Join former New Jersey Governor and EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman for a discussion on nuclear energy in light of the agreement reached at COP21 in Paris.
Climate change is one of the most important issues affecting the health and well-being of future generations. As global policymakers consider steps toward cleaner energy portfolios, they must recognize the importance of an all-of-the-above energy portfolio—one that values nuclear energy. Fortunately, the pact that came out of COP21 gives countries the flexibility to decarbonize their economies as they see fit. And, increasing their share of nuclear generation is one way to do so. Currently, nuclear energy accounts for over 11 percent of the world’s electricity generation.
Biography: Governor Christine Todd Whitman has served as Co-Chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy Coalition) since the Coalition was formed in 2006. As Co-Chair, Governor Whitman connects with policy-makers, business associations, scholars and community leaders to discuss the benefits of nuclear energy and promote a diverse energy portfolio. Governor Whitman helps to build a fact-based dialogue around nuclear energy while promoting CASEnergy Coalition’s mission and building its grassroots membership.
Gov. Whitman served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from 2001 to 2003. She was the 50th Governor of New Jersey, serving as its first woman governor from 1994 until 2001.
Prior to becoming Governor, she was the President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and served on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Since leaving the EPA, Governor Whitman has served as President of The Whitman Strategy Group (WSG), a consulting firm that specializes in energy and environmental issues. She also served as co-chair of the Republican Leadership Council (RLC) from 2006 through 2011, and is the author of a 2005 New York Times best seller, “It’s My Party Too.
Gov. Whitman serves on the Board of Directors of S.C. Johnson and Son, Inc., Texas Instruments Inc., and United Technologies Corporation.
She also serves on a number of non-profit organizations including the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations and on the Eisenhower Fellowships’ Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Security Project and the Center for Sustainable Shale Development. She is a co-chair of the Aspen Health Stewardship Project and a member of the advisory boards of Reform New Jersey Now and the Institute of Politics at Harvard University.