Posted on September 25, 2025 by Kelsey Grant and Emily Johnson
By 2040, U.S. electricity demand may rise by 35–50%, equivalent to adding roughly three Texas’ worth of demand to the grid. Meanwhile, China added 475 GW of new generation in 2024 alone. By comparison, the U.S. added 48 GW, barely one-tenth of China’s additions. To win the AI race and secure U.S. energy dominance, America must deploy more energy – faster and at a greater scale. Fortunately, American companies are seizing the opportunity.
For the fourth consecutive year, ClearPath partnered with the American Petroleum Institute (API) to showcase the advanced, next-generation energy technologies that are driving U.S. energy leadership. This year’s Carbon Innovation Forum underscored how America can leverage its innovation advantage to strengthen energy security, bolster manufacturing and maintain leadership in affordable, low-emissions energy.
The Carbon Innovation Forum convened senior government officials, energy executives, investors, project developers and thought leaders to discuss how the U.S. energy industry is innovating advanced energy technologies and resources – from enhanced geothermal and advanced nuclear to critical minerals and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Together, these innovations can deliver affordable, reliable, low-emissions energy, strengthen supply chains, create high-quality American jobs, and expand U.S. exports and global market influence.
Jeremy Harrell, CEO, ClearPath moderates a fireside chat with Jarrod Agen, Executive Director, NEDC
Jarrod Agen, Executive Director of the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), kicked off the event and shared a central message to execute the Trump administration’s clear mandate: get shovels in the ground for projects that boost U.S. energy dominance and strengthen the grid.
Federal support for innovation and project development has already delivered landmark breakthroughs — like hydraulic fracturing — that transformed U.S. natural gas into a global export strength. Today, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is at the heart of the Administration’s energy dominance agenda. European allies have made their position clear — they want America’s lower-emissions LNG rather than Russian gas. In order to capture growing market demand, we need to unlock LNG exports and build supporting infrastructure, such as pipelines and export terminals. With LNG exports projected to grow nearly 10% annually through 2030, projects like Commonwealth LNG and Venture Global’s CP2 facility are central to the United States’ ability to supply allies and seize new market opportunities abroad.
If we want America to lead the world and develop more clean energy, developers must first have a clear path to obtaining permits.
Emily Domenech, Executive Director of FPISC, and Lisa Epifani, Head of Policy, ClearPath
Emily Domenech, Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (“Permitting Council”), shared how the Permitting Council is doing exactly that. They are executing the Administration’s energy dominance strategy by overseeing and leveraging the FAST-41 process, which will accelerate approvals for critical projects such as the Alaska LNG pipeline and several critical mineral projects. For some mining projects, timelines that once stretched three to five years are being cut to about one year. The Permitting Council has also underscored a central point: when projects are built in America, they are built better with higher environmental standards.
What our innovation ecosystem has done for American natural gas, it must now do for next-generation energy technology and manufacturing. To maintain competitiveness and meet rising demand with American-made energy, we must modernize permitting, invest in critical infrastructure from pipelines to transmission, provide market certainty with predictable incentives and strengthen public-private partnerships that accelerate deployment.
Geothermal power illustrates this opportunity. Though it accounts for less than one percent of today’s grid, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory projects geothermal could provide up to 90 GW of electricity by 2050. With support from DOE’s Utah FORGE site, developers are refining drilling techniques, lowering upfront costs, and drawing private capital. Geothermal technology demonstrates the importance of the oil and gas workforce by leveraging the industry’s century of expertise — applying advanced drilling technologies, engineering know-how, and on-the-ground project experience to unlock this technology and get steel in the ground. The One Big Beautiful Bill also retained incentives for geothermal technologies, supporting the expansion of a reliable, clean, base-load power source.
Ammonia represents another opportunity. As both a critical feedstock for fertilizer and an energy carrier, ammonia is central to global food and energy security. Today, China is the largest producer of ammonia, but with abundant natural gas resources, advanced CCUS capabilities, and a highly skilled workforce, America is well-positioned to lead in low-carbon ammonia production. Expanding this sector would not only strengthen supply chains but also create new U.S. manufacturing jobs and export opportunities.
As these technologies mature, supportive infrastructure will be essential. Midstream assets — pipelines for CO₂ and natural gas, transmission for electricity — will determine whether projects move from concept to commercial reality. Modernizing permitting will give developers the confidence to put steel in the ground and scale technologies.
Illustrative 2050 CO2 Pipeline Network
Financing will be just as critical as engineering and permitting breakthroughs. Durable, predictable policy gives investors the confidence to back long-term projects, and public-private partnerships, such as those supported by DOE’s Loan Programs Office, help de-risk deployment and move first-of-a-kind technologies into the market. Together, these tools ensure the U.S. stays ahead of global competitors and leads in bringing the next wave of low-carbon technologies to market.
America’s energy producers, technology innovators and investors are ready to move the capital needed to maintain the United States’ competitive edge in global energy markets. America’s energy leadership depends on matching our strengths with durable policy, streamlined permitting, and long-term certainty that attracts capital and ensures the world’s energy innovations are driven from here at home.
Thanks to our speakers: Jarrod Agen, Executive Director, National Energy Dominance Council; Emily Domenech, Executive Director, Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council; Mike Adams, SVP & Managing Director, 8 Rivers; Vikrum Aiyer, Head of Global Public Policy, Heirloom; Lee Beck, SVP, Global Policy and Commercial Strategy, HIF Global; Kevin Book, Managing Director, ClearView Energy Partners; Ed Crooks, Vice Chair of Americas, Wood Mackenzie; Linda Dempsey, Vice President of Public Affairs, CF Industries; Gavin Dillingham, Executive Advisor, Federal Affairs, SLB; Ryan Edwards, Director of Climate Policy, Oxy; Lisa Epifani, Head of Policy, ClearPath; Cody Finke, CEO, Brimstone; Seán Gallagher, Head of Climate and Sustainability, Woodside; Jeremy Harrell, Chief Executive Officer, ClearPath; Matt Kolesar, Chief Environmental Scientist, ExxonMobil; Michael Johnson, Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, J.P. Morgan; Tim Latimer, Chief Executive Officer, Fervo Energy; Bala Nagarajan, Managing Director, S2G Investments; Hillary O’Brien, Managing Director of Policy, ClearPath; Scott O’Malia, Chief Executive Officer, ISDA; Aaron Padilla, Vice President of Corporate Policy, API; Derek Phelps, Head of Policy and Governmental Affairs, Twelve; Andrey Shuvalov, Vice President Energy Transition and Integration, Shell; Sasha Stashwick, Director of Federal Affairs, Antora; Alix Steel, Principal, DrivePath; Niels Versfeld, VP of Corporate Development, Carbon Clean; Tim Vail, CEO, ION Clean Energy; and Rebecca Winkel, Director, Climate & Sustainability Policy, API.
