Dr. Ernest Moniz

Energy Futures Initiative

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Ernest J. Moniz is the CEO of Energy Futures Initiative and EJM Associates. He served as the thirteenth United States Secretary of Energy from 2013 to January 2017. In that role, he advanced energy technology innovation, nuclear security and strategic stability, cutting-edge capabilities for the American scientific research community, and environmental stewardship. He also strengthened the Department of Energy’s (DOE) strategic partnerships with its seventeen national laboratories to produce science-based policy proposals that attracted strong bipartisan support. A key architect of the Paris Agreement on climate change and Mission Innovation at COP 21, Professor Moniz championed international initiatives that placed energy, science, and technological innovation at the center of the global response to the climate crisis. He also negotiated the historic Iran nuclear agreement alongside Secretary of State John Kerry. Today Professor Moniz also serves as CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-profit organization that has advanced innovative solutions for securing nuclear materials, building international cooperation for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, preventing the spread of disease, and reducing radiological threats. Professor Moniz was the Founding Director of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and Director of the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment. He received a Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude in physics from Boston College, a doctorate in theoretical physics from Stanford University, and has received multiple honorary doctorates.

Sessions With Dr. Ernest Moniz

Tuesday, 7 March

Wednesday, 8 March

  • 04:05pm - 04:45pm (CST) / 08/mar/2023 10:05 pm - 08/mar/2023 10:45 pm

    The Geopolitics of Energy Security and Transition
    Geopolitics/Policy/Regulatory
    Much has been speculated about the geopolitical benefits of a net-zero world, fueled through renewable energies and revamped supply chains to support them. Energy, in theory, becomes locally sourced, not a tool of geopolitical power. Yet the world is only starting to grapple with the geopolitical impacts of making this transition. War in Ukraine has taught us that we need new policies, greater resilience and new tool kits. As the energy transition unfolds, what does energy justice mean across nations? How can we ensure adequate hydrocarbon supplies if they face massive retrenchment in coming decades? How do rich and poor governments incentivize technology investment guided by markets and not ideology? What are the new risks and opportunities in mineral supply chains and cyber vulnerability?
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