Press Release
Exclusive Gathering of Global Energy Ministries Offers Rare Opportunity for International Clean Energy Dialog
Press Release
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Olivia Thomas
06.04.19
Pillsbury partner and Energy section leader Jeffery Merrifield chaired the U.S. Civilian Delegation at the Clean Energy Ministerial 10 in Vancouver last week. The 17-member delegation organized by the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council included representatives from leading U.S. companies including GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy, NuScale Power, ARC Nuclear, Terrestrial Energy, X-energy, Burns and McDonnell and Curtiss-Wright as well as ClearPath Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to accelerating conservative clean energy solutions.
The focus of the Merrifield-led delegation included bilateral discussions with Canada, United Kingdom, South Korea and Nuclear Energy Agency delegations as well as participation in a Generation IV International Forum meeting. The group also participated in the Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy Future (NICE Future) initiative during the three-day mission. NICE Future is a new international campaign promoting inclusion of nuclear energy in global discussions on clean energy.
The Clean Energy Ministerial is a high-level global forum to promote policies and programs that advance clean energy technology, to share lessons learned and best practices, and to encourage the transition to a global clean energy economy. Initiatives are based on areas of common interest among participating governments and other stakeholders. The event, as well as a companion Mission Innovation meeting, connected 26 Minister-level government officials—representing over 90 percent of total global energy consumption—with corporate leaders, international organizations, investors and researchers working on innovative technologies for a clean energy future.
Merrifield’s practice focuses on energy regulatory issues, particularly in connection with the nuclear sector and advanced reactor technology. As a former Commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (1998-2007), he championed the NRC’s efforts to risk-inform regulations and prepare the agency for potential new power reactor applications. Merrifield currently serves as the Chairman of the Advanced Reactor Task Force of the Nuclear Infrastructure Council.