PACE Addresses Black Legislators

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Last week in Memphis, PACE Executive Director Lance Brown addressed black legislators from across the nation as part of the 37th Annual Legislative Conference of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. The conference was held from December 11 – 14 with a theme of “Progress: Moving Our States Forward Through Policy Action.”

Brown served on a six-person panel that discussed “The New Energy Economy,” ranging from the development of new fuels to the future of electrical generation to ongoing advances in the vehicle marketplace. Joining Brown on the panel were Hilda Pinnix-Ragland, Vice President of Corporate Public Affairs for Duke Energy; Herman Morris, City Attorney for Memphis; Robert Wimmer, Director of Energy & Environmental Research and Technical & Regulatory Affairs for Toyota; Herbert Hilliard, Vice Chairman of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority; and Paul Phelan, Government Relations Manager for the Western District of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

“The National Black Caucus of State Legislators is to be commended for making energy issues a vital part of the discussion at its legislative conference,” explains Brown. “It was clear from the questions and comments made by legislators from across the country that developing smart energy policy is on the minds of our state lawmakers.”

PACE’s presentation focused on the need for the U.S. to enter the new energy economy with a balanced portfolio of energy technologies that offers reliability and affordability to American homes and businesses. With abundant reserves of natural gas, ongoing efforts to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants, underdevelopment of the nation’s nuclear power and hydroelectric capacity, and new energy efficiency technologies, the U.S. has a chance to be energy secure and to keep power rates competitive with other developing nations.

View PACE’s Presentation Here