2022 ENERGY FORUM PANELISTS REMAIN HOPEFUL IN ACHIEVING LOCAL AND GLOBAL ENERGY GOALS

Orange County Business Council hosts diverse panel of energy industry experts   IRVINE, CA (June 16, 2022)—Experts representing a broad spectrum of the energy industry discussed how critical issues impacting the business community and ways key stakeholders can collaborate to meet state-mandated energy goals at the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) “Embracing Change in the Energy Revolution” Energy Forum held June 15, 2022 at The Cove at UCI.    “California’s Climate Goals and What’s at Stake,” the first panel, included Linda Morales, Principal Manager of Air and Climate Policy, Regulatory Affairs at Southern California Edison, Joseph S. Avila, Senior Director of Energy Policy and Strategy at Southern California Gas Company, and Dr. Mark Nechodom, Vice President of Upstream Strategy at Western States Petroleum Association. Moderated by Rick Nogueira, Region Manager, Middle Market Banking for Orange County and Inland Empire for JPMorgan Chase and OCBC Board Member, topics discussed included how taking cues from other countries, as well as repurposing existing infrastructure in the United States, all while weighing health and economic impacts, together contribute to adopting clean energy solutions.  The second panel, “The Technology That Will Enable Our Energy Revolution,” featured Jack Brouwer, Ph.D., Director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center and Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine, Todd Campbell, Vice President of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Clean Energy Fuels, and Tanya Peacock, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy at Bloom Energy. The panel was moderated by Jodi Duva, Vice President, Orange Coast for Cox Business and OCBC Board Member. Panelists discussed how working together, even with the petroleum industry, is critical to meeting policy goals. Both panels acknowledged the petroleum industry for the work its doing to work toward the same goals.   Title Sponsor of the 2022 Energy Forum was Southern California Edison. Gold Sponsor was Southern  California Gas, while Silver Sponsors included AT&T, Orange County Education and Research Institute, and Verizon. The next Forum hosted by Orange County Business Council will be the Health Care Forum on August 4, 2022. For more information, visit www.ocbc.org   About Orange County Business Council For over 25 years, Orange County Business Council (OCBC) has been representing and promoting the region’s business community together with government and academia to enhance Orange County’s economic development. The Council’s core initiatives include advocating for adequate investment in regional and statewide infrastructure, education development that leads to a competitive workforce, advocating for a supply and range of housing for the workforce, developing pro-business solutions that lead to economic growth, and quality of life. Member organizations include  businesses and local organizations representing a diverse cross section of industries including biomedical, construction, education, financial services, health care, manufacturing, municipalities, nonprofit, real estate, technology, tourism, transportation, real estate and utilities. For more information, visit www.ocbc.org.    #  #  #  MEDIA CONTACT:  Lizz Mishreki, APR  Vice President of Communications, Orange County Business Council  [email protected]