2024 Energy & Climate 

Security Conference


At the Crossroads: Navigating America's Energy & Climate Dilemmas 


October 14-15, 2024


Oil Region National Heritage Area, Northwest Pennsylvania

Experts, Practitioners & Leaders Discuss Future of Energy & Climate Security 























Energy Transition Seminar & Tours

October 14, 2024

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 165-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 15, 2024

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 climate.  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. 

Read More




Learn more about Oil Region History



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?

Energy and climate experts, practitioners, officials and those interested in how America and the World can practically balance their energy and climate goals.




What to Expect? 

A full two days of in-depth dialogues, debates and presentations on energy 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!


Registrations for 2024 are now closed. 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