U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm was in North Texas Friday, sharing some powerful words on the future of America’s climate and power problems.
Granholm was the keynote speaker at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Innovation Summit, held at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine this week.
The annual conference and technology showcase brings together hundreds of scientists, engineers and investors from around the country and globe. Many are experts from a wide variety of technical disciplines and professional communities and the summit allows them the chance to collaborate one-on-one on how to address America’s energy challenges in new and innovative ways.
Granholm compared the energy and climate issues to the moon race from 50 years ago, except this race has a different end goal.
“This is also a race, as you all know, to save our shared home, this planet. The people in this room are America’s best hope, the technologies that you create will decide whether we win this race. But no pressure,” she joked during her speech.
Texas is all too familiar with energy challenges. ERCOT, which operates the state’s energy grid, has been top of mind for Texans ever since the February 2021 power crisis, which experts have said was caused by the failure to winterize natural gas power sources, as well as some wind and solar sources.
Granholm held a fireside chat with energy leaders on Friday after her speech, to discuss how technologies supported by the Department of Energy are making an impact and driving American innovation.
She also pressed scientists in the room – many of whom are responsible for current clean energy technology – to continue coming up with solutions to cut back on pollution and emissions, among other climate and renewable energy goals set forth by the Biden administration.
She also said she’s committed to pushing those projects forward in Washington, D.C. However, she did acknowledge the uphill battle on Capitol Hill.
In recent days, she was blasted by Republicans at the House Oversight and Accountability Committee over fossil fuels, electric vehicles and other hot-button issues. The lawmakers have accused the Biden administration of “starting a war” with American fossil-fuel production with the president’s climate agenda.
Granholm closed her trip to DFW with a speech on U.S. industrial policy and achievements to the North Texas Commission.