2025 Drake Dialogues
Where now for the "Energy Transition"?
Experts, Practitioners & Local Leaders Discuss Future of Energy and Environmental Security
October 13-14, 2025
Oil Region National Heritage Area, Northwest Pennsylvania
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Community Seminar & Tours
October 13, 2025
The conference's inaugural day features presentations on community transition projects, heritage and recreational tours. Open to conference attendees and the public with prior registration and subject to availability. The program is designed to facilitate interactions and spark new conversations between local leaders and conference attendees concerning future opportunities and lesson learned from the region's 166-year and counting experience with - and environmental recovery from - the early oil and gas Industry.
Multiple Venues
Throughout the Oil Region National Heritage Area between Oil City and Titusville, Pennsylvania
Drake Dialogues
October 14, 2025
In the spirit of Edwin Drake's tenacity and creativity, which produced America's first oil discovery in 1859, global and local experts, practitioners, and leaders will gather to discuss and debate the future of energy security and the environment. This includes hybrid interactive presentations with panelists giving introductory arguments followed by a free-flowing dialogue followed by questions and answers. By invitation only.
The Venue
Drake Well Museum & Park commemorates Edwin Drake's drilling of America's first oil well In 1859. The museum and surrounding grounds chronicle the birth and development of Pennsylvania's petroleum and gas industry and its evolution into today's global enterprise.
Join The Conversation!
Mid-October in Western Pennsylvania features some of the world's most breathtaking autumn foliage, the annual gift from the varied deciduous forest that took the area back from the brink of environmental destruction following the early oil boom.
Who Should Attend?
Experts, practitioners, officials and those interested in how America and the World can practically balance their energy and enviromental goals.
What to Expect?
A full two days of in-depth dialogues, debates and presentations on energy and environmental security Issues now facing the United States and the World - as well as a lot of history, great food and even a bit of local moonshine!
For more information, please email info@drakeenergysecurity.org
Past Events
Energy's Past and Its Lessons for Powering a Sustainable & Prosperous Tomorrow
Select 2024 Participants
John Podesta
Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy
Alison Hills
Director Emerging Policies, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions
Steven Burns
Director for Energy Security, National Security Council
Landon Derentz
Richard L. Morningstar Chair for Global Energy Security, Atlantic Council
Brenda Shaffer
Professor – Research Energy Academic Group – Naval Postgraduate School
Nick Deiuliis
Director & CEO, CNX Resources Corporation
André Béliveau
Senior Manager of Energy Policy, Commonwealth Foundation
Michael Ratner
Specialist in Energy Policy Congressional Research Service
Ed Chow
Senior Associate (Non-resident), Energy Security and Climate Change Program - Center for Strategies & International Studies (CSIS)
RJ Johnston
Senior Director of Research, Columbia University Center of Global Energy Policy
Robert McNally
President, Rapidan Energy
Victoria Coates
Vice President, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, the Heritage Foundation
Andrew J. Tabler
Author and former Director, National Security Council and Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of State
George Coates
Chairman, Commonwealth Foundation
Brian Katulis
Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute
Michael Cohen
Chief US Economist, BP
Raad Alkadiri
Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Walter Kansteiner
Senior Director, Africa, International Government Relations, ExxonMobil
Justin Mackey
Geochemist, University of Pittsburgh and National Energy Technology Laboratory
Ambassador James F. Jeffrey
Chair of the Middle East Program, Wilson Center
Elnur Soltanov
CEO COP 29 Azerbaijan
Andrew Lewis
President, Commonwealth Foundation
Diana Furchtgott-Roth
Director, Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment, Heritage Foundation
Dhahbia Al-Mohannadi
Assistant Professor, Texas A&M at Qatar
Phillip Brown
Specialist in Energy Policy Congressional Research Service
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