February 25 - 26, 2025
Bethesda Marriott, Maryland
Conference Day 2 - February 26, 2025
8:30 am - 9:15 am
NETWORKING AND REGISTRATION IN THE EXHIBITION HALL
9:00 am - 9:15 am
CHAIR'S WELCOME REMARKS
Honorable Sharon Burke -
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy,
Department of Defense
Honorable Sharon Burke
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational EnergyDepartment of Defense
9:00 am - 9:30 am
CRITICAL MINERALS, DISCUSSION WITH OASD INDUSTRIAL BASE POLICY
Adam C. Burstein, Technical Director for Strategic & Critical Materials, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy
9:30 am - 10:00 am
KEYNOTE FIRESIDE CHAT: INSIGHTS FROM ARMY COMBINED ARMS SUPPORT COMMAND
Major General Michelle K. Donahue -
Commanding General CASCOM and SCOE,
US Army
Honorable Sharon Burke - Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, Department of Defense
Honorable Sharon Burke, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy,
Department of Defense
Major General Michelle K. Donahue, Commander, Combined Arms Support Command/
Sustainment Center of Excellence, US Army
Honorable Sharon Burke
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational EnergyDepartment of Defense
10:00 am - 10:30 am
PANEL DISCUSSION: EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SHAPING DEFENSE ENERGY OF THE FUTURE
Dr. Kimberly Spangler -
Executive Director, SERDP & ESTCP,
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Resilience & Optimization
- Diving into the role of innovation in defense energy, cutting-edge technologies advancing energy storage, production and distribution
- Emerging technologies enhancing resilience and energy security for the Department of Defense
- Analyzing needs of defending the Department's large energy threat surface area and developing the next generation of energy solution
Dr. Kimberly Spangler
Executive Director, SERDP & ESTCPOffice of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Resilience & Optimization
10:30 am - 11:00 am
FIRESIDE CHAT: SPACE SOLAR POWER FOR THE DOD
Baiju Bhatt -
Founder and CEO,
Aetherflux
Honorable Sharon Burke - Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, Department of Defense
Honorable Sharon Burke, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy,
Department of Defense
Baiju Bhatt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Aetherflux
Honorable Sharon Burke
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational EnergyDepartment of Defense
11:00 am - 11:30 am
NETWORKING AND COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBITION HALL
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
RECENT TRENDS AND DOD ACTIONS IN BATTERY SECURITY
Eric Shields -
Senior Battery Advisor, Industrial Base Policy Office,
Office of the Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy
· How the defense industrial base can support enhancing energy resilience through optimized energy storage
· Discussions on current Geopolitical trends and challenges in lithium-ion battery supply chains
· Review of current policy actions underway within the USG and Department of Defense to reduce risk
Eric Shields
Senior Battery Advisor, Industrial Base Policy OfficeOffice of the Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: GRID SECURITY ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND AT HOME
Honorable Sharon Burke -
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy,
Department of Defense
Dr. Nat Horner - Director, Grid Cybersecurity and Communications, Office of Electricity, Department of Energy
· The cyber threat landscape, understanding the risks to energy security both on the battlefield and domestic settings
· Strategies for grid security, exploring innovation technologies and solutions for enhancing grid resilience
· Discussing potential challenges of the future, what could potential conflicts, and emerging threats bring in regard to grid security
Honorable Sharon Burke
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational EnergyDepartment of Defense
Dr. Nat Horner
Director, Grid Cybersecurity and Communications, Office of ElectricityDepartment of Energy
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
LUNCH AND NETWORKING BREAK IN THE EXHIBITION HALL
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: THE FUTURE OF DEFENSE ENERGY
Honorable Sharon Burke -
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy,
Department of Defense
John Quirk - Majority PSM, Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, US Senate Committee on Armed Services
· Insights into energy policy, strategy and initiatives
· Aligning defense energy strategies with national sustainability goals
· Discussing the innovative technologies advancing military energy including renewable energy technology and microgrid systems
Honorable Sharon Burke
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational EnergyDepartment of Defense
John Quirk
Majority PSM, Subcommittee on Readiness and Management SupportUS Senate Committee on Armed Services
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
OVERVIEW OF NUCLEAR ENERGY PROJECTS WITHIN THE US DOD
Dr. Jeff Waksman -
Program Manager, Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO),
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Dr. Annie Kammerer - Chief of the Nuclear Power Branch, Office of the Chief of Engineers (OCE), Department of the Army Headquarters (HQDA)
Captain Newt McKissick - Senior Military Advisor, Energy Portfolio, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
· Updates on nuclear energy projects across DoD including Project Pele
· How nuclear energy is shaping the future of defense energy
· A look at the role of nuclear energy for the future of defense energy, how nuclear energy can enhance resilience and operational capabilities
Dr. Jeff Waksman
Program Manager, Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO)Office of the Secretary of Defense
Dr. Annie Kammerer
Chief of the Nuclear Power Branch, Office of the Chief of Engineers (OCE)Department of the Army Headquarters (HQDA)
Captain Newt McKissick
Senior Military Advisor, Energy PortfolioDefense Innovation Unit (DIU)
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
NETWORKING AND COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBITION HALL
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES OF SPACE ENERGY
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Nix -
Space Nuclear Power Lead and Advanced Space Operations Software Branch Chief (RVSX),
US Space Force
· Discussing the role of space energy for resilience and security, and how space energy supports military operations
· Exploring space energy solutions, current advancements and challenges that need to be solved
· Understanding current research and development on the space energy front, looking at innovation and predictions for the future battlefield
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Nix
Space Nuclear Power Lead and Advanced Space Operations Software Branch Chief (RVSX)US Space Force
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: BUILDING RESILIENCE- INSIGHTS INTO US ARMY & NAVY INSTALLATION ENERGY PROJECTS
Mr. Keith Yamanaka -
Army Garrison Hawaii Energy Branch Chief,
US Army
Captain Nathan Gammache - Commander, NAS Whidbey Island,, US Navy
· Hear about current projects at USAG Hawaii and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
· DoE energy funding, grants, and managing costs and leveraging savings
· Reducing NAS Whidbey Islands dependencies on traditional fuel sources, enhancing resilience on base and beyond
· How energy projects are benefiting both the US Army and the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO)
