It’s no secret that the United States uses a disproportionate amount of the world’s power. This fact has spurred one of the strongest energy-efficiency movements in history. 


On June 23, 2015, The Washington Post hosted Powering Cities, an event that the media outlet described as a one-day forum for elected officials, government innovators, business leaders and tech pioneers to get together and talk about energy solutions. The Edison Electric Institute sponsored the event with support from the National League of Cities and the U.S. Green Building Council.


The presiding topics of conversation included energy efficiency, alternative energies, backup power, new technologies and the economics of adoption and implementation. 


Hawaii Gov. David Ige spoke about his state’s goal of being 100 percent powered by renewable energy by 2045. 


Kate Burson, a representative from N.Y. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office—New York being a state noted for its gains in building efficiency and smart grid development—spoke with 1776 co-founder Evan Burfield about how to foster grid innovation. (1776 describes itself as a business incubator that links startups with resources in Washington, D.C.) 


Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, and former EPA Administrator Carol Browner discussed the politics behind energy production and conservation.


Powering Cities covered every conceivable topic related to the energy-industry, and it included authorities and experts across institutional and party lines. The product of the event is the spreading and sharing of ideas among the energy-industry leadership and to anyone who has a stake in the current and future state of energy in the United States.


For more on Powering Cities, including video recaps and 
summaries, visit http://wapo.st/energy.