Shaping the Future of Military Energy: A Conversation on Emerging Threats, Technological Innovations, and the 2025 Operational Energy Summit

IDGA’s 17th iteration of the Operational Energy Summit will bring together operational and installation energy leaders from the US DoD, DoE, allied military, industry, and academia to discuss the current state of military energy.

This year’s event, which takes place February 25-26 in Bethesda, Maryland, will focus on addressing the emerging threat landscape, contested environments, the role of innovative technology, and the challenges and gaps in defense energy to ensure support of military operations.

In her second year as chairwoman of the event, Sharon Burke, the former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, is looking forward to building off the engaging conversations held last year. Besides chairing the Operational Energy Summit, Burke is also the Founder and President of Ecospherics, a research and advisory firm that specializes in energy security, critical minerals, climate security, and related challenges. She has been a leader at several civic organizations, including the Center for a New American Security, where she started the Natural Security program.

Before joining attendees in Bethesda this February, Burke sat down with IDGA to discuss:

• The current state of the energy security and operational energy space
• The importance of partnerships between the DoD and industry
• What will set apart the 2025 iteration of the Operational Energy Summit