Greening Conference 2009, Panel 1: Greening Our Energy Trade Relationship

• What are the central challenges and opportunities for America’s energy trade relationship with Canada?
• How important is the US-Canadian energy trading relationship in tackling climate change in North America?
• How will Canadian oil sands production be affected by an Obama Cap and Trade policy?
• Can Canada and US integrate their carbon markets?
• How should trade in carbon-intensive energy be treated in future discussion NAFTA environmental side agreements?

Biographies:

J.R. DeShazo is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Social Research at the University of California at Los Angeles. (B.A., College of William and Mary, M.Sc., Oxford University, Rhodes Scholar; Ph.D., Harvard University) He was a faculty associate at the Harvard Institute for International Development (1997-2000) and is currently Director of the Lewis Center for Regional Studies at UCLA.

Brenda Goehring has worked for a Canada-based company called British Columbia Hydro & Power Authority (BC Hydro). The Company generates, purchases, distributes and sells electricity.

Steven Hochis a shareholder for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. He has 35 years of experience with both federal and state environmental laws and regulations in the context of permitting, regulatory proceedings, litigation and policy, relating to hazardous substances and wastes, soil and groundwater issues as well as air resources.

Simon Mui is a scientist with NRDC’s Air & Energy Program. He focuses on clean transportation, air pollution and the environment. Mui previously worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was a fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He has a Ph.D. in materials engineering from MIT and an M.A. in technology policy.

David G. Victor is a professor at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies and director of the School’s new Laboratory on International Law and Regulation at UCSD. Victor most recently served as director of the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, where he was also a professor at Stanford Law School. Victor has researched ways to improve oil reserve management, impact of technological innovation on economic growth, global forest policy, climate change and genetic engineering of food.

Perry Wong is a Senior Managing Economist in Regional Economics at the Milken Institute. Wong is an expert on regional economics (particularly Asia), development and econometric forecasting. His research has focused on labor issues, the relationship between technology and economic development, and trade and industry.

"Greening the North American Energy Relationship: Building a Stronger U.S.-Canada Environmental Partnership" – a conference supported by UCLA and the Government of Canada – opens a window on where we are now on the policy front and how energy companies, from petroleum producers to nuclear power producers, are working on solutions for the future. The conference will attract business, investors, government officials, non-governmental organizations and the media.