John Podesta, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Magic Johnson Announced for CLEANPOWER 2023

WASHINGTON D.C., May 2, 2023 – The American Clean Power Association today announced keynote speakers for CLEANPOWER 2023, the nation’s premier renewable energy conference. CLEANPOWER brings together the industry’s thought leaders and key influencers to discuss and showcase the most important issues facing the industry and the country today. With the theme of “Leading the Charge,” this year’s conference will take place at the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana from May 22–25. The agenda includes the following keynotes and panel discussions:

Tuesday, May 23, 2023: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. CDT The Grand Opening: A Decade of Opportunity

Keynote Speaker: John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation

John Podesta, Senior Advisor to President Biden for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation (OCEII) at the White House, will start CLEANPOWER 2023 with a must-see keynote address. Prior to his service in the current administration, Mr. Podesta founded the Center for American Progress, founded and chaired the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, and served as counselor to President Barack Obama—among many other accomplishments and notable positions he has held throughout his career. Mr. Podesta will share his wealth of knowledge about the clean power industry during his remarks on the decade of opportunity ahead of us.

Keynote Speaker: Gen. Stanley McChrystal (Ret.); Former Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan

A dynamic, powerful speaker, General Stanley McChrystal impresses audiences with field-tested leadership lessons, stressing a uniquely inclusive model that focuses on building teams capable of relentlessly pursuing results. When old systems fall short, he believes true leaders must look for ways to innovate and change. General McChrystal looks forward to leading a discussion on geopolitical challenges as they relate to energy independence and security.

Executive Panel on the IRA and a Decade of Growth and Transformation

The theme of the day, A Decade of Opportunity, will be encapsulated in a macro-level review of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the opportunities and challenges presented by the unprecedented federal investment in clean energy. This Executive Panel will bring perspectives from leadership positions across technologies and industries.

2:00 p.m. CDT: Fireside discussion with Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) moderated by ACP CEO Jason Grumet

Dr. Bill Cassidy is the senior United States Senator for Louisiana, having been elected to the U.S. Senate in 20214. He serves on the Finance Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Veterans Affairs committees and also serves as the Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee (HELP) Committee. Following his successful efforts to lower the cost of health care, secure coastal restoration projects to protect Louisiana families from natural disasters, reform our nation’s mental health system, and secure many other legislative accomplishments, Sen. Cassidy was reelected in 2020 to his second term in the U.S. Senate.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023: 9:00 a.m. CDT: Building a Bipartisanship Future for the Industry

Speaker: Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards

On January 11, 2016, John Bel Edwards was sworn in as the 56th Governor of Louisiana. In 2019, the people of Louisiana re-elected him, and on January 13, 2020, Gov. John Bel Edwards was sworn into his second term as the 56th Governor of Louisiana. He has taken numerous steps during his administration to address climate change and expand the clean energy sector alongside Louisiana’s long history of traditional energy. In 2020, Gov. Edwards created the Climate Initiatives Task force, the state’s first effort to develop economy-wide policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The climate task force delivered a plan to get Louisiana to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and under Gov. Edwards’ leadership Louisiana is emerging as a global leader in the energy transition.

Thursday, May 25, 2023: Community and Clean Energy 

9:00 a.m. CDT Keynote speaker: Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Having left the basketball court for the boardroom, Earvin “Magic” Johnson has successfully parlayed his skills and tenacity from the court into the business world as Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE). MJE provides high-quality products and services that focus primarily on ethnically diverse and underserved urban communities. He is constantly evolving and remaining relevant in a dynamic digital age by broadening his scope into infrastructure and technology. Through a newly formed fund, Johnson is investing millions of dollars on infrastructure improvement in the United States. He is also one of the leading investors in a number of minority-owned technology companies that include Uncharted Power, an award-winning power and data infrastructure technology company.

Additional energy leaders speaking at CLEANPOWER 2023:

• Jason Allen – CEO, Leeward Renewables
• Amy Andryszak –  President and CEO, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
• Laura Beane – President, Vestas North America
• Jesse Canzler – Vice President, General Manager, Mortenson
• Marty Durbin – President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Energy Institute
• Theresa Eaton – CEO & Owner – WECS Renewables
• Maria Korsnick – President and CEO, Nuclear Energy Institute
• Lacy McManus – Executive Director of Future Energy, Greater New Orleans, Inc
• Jim Murphy – President and Corporate Business Leader, Invenergy
• Armando Pimentel, President and CEO of Florida Power & Light Company
• Daniel Shugar – CEO, Founder – NEXTracker, Inc
• Krista Tanner – Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President, ITC Holdings Corp.

Conference registration, exhibitor information and sponsorship opportunities can be found at CLEANPOWER 2023.

Media registration for a press pass can be found here: Request a press pass.