Bestselling Author Walter Isaacson, Leaders from ARPA-E, AWS, LanzaTech, Microsoft and Radia Headline Innovation and Technology Programming at CERAWeek by S&P Global 2024

Week-long programming on technology, innovation and decarbonization—centered in the "CERAWeek Innovation Agora"—will be a major focus at the world's preeminent energy conference, to be held in Houston March 18-22

HOUSTON, March 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bestselling author Walter Isaacson, as well as leaders from the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), Amazon Web Services (AWS), LanzaTech, Microsoft, and Radia will be among the technology and innovation speakers at CERAWeek 2024 by S&P Global 2024—the world's preeminent energy conference—to be held in Houston March 18-22.

CERAWeek 2024: Multidimensional Energy Transition: Markets, climate, technology and geopolitics will explore strategies for a multidimensional, multispeed and multifuel energy transition—one that reflects different realities and timelines by region, technology, industry strategies, as well as the variety of social and political approaches and divergent national priorities in an increasingly multipolar world. 

Among the technology and innovation leaders to address conference delegates are:

• Walter Isaacson, biographer of Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Leonardo DaVinci and professor at Tulane University
• Ernest Moniz, Founder and CEO, Energy Futures Initiative, former U.S. Secretary of Energy
• Lord John Browne of Madingley, Chairman, Beyond Net Zero
• Evelyn N. Wang, Director, U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)
• H.E. Iván Duque, former President, Colombia
• Bill Vass, Vice President of Engineering, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Nicole Iseppi, Managing Director of Energy Innovation, Bezos Earth Fund
• Cesar Norton, CEO, HIF Global
• Maria Pope, President and CEO, Portland General Electric
• Sushil Purohit, CEO, Gentari
• Damien Beauchamp, President and Chief Development Officer, 8 Rivers
• Jennifer Holmgren, Chairman and CEO, LanzaTech
• Scott Guthrie, Executive Vice President, Cloud + AI, Microsoft
• Meg Gentle, Executive Director of the Board, HIF Global
• Mark Lundstrom, Founder and CEO, Radia
• John Arnold, Founder and Co-Chair, Arnold Ventures
• Yi Cui, Director, Sustainability Accelerator, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University
• Marco Alverà, Co-founder and CEO, TES
• Dr. Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General, World Nuclear Association
• Franklin Chang Díaz, CEO, Ad Astra Rocket Company
• Hon. Mary Landrieu, Senior Policy Advisor, Van Ness Feldman LLP, former U.S. Senator

The CERAWeek Innovation Agora will serve as the center of technology and innovation programming at the conference. Featuring a community of thought leaders, technologists, investors, academics, energy companies and government officials, the Innovation Agora will showcase transformational technology platforms in energy and adjacent industries—including presentations from more than 200 start-ups—ranging across AI, decarbonization, low carbon fuels, cybersecurity, hydrogen, nuclear, mining and minerals, mobility, automation, and more.

The CERAWeek Innovation Agora program is available to all CERAWeek registrants and will comprise a series of thought-provoking conversations, presentations and discussions, including its signature Voices of Innovation series of intimate, one-on-one conversations with thought leaders, Agora Studio sessions featuring moderated dialogues with 2-3 guest speakers on emerging and disruptive technologies, as well as Agora Pods featuring demonstrations and case studies. The 2024 program will also feature expanded Agora Hubs—dedicated areas focused on hydrogen, carbon and climate.

The 2024 CERAWeek Innovation Agora program will also include:

• Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) Energy Ventures Pitch Competition:
  A competition for start-ups and entrepreneurs where businesses that are focused on providing cleaner and more sustainable energy, while also meeting global energy needs reliably and affordably, will be evaluated by a special judging panel of venture capitalists.
• US National Labs Participation: Visit the U.S. Department of Energy National Labs Accelerator Room to learn how five of the Labs are applying technologies to solve the challenges of energy transition.
• Innovation Agora Car Show: A select number of CERAWeek Partners will display and discuss vehicles powered by different fuels and systems—such as EVs, Hybrid, E-Fuels, Biofuels, Hydrogen—that are shaping the automotive future.

The 2024 program will also feature the "Clean Energy Commons" fostering connections for the innovation ecosystem as well as the "Clean Tech Corridor" where delegates can meet entrepreneurs building promising companies.

Key themes to be explored throughout the Innovation Agora program include:

• Decarbonizing industry and transport
• AI and digital technology
• Financial innovation
• Innovation ecosystems
• Low/no carbon power and electrification
• Human capital
• Hydrogen and low carbon fuels
• Addressing climate change

"The growth of the CERAWeek Innovation Agora highlights the accelerating pace of the energy transition and the emerging technologies that are driving it," said James Rosenfield, CERAWeek Founder and Co-chair. "These technologies—and the innovators behind them—are more vital than ever in meeting the challenges of a multidimensional, multispeed and multifuel transformation of the energy system.

"The unique community that the CERAWeek Innovation Agora brings together—comprised of traditional energy companies, start-ups, technology companies, innovation thought leaders and investors—reflects the vibrant marketplace of ideas required to develop, deploy and scale the solutions for the world's greatest energy and environmental challenges."

"The intersection of technology and energy is among the most consequential areas shaping the future, and that is reflected throughout the CERAWeek 2024 program," said Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, S&P Global and CERAWeek conference chair. "This year's conference theme, 'Multidimensional Energy Transition' speaks to the increasing realization that the path forward will be non-linear. Meeting energy and technological challenges along a multitude of paths—accounting for different situations in different parts of the world—requires an equally diverse and dynamic set of solutions. The role that innovation will play cannot be overstated."

Learn more about the CERAWeek Innovation Agora program at: https://ceraweek.com/program/innovation-agora.html 

CERAWeek by S&P Global is the premier annual international gathering of the world's energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policymakers, as well as leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities. The conference is produced by S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI).

Visit www.ceraweek.com for a complete list of speakers and the most up-to-date program information (subject to change).

Registration Information

CERAWeek by S&P Global 2024 will be held March 18-22 at the Hilton Americas—Houston. Further information and delegate registration is available at www.ceraweek.com.

Media Accreditation

Media registration is now open. Members of the media interested in covering CERAWeek 2024 are required to apply for accreditation.

Applications are subject to approval and can be submitted at the following link: https://reg.spglobal.com/flow/spglobal/ceraweek24/mediareg/login

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SOURCE S&P Global