at the gw moving the planet forward innovation summit on april 17, 2012, admiral mcginn participated in a panel discussing the future of the renewable industry and planet forward was able to catch up him backstage.

admiral mcginn believes that the greatest innovation has been the way that different types of renewable energy are being deployed. he says that the time to move forward in creating a “21st century clean energy portfolio” is now.

today, hefner is founder and ceo of the ghk companies, an oklahoma-based natural gas and oil firm. he has pioneered ultradeep natural gas exploration and led the development of innovative technology necessary to successfully drill and produce the world’s deepest and highest pressure natural gas wells.

hefner caught up with planet forward backstage at the gw moving the planet forward innovation summit on april 17, 2012. he believes that the greatest innovation has been in the natural gas industry. he says, “it’s allowed this country to become super abundant, actually drowning, in natural gas.”

doug guthrie, dean of the gw school of business, moderated a discussion between deborah wince-smith, president of the council on competitiveness, and debra rowe, president of the u.s. partnership for education for sustainable development. rowe explained that every job could be considered a “green job” because all jobs and industries impact the “bigger picture” of sustainability. however, in order to create more opportunities and jobs involving sustainability and innovation, rowe asserted that higher education must be reorganized. all agreed that the discussion of sustainability is not enough; giving students the information and materials to understand sustainability and solutions and educating them as well as the public, policy makers, and employers is essential.

moderator megan hughes of bloomberg tv led a discussion between aneesh chopra, mayo shattuck, executive chairman of exelon corporation, and alex laskey, the co-founder and president of opower, a new engagement platform for utilities companies that sends customers information about their energy spending habits through text message, e-mail, snail mail, and even facebook. laskey compared a part of opower’s services to that of a credit card company feature that is undoubtedly useful to its customers: activity alerts. opower also uses behavioral analytics and data to inform customers of unusual usage, enabling them to use that awareness to save money on their utility statements and in turn help them to conserve energy. chopra asserted that information technology will be the key to an energy efficient future, explaining that the intersection of liberated data and financial innovation will be a “big boon to sustainability.”

the new york times’ andy revkin moderated the last panel discussion of the day, “renewables: boom or bust?” the panelists discussed natural gas and renewable power sources, including water, wind, and solar energy. vice admiral dennis mcginn (ret.), president of the american council on renewable energy, called natural gas “a blessing,” as it is cleaner to produce than coal and has a “firming capability” for when wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining as brightly. the panel came to the conclusion that, ultimately, there must be a synergy between natural gas and renewables in order to diversify our energy portfolio.

as international treaties and federal policy-making stall, cities are taking the initiative, fostering innovation and fueling competition, all in the interest of adapting to climate change. the impacts of a changing planet aren’t theoretical for these leaders. for them, it’s adapt, innovate or watch their city’s future die.

moderator: frank sesno, founder and host, planet forward
vincent gray, mayor, washington, d.c.
mark mallory, mayor, cincinnati, oh
tommy battle, mayor, huntsville, al
steven knapp, president, the george washington university
melissa keeley, assistant professor of geography, the george washington university

the panel of experts discussed renewable energy in the wake of solyndra and how the debate can move forward.

moderator: andrew revkin, blogger, the new york times
vice admiral dennis mcginn (ret.), president, american council on renewable energy
robert hefner, founder and chief executive officer, the ghk companies
reed hundt, chief executive officer, coalition for green capital
ron smith, co-founder and president, verdant power