matt spoke eloquently on the centrality of energy access as both a humanitarian and a climate issue. Expanding it, he said, would help build a thriving global community, and would be key to navigating the complexities of global decarbonization and the energy transition.
Participants engaging with the discussions at the Energy Opportunity Forum on November 17, 2023.
One thing that stood out to me personally at the Energy Opportunity Forum was the enthusiasm of our diverse community that came together to be a part of these critical and timely conversations. The event laid bare the tremendous concern and enthusiasm in the Columbia community for solving these challenges. Seeing how this topic resonated so closely with those in attendance was a special moment for me as Founding Director of CGEP—particularly in the Center’s tenth year of existence.
It goes without saying that none of this could have been possible without CGEP’s outstanding EOL leadership, Co-Director’s Diana Hernández and Andrew Kamau, and the tireless work of Senior Research Associate Vivek Shastry (who I would also add served as an outstanding Master of Ceremonies for the Forum’s program) and Research Associate Qëndresa Krasniqi.
Energy opportunity, justice, and equity sit at the heart of the energy transition, and with COP28 coming to a conclusion, the themes and conversations discussed at the Energy Opportunity Forum will be a key determining factor in the success of the global energy transition. CGEP and the Energy Opportunity Lab are working to be at the forefront of these issues, and will continue to develop actionable solutions to these challenges in the years ahead.
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